Royals romp to comfortable victory over struggling Patriots

THE EARLY season struggles of the 2021 champions St Kitts/Nevis Patriots continued on Thursday night as they suffered a seven-wicket spanking from Barbados Royals, at Warner Park, Basseterre, St Kitts.

Action was on the second day of the Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL).

The Patriots' catching let them down in their first game against Jamaica Tallawahs on Wednesday, when they spilled five attempts. And, 24 hours later, they dropped four catches as the Royals cruised to a comfortable victory, in a rain-delayed encounter.

Heavy showers before the start of play pushed back the start of the game by 90 minutes, and the match was reduced to a 17-overs-per-innings affair.

The Patriots, who were offered first strike, had a decent opening stand of 57 from Andre Fletcher and Joshua Da Silva.

Both batsmen were the only ones to reach double figures – Fletcher blazed his way to 81 (55 deliveries, 11 fours and a six) while Da Silva, replacing the injured Evin Lewis (finger), chipped in with 19 (18 balls, two fours), as the Patriots closed on 149 runs for the loss of eight wickets.

Pacers Jason Holder and Ramon Simmonds took two wickets apiece, for 21 and 28 runs respectively, but South African all-rounder Corbin Bosch, who was named as the Man of the Match, took a tournament-record five catches.

The Royals opening combination of Kyle Mayers (73 off 46 balls with six fours and four sixes) and Rahkeem Cornwall (39 off 25 balls with three fours and three sixes) each survived chances during their partnership of 64 off 6.2 overs, before Patriots captain Dwayne Bravo, at mid-on, held on to a catch from Cornwall, off the bowling of pacer Migael Pretorious.

Bravo (2/33) later dismissed Mayers and Bosch (10), but Azam Khan (nine not out) and skipper David Miller (two not out) guided the Royals to 150/3, with 1.5 overs remaining.

The tournament will resume on Saturday at Warner Park, with the Guyana Amazon Warriors making their season's entry against the Tallawahs at 10 am and, at 7 pm, the Patriots will be seeking to end their poor start when they face the Trinbago Knight Riders.