Basseterre – A dynamic 73 from West Indies international Kyle Mayers topped a blistering 81 from Andre Fletcher and spurred Barbados Royals to a convincing seven-wicket win over St Kitts & Nevis Patriots in the men’s Caribbean Premier League (CPL) on Thursday in St Kitts.
Chasing 150 to win a match reduced to 17 overs a side because of rain at Warner Park, Mayers survived three chances and struck six fours and four sixes from 46 balls, sharing successive half-century stands with Rahkeem Cornwall and Corbin Bosch to lead a successful run chase for Royals.
Left-hander Mayers shared 64 for the first wicket with Cornwall, whose 39 from 25 balls included three fours and three sixes before falling Dwaine Pretorius in the seventh over, and then dominated a second wicket stand of 60 with Bosch, who made only 10 before falling to Dwayne Bravo in the 13th over.
When Mayers was caught at long-off in the 15th over off Bravo, Royals needed only five from 11 balls, and Azam Khan, son of former Pakistan wicketkeeper-batsman Moin Khan, slapped left-arm spinner Jaden Carmichael to deep cover for a single to formalise the result with 11 balls remaining.
Earlier, Fletcher blasted 11 fours and one six in 81 from 55 balls and was the only Patriots batsman to reach 20 – and they posted 149 for eight after they were sent in to bat following an hour-and-a-half delay because of wet conditions caused by rain.
Patriots were handed a blow before the match with a finger injury ruling out Evin Lewis, but Fletcher and Joshua da Silva gave the Patriots a strong start, reaching 43 without loss at the end of the Power Play and sharing 56 for the first wicket.
After Da Silva was stumped for 19 off Barbadian left-arm spinner Joshua Bishop, no other batsman was able to stay with Fletcher long enough to help set a more challenging total with Jason Holder and left-arm pace bowling compatriot Ramon Simmonds taking two wickets each.
Royals were solid in the field, and no one typified it more than Bosch with five catches in the outfield, a CPL record, that helped him to strangely earn the Player of the Match award.
Summarised scores:
Patriots 149 for eight off 17 overs (Andre Fletcher 81, Joshua da Silva 19; Jason Holder 2-21, Ramon Simmonds 2-28).
Royals 150 for three off 15.1 overs (Kyle Mayers 73, Rahkeem Cornwall 39, Corbin Bosch 10; Dwayne Bravo 2-33).
(AR)