BASSETERRE, St. Kitts, (CMC) – In a heart-stopping finish that epitomises the drama of the Caribbean Premier League, the Saint Lucia Kings emerged victorious by a mere three runs after a spectacular final-ball catch from Tim David broke the hearts of the St Kitts & Nevis Patriots here on Tuesday night..
In a match that swung like a pendulum until the very last second, the Patriots, inspired by a fairytale debut from Breakout League pick Navin Bidaisee, needed four runs off the final delivery to pull off a stunning chase of the Kings’ total of 200-8.
Veteran bowler David Wiese, who had been impeccable with his yorkers throughout the tense over, finally missed his mark by a fraction, offering a half-volley in the slot.
Bidaisee, who had played a heroic maiden innings to give his team a chance, connected cleanly and sent the ball soaring towards the long-off boundary.
For a moment, it seemed the game was tied. But soaring into frame was the towering Tim David, who clung onto a pressure-packed, ice-veined catch to secure a famous victory for the Kings and snatch the win from the Patriots’ grasp.
The Player of the Match was undoubtedly Roston Chase, whose all-round excellence laid the foundation for the Kings’ total.
He top-scored with a dynamic 61 off just 38 deliveries and then turned to his wily spin, taking a crucial 2-27, including the wickets of the dangerous Rilee Rossouw, who went for 11 and Patriots skipper Jason Holder, who top-scored with a blistering 63 from 29 balls.
Opener Johnson Charles and David also made useful contributions with the bat, scoring 52 and 46 respectively, against two wickets each for Kyle Mayers, Fazalhaq Farooqi and Waqar Salamkheil.
“It was a bit nerve-racking”, a relieved Chase admitted after the match. “I think we made it a hard victory. I thought we could have won it a bit more outright, but I’m still grateful for the two points.”
The loss is a bitter pill for the Patriots, who fought valiantly thanks to Bidaisee’s brilliant 50 off 36 balls, which carried the host to 197-6.
It marks their third consecutive defeat, leaving them with just one win in four outings. For the Saint Lucia Kings, the dramatic two points propel them to the top of the CPL table on net run rate.
