BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, CMC – Barbados Royals’ see-sawed form in the Caribbean Premier League continued here late Saturday when St Lucia Kings whipped them by 90 runs in a lopsided contest at Kensington Oval.
Kings rattled up 195 for six off their 20 overs after being sent in and then restricted Royals to105 all out in the 18th, the home side producing another insipid batting display to slump to their third defeat in six games to lie one from bottom on five points.
Royals began their campaign with a 54 defeat to Kings, had their next game against Jamaica Tallawahs abandoned due to rain, before chasing down 198 to beat St Kitts and Nevis Patriots, suffering a heavy 133-run defeat to Trinbago Knight Riders and then bouncing back with a six-wicket win over Tallawahs.
For Kings, the win was a critical one in their sixth game as it took them top of the league with eight points.
Their initial impetus came from Charles, the right-hander belting half-dozen fours and five sixes in a 52-ball knock.
Significantly, he put on 97 for the first wicket with Colin Munro who made a measured 33 from 27 balls, the pair providing an excellent foundation before things fell apart, with no other batsman passing 20.
Roelof van der Merwe led Royals’ attack with three for 40 while fellow seamer Jason Holder ended with two for 40.
Rain then stalled Royals’ chase at two for one in the second over but only temporarily delayed their demise, as wickets tumbled following the resumption.
Nyeem Young top-scored with 20 from 31 deliveries batting at number seven as the brittle Royals’ batting once again fell apart easily.
West Indies fast bowler Alzarri Joseph (3-7) started the Royals rot, knocking over opener Rahkeem Cornwall (18) and Laurie Evans (0) in successive deliveries in the fourth over, after lively seamer Matthew Forde had struck with the third ball of the chase to to remove the form-less Kyle Mayers for a first-ball ‘duck’.
And there was no recovery for Royals thereafter as Australian leg-spinner Peter Hatzoglou (2-4) and fast bowler Roshon Primus (2-11) kept the pressure on.