Mayers shines for Patriots but Rajapaksa propels Kings to victory

BASSETERRE, St Kitts (CMC) — Kyle Mayers put in a sensational performance with the bat and ball, but it wasn’t enough to prevent the St. Kitts and Nevis Patriots from losing to the St. Lucia Kings in the Caribbean Premier League on Sunday.

Man of the match Mayers hit a boundary-laden 92 from 62 balls and, along with Evin Lewis scoring the tournament’s first century, powered the Patriots to a challenging total of 201 for three from their 20 overs at Warner Park.

However, Bhanuka Rajapaksa scored an unbeaten 68 and Tim Seifert scored 64 as the Kings raced to 202 for five in 17.2 overs to start their CPL campaign on a winning note.

It was a brilliant comeback for the Kings who looked to be down 24-4 in the fourth inning after Mayers and fast bowler Anrich Nortje struck early.

Johnson Charles scored 12 off 12 balls before Mayers uprooted his leg stump to leave the score 14-1, and six runs later Mayers found Ackeem Auguste’s leading edge and was caught by Nortje at third man for six.

With no further runs added, Mayers took a brilliant running catch from mid-on to send Kings captain Faf Du Plessis packing for just two runs off the bowling of Nortje, who also removed Roston Chase for four runs to put the Patriots in complete control.

But in a shocking turn of events, Rajapaksa and Seifert completely snatched the initiative from the Patriots in a 103-run partnership spanning seven overs.

Seifert smashed left-arm spinner Tabraiz Shamsi for two consecutive sixes in the seventh over to make it 18 runs.

In the next over, the pair then tore left-arm spinner Ashmead Nedd to shreds, sending him for four sixes and a four.

Seifert made his half-century on Nedd’s last ball, hitting him over the deep, extra-cover boundary.

Odean Smith made the breakthrough for the Patriots when he caught Seifert at mid-on after hitting six sixes and four boundaries, to leave the match balanced at 127-5 after 11 overs.

But the Kings enjoyed no further success thereafter, with Rajapaksa partnering Wiese in an unbroken stand of 75 runs in just over six overs.

Wiese, who finished on 34 not out, also got in on the action, hitting Shamsi for three sixes in the 14th over.

He finally ended the match in style by sending Smith to the deep fine leg boundary as the Kings stormed to victory with 16 balls remaining in their CPL opener.

Earlier, Lewis and Mayers combined to score 199 runs for the second wicket to help the Patriots post a formidable total.

Lewis scored his sixth T20 hundred – an unbeaten 100 in 54 balls with seven fours and nine sixes – while Mayers hit six fours and seven sixes.

The two men faced all but four of the Patriots’ balls after captain Andre Fletcher was out on the third ball of the game.

Lewis finally made his century in the last over of the innings when he pushed Wiese over long-off for a single.

However, Mayers was taken out eight runs short of his 100 when he was caught in deep cover with two balls remaining.