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Barbados Royals captain Rovman Powell won the toss in Match 22 of the 2024 Republic Bank Caribbean Premier League (CPL).
He figured that, his team having already qualified for the playoffs, he’d have a bat. He figured too that, on a turning track at the Guyana National Stadium in Providence, setting a target for the Saint Lucia Kings to chase was the way to go.
Photo: Randy Brooks/CPL T20 via Getty Images
He had not figured that on the day triple figures would be as scarce as triple centuries. So scarce indeed that only five of the Royals’ batsmen managed even double figures.
And the whole team was dismissed four adrift of 100, on 96.
It proved less of a problem for the Kings, who won by seven wickets. They got a quick 26 from skipper Faf du Plessis, an unbeaten 39 and 21 respectively from Roston Chase and Tim Seifert and reached 97 for 3 in the 14th over.
They probably figure they can reproduce the result when these two teams join battle again at the same venue on Sunday. Overnight, one suspects, the other team will be trying to figure out ways to reverse the result.
Photo: Randy Brooks/CPL T20 via Getty Images
At the start of Saturday, one of the two teams was on ten points and already qualified for the playoffs. The other was locked in a battle for second place with two other teams, all three with four wins from six games.
Today’s win breaks that deadlock. But it sets up a new one—two teams on ten points, two on eight.
Just how those ties are broken will probably determine who contests the Eliminator and who Qualifier 1 in Guyana next month.
But the Antigua and Barbuda Falcons, currently in fifth place with six points and one game left against defending champions and home side on Saturday, think they may still have a say.
Photo: Randy Brooks/CPL T20 via Getty Images
Go figure!
Summarised scores
Toss: Barbados Royals
Barbados Royals: 96 for 9 (20 overs) Jason Holder 21, David Miller 21; Alzarri Joseph 4/22, Roston Chase 3/18
St Lucia Kings: 97 for 3 (13.5 overs) Roston Chase 38*, Faf du Plessis 26, Tim Seifert 21*; Maheesh Theekshana 1/16
Man-of-the-Match: Alzarri Joseph
Result: St Lucia Kings win by 7 wkts
| Position | Team | Played | Won | Lost | No result | Points |
| 1 | BR | 7 | 5 | 2 | — | 10 |
| — | ||||||
| 2 | SLK | 7 | 5 | 2 | — | 10 |
| 3 | GAW | 6 | 4 | 2 | — | 8 |
| 4 | TKR | 6 | 4 | 2 | — | 8 |
| 5 | ABF | 9 | 3 | 6 | — | 6 |
| 6 | STKNP | 9 | 1 | 8 | — | 2 |
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