RBCPL24: Kings veteran, Johnson Charles, learns new tricks in 12th season

Saint Lucian blood runs in my best friend’s veins. And he graces almost all international and regional cricket at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy (BLCA) in Tarouba with his presence. Religiously. So he has just a little trouble keeping his JCs apart.

Let’s call him Christian, shall we? He is what I’d call a late cricket bloomer. Seldom does he bring facts and statistical data to a cricket argument. But he makes up for it with his sheer zeal, enthusiasm and excitement for the sport.

For him, Johnson Charles might be able if challenged to walk on water. And Andre ‘Spiceman’ Fletcher might be able with one wave of his bat to part the red sea after completing one of his signature no-look shots.

“I think this is the best I’ve seen Johnson Charles bat,” I told him as I returned to my seat at the BLCA on a hot, hot Republic Day in the land of calypso and steelpan.

“If he had batted like this three months ago, West Indies may have won another World Cup title,” I continued, although not so politely.

When it comes to a Carnival fete or a T20 cricket match, nobody does it like a Trini. Nobody. The sun was beating the grass mound like a mother would her harden child.

In the same way, Mr JC was beating the Trinbago Knight Riders (TKR) attack. Like Massa beating a runaway slave. And he singled out their best bowler for special treatment too—Afghanistan’s left-arm wrist-spinner, Waqar Salamkheil.

Captain Kieron Pollard needed the wily Waqar to work his magic.

And the partisan red-clad TKR crowd needed something to cheer at.

Ace mystery spinner Sunil Narine was missing his second game in three days with what coach Phil Simmons later described as a “slight injury”.

And by the seventh over, the “champion”, DJ Bravo, was hobbling off the field with a groin problem—adding injury to the insult JC was already beginning to pile on to the Narine injury.

In a 12-year stop-start international career, the 35-year-old Charles has never looked comfortable against wrist spin or the moving ball.

Like many of his West Indies compatriots in this fast-paced T10 and T20 era, the Saint Lucian loves the ball coming on to the bat. And on his day, he can make you pay with muscular heaves to cow corner or straight back over your head. The harder they come, the farther they travel.

So despite a brisk start by Charles and Saint Lucia Kings skipper Faf du Plessis in Match 26 of the 2024 Republic Bank CPL season, I was certain the former was living on borrowed time—he had already been given lives by Akeal Hosein and Keacy Carty.

Say something unflattering about Charles or Fletcher and Christian and I would end up in a raging debate, not to say argument. Almost invariably, he ends up producing scorecards from WI’s winning 2012 and 2016 T20 World Cup campaigns.

“He’s as good as gone,” I told myself as Waqar came on to bowl the eighth over. And I said out loud to Christian: “I’ll buy the first round of drinks.”

As I walking up the steps, Waqar delivers his first ball.

“Whack!” is all I hear.

Charles could not have struck it any cleaner if he tried. But the burly right-hander isn’t done there. Before I could finish my trip to purchase two man’s beers, Charles changes from his conventional right-hander’s stance to a left-hander’s and carts Waqar for a massive six over cover.

This isn’t agricultural swiping to cow corner—this is clinical, cultured surgery performed by a non-medical man on a mission.

It was a brave approach from Charles. In the previous meeting with TKR on September 10, let us not forget, he was dismissed, attempting a switch-hit off Narine. He ended up scooping the ball into the safe hands of Pollard at long-on.

He later said he was batting for St Lucian Olympic gold medallist Julien “Ju” Alfred but I felt JC was personally trying to turn me into a believer.

With a modest average of 24.69 across 115 ODI and T20 matches for WI, he had not made me into a fan. Today’s knock was, though—I commented to Christian—some of the best batting I had seen from him. And against a quality attack as well.

I wasn’t alone either. Hear his skipper’s view of it.

“The way Charles put the spinners under pressure,” he said, after the Kings’ resounding 80-run victory over TKR, “he’s playing the best cricket I’ve ever seen him play. Long may that continue.”

“He’s obviously gone back in the off-season and worked on some shots. It’s a great example of someone still growing in their game, still evolving and still getting better.”

Charles batted TKR completely out of the game. His innings, I venture to suggest, is up there with his 56-ball 84 against England in the 2012 World Cup as a largely unknown 23-year-old, as well as the 118 he bludgeoned versus South Africa in Centurion early last year.

In the eighth over, Charles took Waqar for 22 as he raced to his 21st CPL half-century. And he clouted two more sixes and a four in the 12th over as TKR’s leading wicket-taker in the 2024 season struggled for answers.

“But that have to be Charles son,” said an animated spectator. “Nobody should be roughing you up so.”

At that point, I concurred and conceded. There would be no stopping Charles. He was simply continuing the good work of two days earlier when he made 53 off 41 balls on a turning Providence Stadium deck.

He was heading, I thought, to a well-deserved maiden CPL hundred.

I was ready to raise the toast!

Off his first 39 balls, Charles struck seven fours and eight sixes. But on his 40th ball, as he tried to clear the ropes for a ninth time, he fell to an excellent catch by the electric Chris Jordan at long-off.

The playoffs loom. And the Kings are up against the defending champions in the first Qualifier on Wednesday.

Their charismatic coach Daren Sammy and thousands of SLK fans will be hoping for Charles to play one or two more special innings from here on in as the Kings aim to go one better than their 2020 and 2021 second-place finishes.

Even Christian might drink to that.

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