Barbados Royals earned back-to-back wins in the Caribbean Premier League 2024 as they defeated St Kitts and Nevis Patriots by two wickets in a thriller at Warner Park in Basseterre, St Kitts on Friday.
This was the fifth consecutive win of the Royals over the Patriots in CPL history. The bowling line-up put on a solid show to restrict the Patriots to an achievable total before the batters came together to take the points home. There was only a solo change to the line-up, with Kadeem Alleyne coming in.
The Wellalage show
Dunith Wellalage put on a stellar show, shining both with the bat and the ball. The Sri Lankan combined with fellow countryman Maheesh Theekshana in the first innings to record early blows. He took the wickets of captain Andre Fletcher, Mikyle Louis and Sherfane Rutherford to end with figures of 3/31.
In the second innings, the 21-year-old came in at a time when the team was struggling and put up a consistent partnership with captain Rovman Powell. His 39 runs off 35 was crucial in the Royals’ chase. He ended as the highest scorer for the Royals as well.
A ‘Bulls-eye’ Start
The Royals won the toss and elected to bowl first. The start was exceptional as the Patriots were down to 0/3 with big-shot batters Evin Lewis, Kyle Mayers and Fletcher all out for a duck. While Theekshana took two wickets in the opening over, Wellalage took one in the next one.
Steadying the Boat
Thereafter, Mikyle Louis and Wanindu Hasaranga came in to settle the Patriots' ship. Their 82-run partnership was integral in ensuring the team put up a defendable total on the board. After their wicket, the match slowed down but a quick cameo of 29 runs off 14 balls by Ryan John added weight to the Patriots' overall score.
Great Bowling Effort
The spinners did the damage early on, with both Wellalage and Theekshana being brilliant. Obed McCoy was sensational with the ball too and ended with figures of 23/2. Naveen-ul-Haq and Jason Holder were a little expensive but overall played their part.
A Rocky Start
Barbados Royals had a par score to chase down but with the pitch spinning a lot, they had to be cautious. Quinton de Kock started well, but couldn't replicate the heroics of the previous match and fell for 19. Alleynes quick-fire 30 off 18 ensured that the Royals ended the powerplay overs with 53 runs on the board.
A Solid Partnership
After his wicket, Wellalage and Powell came together and their 49-run partnership proved to be pivotal. They brought a lot of calmness and brought the chase within grasp. When both got out, around 28 runs were needed off 18 balls. The game was hanging by a fine thread but Nyeem Young showed great nerves to get his team over the line with a fantastic 17 off 7.
The Royals are currently second in the standings just behind St Lucia Kings. They face Antigua & Barbuda Falcons next on Wednesday, September 11 at the Kensington Oval in Barbados. The Royals had defeated the Falcons by nine wickets in the CPL 2024 season opener.