PROVIDENCE, Guyana – St Lucia Kings celebrated their first-ever Caribbean Premier League (CPL) championship after a thrilling six-wicket triumph over defending champions Guyana Amazon Warriors on Sunday at Providence Stadium.
Roston Chase and Aaron Jones were the heroes of the night, combining for a pivotal partnership that saw the Kings recover from a precarious position at 51 for four to comfortably chase down the target of 139 with 11 balls to spare. Chase, named Player of the Match, played a calm and composed innings, finishing unbeaten on 39, while Jones dominated the scoring with a match-winning 48 not out.
Earlier, Kings’ skipper Faf du Plessis opted to bowl first, a decision that paid dividends. The Warriors’ top order struggled to adapt to the sluggish pitch, as left-arm spinner Noor Ahmad ripped through their line-up, taking three wickets for just 19 runs. The Kings’ disciplined bowling performance kept Guyana on the back foot throughout the innings, restricting them to 138 for eight in their allotted 20 overs.
Guyana’s troubles
Guyana’s troubles began almost immediately when opener Rahmanullah Gurbaz fell for a duck off the second ball, caught by du Plessis at mid-on. Partnerships were hard to come by as Moeen Ali and Shai Hope labored for runs during a slow 33-run stand. Hope was bowled by Chase for 22, and Ahmad’s spin further dented Guyana’s middle order, as key batsmen like Shimron Hetmyer (11) and Kevin Sinclair (11) struggled to make an impact.
With wickets falling at regular intervals, Guyana turned to Romario Shepherd (19 not out) and Dwaine Pretorius (25) for late fireworks, but their contributions were not enough to set a formidable target. Ahmad’s three-wicket haul, along with steady support from Alzarri Joseph and Matthew Forde, kept the Warriors under control.
St Lucia’s reply started cautiously, with du Plessis and Johnson Charles managing 23 runs in the first four overs. But Guyana’s bowlers struck back quickly, dismissing Charles (7) and du Plessis (21) in short succession. Further pressure mounted as the Kings lost Ackeem Auguste (7) and Tim Seifert (3), leaving them reeling at 51 for four at the halfway mark.
At that stage, it seemed the momentum was swinging in favor of the Warriors. However, Chase and Jones gradually rebuilt the innings with patience and precision. The game’s turning point came in the 16th over when the pair launched a ferocious assault on Moeen Ali, smashing him for 27 runs, including three sixes and two boundaries. This decisive over drastically reduced the required run rate and put the Kings back in control.
Aggressive approach
With the target now in sight, Jones and Chase continued their aggressive approach, taking 20 runs from Pretorius’ next over, including two more sixes from Jones. Needing just 19 runs from the last three overs, the duo finished the game swiftly, with Jones smashing Shepherd for a six and a four to all but seal the victory.
Fittingly, the match ended with a wide from Imran Tahir, allowing the Kings to celebrate their maiden CPL title. Chase remained unbeaten on 39 from 22 balls, while Jones’ powerful 48 not out, laced with four sixes and two boundaries, ensured the Kings’ historic win.
Ahmad’s excellent performance with the ball earned him the Player of the Series award, but it was the cool-headed partnership between Chase and Jones that made the night unforgettable for St Lucia Kings, crowning them champions for the very first time.
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