Faf Du Plessis' Ton Helps Saint Lucia Thrash Nevis Patriots By 100 Runs

A sensational batting performance by skipper Faf Du Plessis, supported by Roston Chase ensured that the Saint Lucia Kings picked up a thumping win over St.Kitts & Nevis Patriots in the Caribbean Premier League(CPL) 2021. The duo added 124 runs for the third wicket against a challenging bowling attack to put the game beyond doubt after the first innings itself on Saturday at Warner Park.

Batting first on the day, the Kings started off aggressively, picking up 34 runs off the first three overs. Captain Faf Du Plessis proved to be the chief aggressor, getting five fours and a majestic six over extra-cover early on 

Andre Fletcher too joined the party when spin was introduced, hitting Fabian Allen straight down the ground to maintain that healthy scoring rate. The 33-year-old followed that up with a six over mid-wicket against Dominic Drakes. Du Plessis too continued to play his shots, welcoming opposition skipper Dwayne Bravo into the attack with two consecutive boundaries, as the Kings added 71 runs in the powerplay without losing a wicket. 

The Kings skipper picked up his first fifty in the CPL in the next over, getting to that mark off just 25 balls. Allen however provided the breakthrough for the Patriots in the 8th over, as Fletcher tried to hit him over long off but only found the fielder. 

Despite the wicket, Du Plessis showed no signs of stopping as he hit Allen down the ground for his ninth four of the day, as the Kings got to 95/1 at the midway stage of the innings. Fellow batter Keron Cottoy also wanted to play his shots, as he attempted to charge down the wicket against Fawad Ahmed but ended by being stumped. 

Shortly after the wicket, Patriots skipper Bravo reintroduced himself into the attack in the hopes of picking a wicket but instead got hit for a couple of fours by Roston Chase as the Kings raced away to 123/2 after 13 overs. Next up, it was another Du Plessis maximum over the bowler’s head as the Saint Lucia Kings looked in complete control. 

Having rediscovered his mojo, the Kings skipper absolutely belted Cottrell in his third over, getting two sixes and a four to get the team score past 150. The next over saw Du Plessis eclipse a personal milestone, as he became just the third overseas player to score a CPL century with a flick towards the square leg. 

With wickets in the bank, the Kings went all out in the death overs, as Chase picked up two more fours and a six off Bravo’s bowling, pushing the team score to 178/2 with three to play. The 29-year-old added two more sixes in the penultimate over of the innings, as he got to his second fifty of the season while the team score crossed 200. The final over also proved expensive, as the Kings picked up 21 runs off it to end the innings at a whopping 221/2. 

Just like Thursday, the Kings got the perfect start as Alzarri Joseph picked up a wicket in the very first over, as opener Devon Thomas skied one to the mid-on fielder. The Patriots responded by sending out Chris Gayle, who smacked Joseph for two sixes in his second over. 

The pacer however had the last laugh, as he surprised Gayle with some extra bounce, clipping the gloves of the Universe Boss before nestling comfortably in the palms of the keeper. That was followed up by a maiden over by Roston Chase, leaving the Patriots at 22/2 after four. 

Evin Lewis took the attack back to the Kings, as he got two sixes and a four off Chase’s second over to push the team score to 45 at the end of the powerplay. He picked up a couple more sixes in the next over off Keemo Paul and followed that with an 18 run over to welcome Kesrick Williams into the attack. 

Lewis got to his fifty off just 25 balls, as the Patriots showed some resolve by getting to 78 runs after eight overs. Ravi Bopara at the other end however was struggling to find his timing and was ultimately trapped in front of the wicket by Chase in his penultimate over.

In the 12th over, the Patriots lost another wicket as Williams returned into the attack and dismissed Sherfane Rutherford, thanks to a smart catch by Cottoy at point.

The pressure was relentless, as Fabian Allen nicked one to the keeper shortly after, giving Wahab Riaz his first wicket. In the 16th over, the final nail in the coffin was delivered as the well set Lewis was dismissed by Keemo Paul. The all-rounder also dismissed Cottrell and Drakes in the same over, as the Patriots were reduced to 120/8 after 16.

With Bravo unavailable to bat due to an injury, Alzarri Joseph ended the misery for the Patriots as he cleaned up Naseem Shah, giving the Saint Lucia Kings a 100 run victory in their fifth game of the CPL 2021 season. 

Brief Scorecard:

Saint Lucia Kings: 224/2 (Faf Du Plessis 120, Fawad Ahmed 1/23)
Beat
St.Kitts & Nevis Patriots: 124/9 (Evin Lewis 73, Keemo Paul 3/23)

Cricketnmore is a proud partner of Saint Lucia Kings in CPL 2021.