Saint Lucia Kings kicked off their Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL) campaign with a nail-biting win against Jamaica Tallawahs in front of a wild home crowd.
The Kings won the toss and elected to field first and they were rewarded for that decision with a disciplined performance with the ball and in the field.
The windows fell at regular intervals to ensure that the tallawahs were limited to 163/8
In reply, the Tallawahs played the Kings at their own game taking regular wickets.
Mohammed Amiri’s early double struck Kings, but Johnson Charles’ brilliant half-century kept the home side in the game. There was still a lot to do when David Wiese went to the crease, but he ran the chase brilliantly to get the Kings their first win of the tournament.
The Tallawahs had made a heavy move after their introduction. They lost a lot of wickets in PowerPlay. Kennar Lewis, Shamarh Brooks and Rovman Powell all fell to leave the Tallawahs on 47/3 at the end of the first six overs.
When Brandon King was run out courtesy of brilliant fielding by Jeavor Royal, the Tallawahs were reeling at 62/4.
However, Imad Wasim and Raymon Reifer rebuilt the innings and settled it for a few late on with the spoils in the last four overs to ensure the Tallawahs posted an intriguing 164 to win.
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Like the Tallawahs, the Kings’ bands tried to get into the PowerPlay.
They lost four wickets in the first seven overs to leave them in shambles at 39/4, but Tim David and Johnson Charles counter-attacked well to put the Kings side a game ahead at the halfway stage of the innings.
That advantage looked to be gone when both shots in the set were dropped, but Roshon Primus and wily Wiese kept the Kings in the game going into the final few overs.
When Primus pulled away, Wiese led the chase into the final and hit the winning run to rapturous celebration in the stands.
