After a strong home stretch in this season’s CPL, Daren Sammy, head coach of the St Lucia Kings, confidently asserts that the team is on track for success in the upcoming matches.
The defending champions showcased their strength by winning three consecutive games, bouncing back after an early loss to the Trinbago Knight Riders (TKR) and a rain-affected match. With 7 points gained from five home matches at the DSCG, the Kings have solidified their position.
The challenge ramps up today (Wednesday) as the Kings prepare to face TKR, a formidable rival, on their home ground in Tarouba, Trinidad and Tobago (T&T).
This past Sunday, the Kings demonstrated their prowess by chasing down a target exceeding 200 runs for the second time, thrilling fans with impressive batting and strong performances in the field.
Tim Seifert’s explosive innings of 125 off 53 balls propelled the St Lucia Kings to a dominating six-wicket victory over the Antigua and Barbuda Falcons, making history with the joint-fastest century in CPL history. His performance stands as the second-highest ever recorded in the CPL, enabling the Kings to chase down a target of 205 in just 17.5 overs, which also marks the fifth-highest chase in the competition’s history.
Seifert set the pace by launching a six on the very first ball and contributing to a record 92 runs during the powerplay. He completed his century with a single and sealed the victory with a massive six off the final ball.
While the Falcons began strong, with openers Amir Jangoo and Jewel Andrew adding 51 runs in the powerplay, they faltered after Tabraiz Shamsi’s introduction, losing crucial wickets.
Despite Shakib Al Hasan’s explosive 61 off 26 balls, the Falcons ended with 204 runs, bolstered by Fabian Allen’s late 38 runs off 17 balls.
At the post-match interview, buoyed by the exciting victory and a passionate fan base, Sammy expressed: “It’s always a great feeling to come home and experience the unwavering support of our fans. We have enjoyed that throughout these games. I want to extend gratitude to the fans, both personally and on behalf of the St Lucia Kings team, for their tremendous backing.”
He concluded, “We have positioned ourselves well for the playoffs, and our next target is to secure a place in the top two.”
Summarized scores: St Lucia Kings 206 for 4 (Seifert 125*, David 23) defeated Antigua and Barbuda Falcons 204 for 4 (Shakib 61, Jangoo 56, Shamsi 3-30) by six wickets.
Latest points standings:
– TKR: 7 matches – 12 pts
– SLK: 7 matches – 10 pts
– ABF: 8 matches – 7 pts
– GAW: 4 matches – 4 pts
– SKNP: 8 matches – 4 pts
– BR: 4 matches – 1 pt