SKN VS SLK T20S

That brings the curtain down on this pretty one-sided clash. The Saint Lucia Kings, in their title defence, with this win, leapfrog to the first position with four wins. While the St Kitts and Nevis Patriots are under extreme pressure with this defeat, and a challenging roster lined up ahead for them against tough opponents. Within a blink, we are through the midpoint of the season and the action is about to get spicier as the tournament moves towards its second half. The weekend is here, and the Caribbean Premier League 2025 rolls on with another mouthwatering contest as we shift back to Trinidad. The Trinbago Knight Riders will take on the Barbados Royals at the iconic Brian Lara Cricket Stadium. Mark your calendars for Saturday, 30 August, with the first ball set for 5.30 am IST (12 am GMT). You know the routine, though, the action starts an hour earlier with our pre-match build-up and analysis. Until then, stay tuned and take care. Ciao!

The victorious captain of Saint Lucia Kings, David Wiese, describes the match as a good contest from the start, but acknowledges that there's still room for improvement. He highlights the importance of match-ups for spinners, noting that the conditions in this game favored the spinners. Wiese praises Tabraiz Shamsi for his brilliant performance, particularly in taking crucial wickets. He concludes on a positive note, stating that seeing multiple players step up in tough situations is a promising sign, although there's still a long way to go in the tournament. Credits the crowd for giving them an edge with their energy from the stands.

The captain of St Kitts and Nevis Patriots, Jason Holder, admits that they were short of runs and feels that they needed something in excess of 200 on this pitch. Says that they got a bit stuck in the middle overs against the spin and never really had any momentum. On the bowling execution part, he says that they were ordinary and couldn't get breakthroughs when needed the most. He credits Johnson Charles and Tim Seifert for the way they batted. Says they took the game away from them in the Powerplay itself. Feels very disappointed with the kind of defeat, but says that with three games still left, they will come out and try to play the best cricket.

Saint Lucia Kings' Tabraiz Shamsi is adjudged as the PLAYER OF THE MATCH for his economical bowling, with figures of 4-0-17-2. Shamsi expresses his delight in being given a different role by the skipper and coach, feeling satisfied with his performance. He acknowledges that while they might have dropped points due to washouts, the team is focused on winning games and entertaining the fans. Shamsi also appreciates the tight schedule, saying it doesn't give them time to waste, which seems to suit the team's momentum.

... THE PRESENTATION ...

Earlier in the game, David Wiese invited the Patriots to bat first. After a quiet start, Andre Fletcher went bang-bang and despite losing Evin Lewis after a start, the Patriots scored at a good clip. However, the spinners got a decent purchase off the track and kept chipping away with wickets. The spin trio of Shamsi, Chase, and Pierre kept things tight in the middle overs and barely conceded any boundaries. Of the 12 overs of spin bowled, they collectively conceded only 68 runs, and all three wickets went to spin. However, Rizwan's composed batting kept the fight on. He went on to score a fifty, and formed two crucial partnerships, first with Mayers and then with Holder, to help his side post 177 on the board, which was still a bit under par.

Johnson Charles' overdrive batting was soon put to a halt by Waqar Salamkheil, but with half of the runs already chewed up inside the first eight overs itself, the pressure was right on the Patriots. For the incoming batters, it was about building on the foundation. Ackeem Auguste continued with his rich vein of form while Seifert pressed on the peddle with clean striking. The opening stand of 85 runs, followed by that 60-run partnership between Auguste and Seifert, just took the wind out of the sails of the Patriots to hand them a humbling defeat.

The Saint Lucia Kings once again made the Powerplay their own, with Tim Seifert and Johnson Charles punishing anything loose on offer. The Patriots’ bowlers struggled to find the right length, often either too full or too short, and the openers cashed in straightaway. With the dew making life even tougher for the fielding side, the Kings kept the tempo high and cruised to 72 runs by the end of the Powerplay, all while keeping their wickets intact.

The Kings clinically rule at home! The home crowd is ecstatic and why not! The defending champions have shown how it is done and also execute the double over the Patriots this season. On a surface tailor-made for batting, the Patriots will probably feel they left 15 to 20 runs out there. The 7-wicket defeat with 18 balls still remaining also puts a massive dent in their net run rate. This marks their fifth defeat this season in seven games and their way forward is getting challenging with every match. This is also their third defeat while defending out of five losses.

FOUR! That's a wrap to the contest as Roston Chase lofts a low full toss around off, back past the bowler for a boundary down towards the sight screen. Saint Lucia Kings have won this by 7 wickets.

FOUR! Just 2 more needed for Saint Lucia Kings to win this contest. On a length wide of off, Roston Chase flicks this up and over the fielder at mid-wicket for four runs. This almost carried over the ropes but bounced just inside the fence.

Full and wide of off, Tim David drills this to long off for a single.

Wide yorker on off, Tim David goes for the slog but gets it edged off the inside onto his pads.

Full and wide of off, Tim David works this in the gap and runs two here.

Back of a length around middle and leg, Roston Chase pulls this as well for a single this time.

Short of a length around off, Tim David drills this to long off for one.

FOUR! Lucky but Tim David or Saint Lucia Kings wouldn't mind one bit. Tossed up around middle and off, Tim David swings wildly at it, gets an outside edge and the ball flies over the fielder at first slip for a boundary behind the stumps.