Saint Lucia Kings are set to lock horns with table-toppers Barbados Royals on Thursday, barely a day after picking up their first win of the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) 2022 season against the Jamaica Tallawahs.
Captain Faf du Plessis and his team jumped into the top four with Wednesday’s triumph over the Tallawahs and will look to carry the momentum forward against the Royals.
The Kings made a triumphant return to Gros Islet after three years. Johnson Charles chipped in with a match-winning 39-ball-62 to help his side win their first points of the season.
With a stroke of fortune in the opening two games, the Kings could’ve added more points to their tally but they fell short by fine margins.
However, Saint Lucia Kings will be up for a stern test against the Barbados Royals, who have been on a roll in CPL 2022. They have won all the three games they have played so far and are coming into this fixture after a spectacular 80-run victory against the Trinbago Knight Riders.
Two games in as many days could prove to be physically grueling, but the Kings will have their tails up following Wednesday’s win. They also have good squad depth to call upon, but the management might not tinker much with this winning combination.
With Faf du Plessis already in good form and Charles among the runs, the top order is beginning to look settled. The availability of Niroshan Dickwella, who has scored two quickfire half-centuries in his last four T20 innings, is a massive boost as well.
Some fine contributions towards the end against Tallawahs from Tim David, Roshon Primus and David Wiese were instrumental in getting the Kings past the finish line. The lower middle order looks well sorted, providing the much-needed firepower for the finishing overs.
Scott Kuggeleijn was among the wickets (4/44) on Wednesday as the hosts restricted Tallawahs to 163 runs batting first. Alzarri Joseph continued his good form and is the joint-highest wicket-taker in the tournament with 7 wickets to his credit.
Du Plessis’s men, though, must be wary of the threat coming from multiple ends on Thursday. Royals’ captain David Miller smashed a 60 off 36 balls in their previous game, whilst Quinton de Kock (34-ball 44) provided a great start as well.
Royals’ Kyle Mayers will be the player to watch out for, who is currently the leading run-scorer in the tournament (161 runs) and is batting at a very healthy strike rate of 157.84. He also has been lethal with the ball, picking up 4 wickets in three games.
The Royals have some seasoned campaigners like Dwayne Bravo and Jason Holder in their bowling department. They also have some serious pace in the form of Oshane Thomas and Obed McCoy, who picked two wickets each in their last outing without giving away a lot of runs.
