Jones And Chase Lead Saint Lucia Kings To First-Ever CPL Title

Saint Lucia Kings claimed their maiden title after a stunning display from Aaron Jones and Roston Chase in a thrilling final at the 2024 Caribbean Premier League (CPL). Despite being set a modest target of 139 by the Guyana Amazon Warriors, the Kings had to fight hard on a sluggish pitch at Providence Stadium, Guyana, before securing victory with 6 wickets and 11 balls to spare.

Chasing 139 for their first-ever CPL title, the Saint Lucia Kings found themselves in trouble early on. The team’s openers, Faf du Plessis and Johnson Charles, managed just three boundaries in the powerplay before Charles was bowled by Romario Shepherd for 7 off 10 balls. Compounding the Kings’ woes, Shepherd left the field with what appeared to be a side injury right after taking the wicket.

Du Plessis tried to anchor the innings but fell for a run-a-ball 21, dismissed by Moeen Ali. Ackeem Auguste was soon bowled by Kevin Sinclair, and when Tim Seifert was trapped LBW by Dwaine Pretorius, the Kings were in a precarious position at 51/4 after 10 overs.

Jones And Chase Turn The Tide

With the run rate climbing and boundaries hard to come by, Roston Chase and Aaron Jones found themselves under immense pressure. At the end of the 15th over, Saint Lucia still needed 66 runs from 30 balls. Neither Chase nor Jones had found the boundary up until that point, but the duo remained calm under pressure and soon changed the momentum of the game.

The breakthrough came in the 16th over when Jones smashed a six off Moeen Ali. Chase followed with two sixes and two boundaries, as the pair plundered 27 runs off the over. This flurry of runs drastically eased the pressure and shifted the game in Saint Lucia’s favor.

Jones then continued his assault, hitting two sixes and a four off Pretorius in the following over, reducing the equation to 19 runs needed from 18 balls. Shepherd returned to the attack but couldn’t contain Jones, who hit another six and a four, with additional wides from the bowler bringing Saint Lucia within touching distance of victory.

Victory Sealed In Dramatic Fashion

Although Jones was initially given out LBW off Imran Tahir in the 18th over, a successful review overturned the decision. He couldn’t quite reach his half-century, finishing unbeaten on 48 off 31 balls, but he had already done enough to ensure the Kings would lift the trophy. The winning run came in anticlimactic fashion as Tahir bowled a wide, securing Saint Lucia Kings their historic win.

Roston Chase remained unbeaten on 39 from 22 balls, having played a pivotal role in the partnership that ultimately decided the match.

Amazon Warriors Struggle With The Bat

Earlier, after being put into bat, the Guyana Amazon Warriors found themselves on the back foot almost immediately. Rahmanullah Gurbaz was dismissed for a duck, falling to Khary Pierre in the first over. Shai Hope tried to steady the innings with a few boundaries, but tight bowling from the Kings kept the scoring rate in check, with the Warriors only managing 27/1 in the powerplay.

Hope fell for a 24-ball 22, dragging a Chase delivery onto his stumps, and the Warriors continued to lose wickets at regular intervals. Shimron Hetmyer struck a lone six off Chase but was soon dismissed for 11, slicing the ball to deep point off Noor Ahmad.

The middle and lower order struggled to find momentum, with Kevin Sinclair, Keemo Paul, and Raymon Reifer falling cheaply. It wasn’t until the final two overs that Pretorius and Shepherd managed to find the boundary, adding 36 runs to push the total to 138/8 in 20 overs. Despite their late hitting, the total proved insufficient in the end.

Brief Scorecard

Guyana Amazon Warriors: 138/8 in 20 overs (Dwaine Pretorius 25, Shai Hope 22; Noor Ahmad 3-19, Matthew Forde 1-11)
Saint Lucia Kings: 139/4 in 18.1 overs (Aaron Jones 48*, Roston Chase 39*; Kevin Sinclair 1-5, Dwaine Pretorius 1-25)
Result: Saint Lucia Kings won by 6 wickets.

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