St Kitts: The Barbados Royals won a second match in succession with a comfortable DLS victory against Saint Lucia Kings in the Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL).
Royals scored 162 for seven in their 20 overs and St Lucia’s chase was interrupted by rain and their target was changed to 103 in nine over. Lucia needing 103 to win in nine overs as the target was reduced, managed only 91 for 4 and lost by 11 runs under the Duckworth-Lewis method.
The other match between Guyana Warriors and St Kitts and Nevis Patriots was abandoned without a ball being bowled. It was the second time in four matches that Patriots had their match abandoned and they have lost both the other matches.
It was the St Lucia Kings, who won the toss and put Barbados in to bat with the weather looking like it was going to affect the game. The decision backfired as Kyle Mayers and Rahkeem Cornwall got off to a flyer in the Power Play with 49 in 4.5 overs before Cornwall was dismissed for 32 off 17 balls.
The scoreboard ticked along despite a slowdown in the middle overs but Royals got to 162 for seven.
And then Mayers removed the top order with a two over spell of four wickets for four runs.
Even as rain threatened to end the match with a no result, the DLS reset the total to 103 to win from 9 overs. Faf Du Plessis and Alzarri Joseph took the game down to the last over but still fell short.
When Mayers departed for 36 with the score was 76 for 2 and the Royals looked set for a huge total. But between the 13th and 17th over there were no boundaries and wickets fell regularly. Then some late hitting from David Miller and Joshua Bishop ensured a competitive total.
Kyle Mayers, who does not bowl regularly, produced a devastating two over spell. He dismissed Johnson Charles and Roston Chase’s middle stump before also dismissing Mark Deyal and Roshon Primus to leave the Kings at 10 for four. Then came the rain and the target was reduced and the Kings needed a near-impossible 93 runs from 30 balls. Alzarri Joseph and Faf Du Plessis did give it and shot and came close but then fell short.
Brief scores: Barbados Royals: 162/7 in 20 overs (Kyle Mayers 36, R Cornwall 32, Mark Deyal 2/15) beat St Lucia 91/4 in 9 overs (Faf du Plessis 47 not out, Alzarri Joseph 29 not out, Kyle Mayers 4/4) by 11 runs (D/L Method).
–IANS