Patriots batsmen crumble against pace as Kings register 61-run victory

ST LUCIA Kings' pace bowlers took all ten of the St Kitts/Nevis Patriots' wickets as the hosts registered a 61-run victory in the teams' Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL) contest, at the Daren Sammy Stadium, Gros Islet, St Lucia on Sunday night.

The Kings, who were soundly beaten by six wickets against Guyana Amazon Warriors on Saturday night, were restricted to a score of 161 runs for the loss of nine wickets.

Openers Faf du Plessis (60 off 35 balls with three fours and five sixes) and Johnson Charles (41 off 32 balls with four fours and two sixes) put on a stand of 86, but their batting imploded in the 'middle overs' as they lost nine wickets for 70 runs.

Pace bowler Dwaine Pretorious took three wickets for 37 runs for the Patriots, and the pair of off-spinner Akila Dananjaya (2/30) and left-arm pacer Sheldon Cottrell (2/41) were also among the wickets.

Man of the Match, fast bowler Matthew Forde, took the first three wickets to fall in the Patriots innings, as they folded for 100 off 19 overs. Forde took 3/19, and he got support from David Wiese (3/17), Roshon Primus (2/12) and Alzarri Joseph (2/19).

Stand-in skipper Evin Lewis (24 off nine balls with three fours and two sixes) and fellow left-hander Darren Bravo (20 off 25 balls with two fours) were the leading scorers for the Patriots.

The Barbados Royals remain top of the six-team standings with 10 points, followed by Jamaica Tallawahs (six), Kings and Patriots (four apiece), Amazon Warriors and Trinbago Knight Riders (three each).