Matthew Forde delivered the best bowling display of the Republic Bank Caribbean Premier League (CPL) so far this season as he singlehandedly wrecked the Jamaica Kingsmen batting to hand Saint Lucia Kings a vital victory at the Daren Sammy Cricket Ground on Friday night.
The 24-year-old Barbadian had figures of 4-0-23-5, the best of his career. This gave Kings the upperhand as they limited the Kingsmen to 169-9 off their 20 overs on a good pitch for batting. The Kings then made 171-4 off 18.1 overs to win comfortably by six wickets with 10 balls to spare.
Kamil Pooran topscored with 81 not out off 49 balls which included six boundaries and five sixes.
Forde’s fifth wicket was crucial as he dismissed Keacy Carty for 50 with the last ball of the final over. Earlier Forde, now the leading wicket-taker in the tournament, also took the big wicket of skipper Rovman Powell for a first-ball “duck”. Friday night’s performance bettered the 4-29 he took earlier against the Antigua and Barbuda Falcons and he now has 13 wickets in six innings at an average of 17 runs apiece.
The result took the Saint Lucians to the top of the table with six points from six matches while the Jamaicans are fifth with four points from six matches.
Barbados Tridents are unbeaten and sit third with four points from two matches. Their next match is on Tuesday at 7 p.m. against Antigua and Barbuda Falcons at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium. (PS)