Matthew Forde Fiver, Kamil Pooran 81* Blast St. Lucia Kings Past Jamaica Kingsmen
Friday Night’s CPL contest between the St. Lucia Kings and the Jamaica Kingsmen closes the Kings home stand at the Daren Sammy Cricket Ground at Gros Islet. It’s a simple mission for the Kings, finish their home stand on a high, having lost their last 2 and 3 of the 4 contests at home. The Jamaica Kingsmen left Kingston on a high, winning their last 2 contests while rounding into form.
It would be a night where Matthew Forde’s 5 wicket haul would be partnered by Kamil Pooran’s 81 not out as the St. Lucia Kings end their home stand with a much needed win over the Jamaica Kingsmen.
The Kings were dealt a blow yesterday when Noor Ahmad had his No-Objection Certificate revoked by ACB to join their side after playing in the Hundred. Tim Seifert does return to the Kings lineup while Andries Gous’s time with the side has come to and end.
Having won the toss, the Kings sent the Kingsmen to the crease. 8 balls in that looked to be the right decision.
Shadley van Schalkwyk would quickly end the innings of Kirk McKenzie with the 5th ball of the opening over, an edge to Tim Seifert. Two balls into the 2nd over, Matthew Forde would open his account getting the wicket of Saim Ayub, going to deep third and the first of three Obus Pienaar catches.
After Shadley was rocked for 19 in the 3rd over, a no ball punished to the max, Matthew Forde would strike again in the 4th over. Usman Khan would open the over with consecutive fours before going to Pienaar on the rope, Khan’s rapid 28 from 11 would be met by Rovman Powell going for a first ball duck at short third.
Hassan Khan would navigate the hat trick ball, but wouldn’t survive a LBW appeal 2 overs later on a delivery Forde was begging for Roston Chase to challenge. Sure enough, 3 reds on the screen saw Hassan Khan’s innings end on 12. The Kingsmen survived the power play at 55-5.
In the middle of all the carnage was Keacy Carty. Slow to get his innings going, he would again see a wicket fall in the 9th over, Keemo Paul edging to Seifert. At 71-6, Carty would become the glue of the next two partnerships when Andre Russell entered the crease.
Carty would begin to open up his shot selection. Aided by the lack of a third pace option for the Kings, Russell and Carty clawed back the momentum punishing anything that wasn’t perfect. A 41 run 7th wicket partnership got the innings back on track. Beginning to feel it in the middle, Russell would go on a shot to deep midwicket that didn’t have enough power on it. His 1 four and 3 six innings ending with Pineaar’s final catch of the innings.
With Odean Smith in the middle, Carty just went for it. A 53 run 8th wicket partnership would see Carty nearly bat the innings out. It was only after he picked up his 4th CPL half century did he depart to start the 20th over. Matthew Forde, called to bowl the last, would get Carty to long on and a waiting Roston Chase. While Forde won’t be credited with the run out of Vitel Lawes to end the innings, Forde would end his 4 over spell 5-23.
Despite the early wickets, the Kingsmen did well to recover from 71-6 to 169-9, 8 fours and 10 sixes from the batters aided by 12 extras from the bowlers.
Opening the power play would be Tim Seifert, fresh off his Hundred man of the match performance in the final, and Kamil Pooran. Pooran was steady in getting comfortable in the middle, Tim Seifert just beginning to find his feet when he departed. It took a short ball from Hunain Shah to get Seifert to pop up to the middle of the crease, departing on 12 from 13 deliveries.
John Campbell would be next to the crease and got out of Pooran’s way. After the power play ended 39-1, the pair would begin to find boundaries. Pooran’s ability to find all the gaps in the field was matched by his power down the ground. Pooran would pick up his 2nd CPL half century off just 26 deliveries. Campbell did most of the rotating, but also found 2 fours and a six as the partnership went over 50 runs with a 34 run blast before drinks to get the run rate needed under 8.
Vital Lawes would be called upon after drinks and with the first ball of the 11th over break the 66 run partnership, Campbell line driving a shot to a waiting Andre Russell at long off. Johann Jeremiah wouldn’t last the over, edging to Usman Khan for 1 with the last ball of the over. If for a moment, the tide started to turn the Kingsmen way at 93-2.
Roston Chase would make a brief cameo before being bowled by Shah on his off stump. At 114-4 Obus Pienaar would step to the crease looking to restore order.
That order would be immediately restored with Pienaar ending the 14th over with a much needed 4 to slow the tide. Andre Russell would limit the pair to 7 in the 15th, before going down injured and needing assistance walking off. Going into the final 5 the Kings needed 45 runs.
With the wickets in hand, Pooran and Pienaar would begin to tee off at will. With only 3 dot balls in the last 4 overs, strike was regularly rotated strike with Pienaar finding 2 fours and 2 sixes to go with the rotations. Pooran would get his time to shine in the 19th over. After running 2 to start the over, Pooran would go for his 5th six of the night, to go along with 6 fours, before watching the game end with 5 wides.
It was a patient innings from Kamil Pooran, 81 not out from 49 deliveries. Obus Pienaar would finish the night 34 not out from 14 deliveries. It was much needed win for the Kings as they head on the road to complete their campaign.