Qualifier one of the 2024 Republic Bank CPL produced fireworks at the Providence National Stadium as the St. Lucia Kings teed off after winning the toss and electing to bat against the Guyana Amazon Warriors.
However, torrential rainfall spoilt things for the hosts, as they never got off the ground in their run-chase, eventually losing via the Duckworth Lewis System (DLS) by 15 runs.
With a direct spot in the final up for grabs, the dynamic opening duo of Johnson Charles and Faf du Plessis had the partisan Guyanese crowd silent for the first 14 overs of the innings as they ill-treated all comers with the ball.
Charles especially was severe on the bowlers from the get-go and smashed eight fours complemented with five towering sizes.
While du Plessis was content to be a spectator at the non-strikers end, he too cashed in on some ordinary bowling, getting to a 36-ball 57 with five fours and three sixes. They shared in a 124-run opening stand, and to the Warriors credit, when they removed them, they did well to limit the St. Lucia Kings to just 198/5 when at one point at 11.5 runs per over looked as though the Kings would get in excess of 210.
Moen Ali and Shamar Joseph were the men on target, removing Charles and du Plessis, respectively. Ali was easily the pick of the Guyana attack, claiming a miserly 2/24 from his four overs, while Dwaine Pretorius, who took a hammering, snapped up 2/51 with Joseph claiming the other wicket.
Chasing 199 for victory, the St. Lucia Kings bowlers stifled the Warriors, reducing them to 5.5 an over during the powerplay. With yet another opening pair, this time Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Keemo Paul, the mismatch set the tone for Guyana’s innings, as they never got going.
By the time the in-form Shimron Hetmyer tried to spark a revival with an unbeaten 18-ball 37, the heavens opened up, leaving the Warriors on 106/4 by the end of the 13th over. Still 15 runs adrift of the par score, the Warriors chances of qualifying directly to the final were washed away by the rains at Providence.
The Kings have now qualified for the final on Sunday (October 6) and will await the winner of Qualifier 2, with the Guyana Amazon Warriors facing the Barbados Royals tomorrow at the same venue for that final spot.