The four teams to make the playoffs of the 2024 Republic Bank Caribbean Premier League (CPL) may have been decided, but that did not stop the Barbados Royals and St Lucia Kings from slugging it out in Providence with bragging rights and momentum all to be played for.
Both sides have booked their place in the 2024 CPL Playoffs along with Guyana Amazon Warriors and the Trinbago Knight Riders, and there was only NRR to split them ahead of the match, with both sides winning five of their seven matches and losing two to sit on ten points apiece.
Royals captain Rovman Powell won the toss and elected to field first, but his bowlers struggled to make as much impact as they’ve been used to throughout the tournament so far. Nevertheless, Royals wicketkeeper Quinton de Kock showcased his lightning-quick hands to get rid of Faf du Plessis and Roston Chase, both stumped off Maharaj and Theekshana, respectively, as the Kings chipped away.
Johnson Charles played some muscular sweep shots to clear the boundary rope, top scoring with 53 runs off 42 balls; he was supported by Ackeem Auguste with 35 off 32 before the latter had to retire hurt. Tim Seifert then struck a late flurry of boundaries to get the Kings to the highest total scored at Providence in this year’s competition – 162/3 would take some chasing.
The Royals stellar batting card got off to a flier in response – reaching 56 without loss before Alzarri Joseph got rid of the dangerous de Kock for 22 off 13 balls. Kadeem Alleyne had been the main aggressor for the Royals, particularly in the third over when he smashed three consecutive sixes off Roston Chase. The Kings then struck back by picking up both Rahkeem Cornwall and Rovman Powell cheaply.
Royals reached 100/4 in the 13th over before Noor Ahmed stitched together a maiden to an increasingly frustrated David Miller in the 14th, which left the Royals needing to hit 63 runs off the last 36 balls.
Miller atoned for his sluggish strike rate by bunting two boundaries in the next over but was caught at cover by du Plessis for 21 off 22 balls, trying to find the fence again as the runs per over required climbed ever higher.
Alick Athanaze and Nyeem Young both fell in the latter stages to leave Royals needing 21 off the last over with Jason Holder and Maheesh Theekshana at the crease. Theekshana got a single off the first ball to get Holder on strike, and an edge for four followed to keep the Royals in the hunt. David Wiese then got the crucial breakthrough as Holder holed out to Khary Pierre on the long-off boundary. Wiese held his nerve at the last to see Kings claim the victory by 13 runs.