BASSETERRE, St. Kitts — A valiant comeback effort by the lower order wasn't enough for the St. Kitts-Nevis Patriots, who fell just short in a thrilling 3-run defeat to the Saint Lucia Kings last night at Warner Park.
Playing before a small crowd on a cool evening, the home side chose to field first and were immediately put on the back foot. West Indies opener Johnson Charles led the charge with a boundary-filled 52 from just 28 balls. The Kings' momentum continued with a strong middle-order push from Roston Chase, who scored 61, and a crucial 46 from Tim David. This guided the visitors to a challenging total of 200/8.
The match came down to the final delivery, with the Patriots needing four runs to win off David Wiese. On his CPL debut, rookie Navin Bidaisee kept the Patriots in contention with a spectacular innings, finishing with 50 runs off 36 balls. Wiese, who had been nailing his yorkers all over, missed his length slightly on the crucial final ball. Bidaisee hit it cleanly towards the long-off boundary, but Tim David pulled off an incredible, ice-veined catch to secure the win for the Kings and break Patriot hearts.
Chase was named player of the match for his all-around performance, scoring 61 off 38 deliveries and taking two key wickets (Rilee Rossouw and Jason Holder) with his economical spin.
“It was a bit nerve-racking!” said Chase post-match. “I think we made it a hard victory. I thought we could have won it a bit more outright, but I'm still grateful for the two points.”
The loss is a tough one for the Patriots, who now have one win and three straight defeats. The Kings, meanwhile, move to the top of the CPL table on net run rate.
Speaking with reporters, Patriots Captain Jason Holder acknowledged the team's disappointment but noted that there were positives to take from the high-scoring encounter, despite fielding, bowling, and batting errors that ultimately cost them the game. With three defeats in four games, the Patriots will now try to end their home season on a high note before hitting the road.
