Saint Lucia Kings (SLK) under Faf du Plessis’ captaincy secured its spot in the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) 2024 final by achieving a 15-run victory (using the DLS method) against Guyana Amazon Warriors (GAW) in a rain-affected first qualifier match.
On October 2 (Wednesday) at Providence Stadium in Guyana, the Kings performed with uncompromising hard work in terms of batting and bowling to enter their second CPL final after three years since 2021.
Deciding to bat first, the SLK posted a total of 198-5 in 20 overs, supported by the brilliant half-centuries of the opening duo batters Faf du Plessis and Johnson Charles.
The target proved to be challenging for GAW, as they had to chase 122 runs in 13 overs with the Qualifier 1 round being interrupted by the rain. But, the defending champions were behind the DLS par score. Despite Shimron Hetmyer being the top run scorer for his side with a 200-plus batting strike rate, the Warriors managed to score only 106-4 in 13 overs. Mainly, the loss of wickets at an early stage indicated that the DLS par would be difficult for Imran Tahir’s led side.
Johnson Charles received the Player of the Match award, for his fabulous innings and maintaining a partnership of 124 runs with the SLK skipper.
Let’s find out how Saint Lucia Kings maintained themselves ahead of the DLS margin to seal its berth in the CPL 2024 finals.
Main Highlights of SLK vs GAW in Qualifier 1 Round of CPL 2024
Despite severe rains in Guyana, the Saint Lucia Kings’ captain Faf du Plessis made a smart decision to bat first based on the weather forecast and once again set the tone for his team from the front. These are the main talking points of the recently concluded CPL 2024 Qualifier 1 round you need to know:
1. Charles and Faf’s 124-run partnership:
The 70-ball-124-run opening partnership between Johnson Charles and Faf du Plessis seemed to be threatening for the Guyana Amazon Warriors.
Faf once again played a captain’s knock by scoring 57 runs from 36 balls (including 5 fours and 3 sixes) batting at a strike rate of 158.33. But, it was Charles, who played an explosive 79-run-knock by facing just 45 deliveries at a strike rate of 175.56, by smashing 8 fours and 5 sixes.
2. Pretorius, Shepherd, and Joseph restrict SLK below 200:
The Warriors’ pacers namely Dwaine Pretorius and Romario Shepherd grabbed 2 wickets each in their 4-over spell, while Shamar Joseph took a single wicket by bowling 2 overs, which restricted the Kings below 200. At one stage, it seemed that the SLK would easily post a total of 220 to 230 runs. But, the dismissal of Faf and Charles slowed down the Kings’ innings.
3. Early Dismissals of GAW’s Opening Batters:
The GAW opening batters Rahmanullah Gurbaz (24 runs from 18 balls–including 1 four and 2 sixes) and Keemo Paul (14 runs from 15 balls–including 2 fours) were dismissed at an early stage.
At 51-2 in 7.5 overs, the Warriors’ middle-order batters were limited from scoring instant runs. Later, the dismissals of Shai Hope (27 runs from 22 balls – including 1 four and 2 sixes) and Dwaine Pretorius (2 runs from 3 balls) made it challenging for the upcoming batters to accumulate runs.
The SLK bowlers Alzarri Joseph, Noor Ahmad, David Wiese, and Roston Chase took each wicket and trapped the hosts with a score of 77-4 in 11.1 overs.
4. Hetmyer’s Lone Fighting 37-run-knock:
Shimron Hetmyer’s 37 runs from 18 balls (including 4 sixes) at a batting strike rate of 205.56 went in vain as the Warriors fell 15 runs short of the DLS target.
Although Hetmyer commenced his innings slowly, he decided to accelerate his innings after noticing two instant dismissals during his presence on the crease. He smashed back-to-back sixes in Noor Ahmad’s over and another two in the next over bowled by Roston Chase.
The 27-year-old left-handed batter’s energetic performance helped Guyana to regain momentum, but the arrival of rains forced an abrupt end to the game.
What if Rains hadn’t interfered during the SLK vs GAW Qualifier 1 round? Possible Scenarios Explained!
If severe rains hadn’t interfered, then Guyana Amazon Warriors would have had the chance to qualify for the finals as they were active during the chase in Qualifier 1.
Let’s assume that the Warriors had an opportunity to play a complete 20-over match in the 2nd innings without any interruptions due to rain. With a score of 106 runs in 13 overs for a loss of 4 wickets, the hosts would have needed just 93 runs from 42 balls, which doesn’t seem to be difficult as Shimron Hetmyer remained not out till the end. Possibly, the presence of all-rounders such as Moeen Ali, Raymon Reifer, and Romario Shepherd, could have received an opportunity to bat aggressively. As a result, the Guyana Amazon Warriors could have reached the target in the remaining 7 overs at a required run rate of 13.28 per over in a crucial run chase.
At the same time, the bowlers of the Saint Lucia Kings shouldn’t be underestimated. They were in great form and could have easily grabbed the wickets of the opponent team’s power hitters as well.
Overall, both the teams would have earned a fair chance of winning the Qualifier 1 round, if the rains hadn’t ruined the thrilling pace of the T20 match.
Final Opinion:
Guyana Amazon Warriors are still left with another opportunity to defend their title by facing Barbados Royals in Qualifier 2 on October 4 at the same venue.
On the other side, Saint Lucia Kings are eagerly waiting to face the winner of Qualifier 2 in the final match. The entire cricket world is eager to see if the Warriors can lift the trophy for a second consecutive time or if the Kings claim their maiden CPL title under Faf’s captaincy on October 6 (Sunday) in Guyana.