BASSETERRE, St Kitts, CMC – Kyle Mayers and Glenn Phillips carved out high-class, unbeaten half-centuries as Barbados Royals completed the tournament’s highest successful run chase, to stun St Lucia Kings by eight wickets and end an otherwise dismal campaign on a high here yesterday.
Asked to chase 191 on a belter at Warner Park, the already eliminated Royals cruised to their target with seven balls to spare with the left-handed Mayers hitting 81 not out off 62 balls and Phillips stroking a scintillating 80 not out off only 39 deliveries.
Mayers, with five single digit scores in his seven previous innings, lashed five fours and half-dozen sixes while Phillips clobbered two fours and nine sixes, the pair putting on a magnificent 154 in an unbroken third wicket stand.
“I think it was a great partnership. There’s a great understanding between me and Glenn. We read the game well,” said Man-of-the-Match Mayers who had earlier taken three for 39 with his medium pace in Kings’ 190 for six off 20 overs.
“We didn’t panic in the middle. Obviously we had a high dot-ball count as well but we knew that at the end of the day we would get some boundaries so we just stuck to the plan as long as possible and the plan came off.”
He added: “I think it came together great [for me]. I got the opportunity to bowl earlier up in the innings … and I really enjoyed the bowling and it went well. I finished well as well and I took the momentum into the batting.”
Barbadian Roston Chase had earlier struck his fourth half-century of the tournament with 56 off 38 balls while Rahkeem Cornwall got 40 off 26 deliveries and captain Andre Fletcher, 31 off 28 balls, as Kings flourished after being asked to bat first.
Fletcher hit three fours and a couple of sixes, posting 62 for the first wicket with Cornwall who counted five fours and two sixes, before adding a further 34 for the second wicket with Chase.
When Fletcher was run out by a direct hit at the non-striker’s end in the 12th over, Chase took responsibility for the innings, punching half-dozen fours and two sixes in a 59-run, third wicket stand with David Wiese (23) as he pushed his runs-tally to a tournament high 367.
Mayers struck twice in the final over to account for Tim David (13) and Keemo Paul (10) and limit the damage at the end.
In reply, Mayers put on 37 for the first wicket with Johnson Charles who made 16 before carving off-spinner Chase to cover point and when Shai Hope was run out next ball without facing a delivery, Royals were tottering in the sixth over – a double-wicket maiden.
But Mayers and Phillips then turned the tide in their side’s favour in a stroke-filled partnership which took the game away from Kings.
Mayers, dropped on 14 in the third over, reached his fifty off 41 balls by smashing fast bowler Alzarri Joseph for a straight six off the first delivery of the 13th over.
And Phillips brought up his second half-century of the tournament off 28 balls in the 16th over, before ending the game emphatically with three sixes in the penultimate over from Joseph which gushed 19 runs.
The win was only the third for Royals, guaranteeing them last spot in the standings.
