BASSETERRE, St Kitts, CMC – Kyle Mayers’s rapid half-century underlined Barbados Royals’ winning start to their Men’s Caribbean Premier League campaign, easily brushing aside St Kitts and Nevis Patriots by seven wickets here late Thursday.
Chasing 150 in a contest at Warner Park reduced to 17 overs per side due to rain, Royals never wavered as they easily reached their target with 11 balls to spare, the left-handed Mayers top-scoring with 73 from 46 deliveries.
Rahkeem Cornwall added a brisk 39 from 25 balls to ensure Royals turned the page on a poor 2021 campaign when they lost their first two outings – including the second to Patriots – and finished last with three wins from ten games.
In-form opener Andre Fletcher had earlier given Patriots a fighting chance, hammering 81 from 55 balls to propel the defending champions up to 149 for eight from their quota of overs.
Unfortunately, however, he was the only one to pass 20, seamers Jason Holder (2-21) and Ramon Simmonds (2-28) making key strikes to keep the Patriots progress in check.
“It’s a lot of hard work that goes into winning but I think credit to the boys, they bowled exceptionally well I thought,” said Royals captain David Miller.
“There were a couple of big overs but they managed to pull it back. [There was] great fielding, we took our catches and obviously the batting was exceptional.”
He added: “The power-play was pretty important and the guys came out beautifully. We always knew with the wind and the smaller boundaries, we were in [with] a good chance.”
The defeat for Patriots was their second in as many nights following their opening loss at the hands of Jamaica Tallawahs on Wednesday.
“It’s just a matter of clicking and putting on a better all-round display,” said captain Dwayne Bravo.
“Well played to the Royals – they played very well. Kyle Mayers and big Jimbo (Cornwall), they put us under pressure in the power-play.
“We needed to pick up wickets in the power-play – that didn’t happen so credit to them.”
Fletcher led the charge for the home side after they were sent in, lashing 11 fours and a six. He put on 57 for the first wicket with Joshua Da Silva (19) but they were the only ones to reach double figures as Patriots lost their last five wickets for 21 runs in the space of 17 balls.
Mayers and Cornwall then led a brutal assault, posting 66 off 38 balls for the first wicket. While Mayers crunched half-dozen fours and four sixes, Cornwall counted three fours and as many sixes before becoming the first casualty in the eighth over.
There was no collapse for Royals, however, as Mayers added a further 60 for the second wicket with South African Corbin Bosch (10) to put his side in sight of victory.