CPL

Powell's destructive 67 powers Royals to six-wicket victory over Patriots at Warner Park

By Sports Desk August 27, 2023
Rovman Powell powered the Royals to an emphatic six-wicket victory over Patriots at Warner Park on Saturday. Rovman Powell powered the Royals to an emphatic six-wicket victory over Patriots at Warner Park on Saturday. CPL via Getty Images

The Barbados Royals defeated the St Kitts & Nevis Patriots in their 2023 Republic Bank Caribbean Premier League (CPL) match at Warner Park, St Kitts.

The Royals won the toss and opted to field first and despite seemingly having the Patriots innings under their control, the home side rallied with late order batting to set a mammoth total of 197-7. In reply, the Royals saw Rahkeem Cornwall and Kyle Mayers lay the foundation in the PowerPlay before Captain Rovman Powell saw his side home with the fastest 50 in the Republic Bank CPL this season.

His destructive innings saw the Royals complete the second highest run chase in Republic Bank CPL history.

The Patriots got their innings off to a lightning start led by Andre Fletcher’s sparkling stroke play, the Spiceman’s (Andre Fletcher) 360 cricket allowing the Patriots to reach 56 at the end of the PowerPlay but they lost two wickets in the process.

Rahkeem Cornwall induced a mis-timed stroke from Evin Lewis, the opener sweeping only as far as Kyle Mayers for 8 before Joshua Da Silva was run out for five chasing a quick second run.

Outside of the PowerPlay, the Patriots run scoring slowed significantly, Andre Fletcher and Sherfane Rutherford only putting on 39 runs from 34 balls before Nyeem Young dismissed Rutherford caught and bowled for 28.

Fletcher followed shortly afterwards having just got to his 50, Qais Ahmad trapping him lbw. That was only the beginning of Ahmad’s work as he cleaned up Jyd Goolie to leave the Patriots teetering at 111-5.

Powerful late order hitting from Corbin Bosch (38) and Dominic Drakes (20) ensured the Patriots ended with momentum on their side, with a stiff target of 198 for the Royals to chase.

If the Royals were going to chase the total they would need a fast start and they got that and then some with Rahkeem Cornwall smashing 38 from 15 balls to give the reply the impetus it needed.

Having reached 74 at the end of the PowerPlay the Royals were well ahead of the game but Kyle Mayers fell shortly after that to open the door for the Patriots.

The Patriots couldn’t apply further wicket taking pressure but even so with the Royals poised at 150-3 with five overs to go, the match seemed set for a tight finish.

However, captain Rovman Powell saw his side home with a destructive 67 from 29 balls to guide the Royals home with nine balls to spare.

Scores: Barbados Royals 200-4 (Powell 67*, Cornwall 38; Drakes 2-37, Bosch 1-28) beat St Kitts & Nevis Patriots 197-6 (Fletcher 51, Bosch 38*; Ahmad 2-16, Young 2-54) by 6 wickets

 

Related items

  • ECB chief insists no decision made on Mott future ECB chief insists no decision made on Mott future

    England and Wales Cricket Board chief executive Richard Gould has denied reports a decision has already been made on Matthew Mott's future as white-ball coach.

    Mott's future has been called into question in the aftermath of England's failure to defend their T20 World Cup crown in the United States and West Indies, losing to India in the semi-finals.

    Mott also oversaw England's calamitous 50-over World Cup campaign last year, as they lost six of their nine matches in India and crashed out in the group stage.

    Reports earlier this week suggested the decision had already been made to dispense with Mott's services, with Eoin Morgan a contender to succeed him, though the former limited-overs captain has since said he has no interest in the role.

    Asked by BBC Test Match Special if Mott's future had already been decided, Gould said: "That's not true. That's certainly not true.

    "Matthew Mott is a really good guy and coach. He's got a great track record and it is the same with [captain] Jos [Buttler].

    "We are always assessing options - that is what happens in high-performance sport, you are always assessing your options.

    "You never want to be drawn into being given the dreaded vote of confidence or anything like that. Competitive sport always brings scrutiny and decisions.

    "We'll constantly want to assess our options but we'll always want to do the right thing by the sport, the team and individuals."

  • West Indies grab three late wickets on day one as third Test against England in the balance West Indies grab three late wickets on day one as third Test against England in the balance

    England lost three wickets in a dramatic end to day one of the third Test against West Indies, leaving them in a precarious position after restricting the tourists for 282.

    Gus Atkinson finished with figures of 4-67, while Chris Woakes took 3-69 for England, as only a fine sixth-wicket stand from Jason Holder and Joshua Da Silva saved West Indies from being bowled out for a much lower total. 

    But England, chasing a 3-0 series whitewash, let their dominant position slip when taking up the bat for the final 35 minutes, Zak Crawley (18), Ben Duckett (3) and Mark Wood (0) being dispatched as bowler Jayden Seales dropped them to 38-3.

    Windies skipper Kraigg Brathwaite won the toss and chose to bat, leading his side to a solid start before a spell of three wickets in five overs before lunch put England on top.

    Atkinson accounted for Mikyle Louis (26) and Alick Athanaze (2) on either side of Wood sending stumps flying with a full delivery to dismiss Kirk McKenize for 12.

    Brathwaite's knock of 61 was brought to a halt shortly after the action resumed, the captain gloving Wood's leg-side ball to Jamie Smith as the tourists slid from 76-0 to 115-5 in 45 balls. 

    Holder (59) and Da Silva (49) then shared 108 to drag the Windies towards a respectable total, but things looked bleak for them when the latter feathered Woakes' ball through to Smith.

    Having gone 30 overs without a wicket, England needed just 14 more to polish off the tail, the highlight being a terrific diving catch from Joe Root to send Gudakesh Motie (8) packing.

    England were given just over half an hour with the bat to cap Friday's action, but any hopes of a serene finish were soon dashed.

    Holder made two terrific catches off Seales' bowling, the first from Crawley's thick outside edge and the second to dismiss Wood for a duck, either side of Alzarri Joseph's cracking delivery accounting for Duckett.

    That spell ensured what had been a good day for the hosts ended on a sour note, with the Windies sure to target quick wickets when the action resumes on Saturday.

    Data Debrief: Atkinson and Seales dominate 

    This series began with all the focus on James Anderson as England's greatest-ever bowler bowed out at Lord's, but Atkinson has taken centre-stage since making his Test debut in the opening match and now has 20 wickets through five innings.

    That is eight more than West Indies' Jayden Seales, the next-most prolific bowler in this series, has managed.

    Seales was determined to have an impact on day one, though, and his two wickets at the death have set the stage for a far more competitive match than those England won at Lord's and Trent Bridge. 

  • Bairstow set sights on swift England Test return Bairstow set sights on swift England Test return

    Jonny Bairstow bit back when asked if he was targeting an England return, insisting it is "all I want to do."

    Bairstow was dropped from England's Test team for the ongoing series against West Indies.

    The 34-year-old was part of England's T20 World Cup squad, and played in all five Tests of the tour of India earlier this year.

    Bairstow has made 100 Test appearances, and when asked what his immediate target was, the wicketkeeper-batsman told former England captain and now-BBC Sport pundit Michael Vaughan: "All I want to do is play for England. That's end of.

    "You don't need to ask me that do you? I think you know me well enough and I think you've known me for long enough to know that."

    Bairstow did, however, enjoy a break away from the game, having had four weeks off before he joined the Welsh Fire for the Hundred.

    He said: "At the same time it's been a great period of time.

    "I had the best part of seven months away from home. Since January, I had five nights at home in my own bed since, until three weeks ago.

    "That's the thing you have to sacrifice, time at home but at the same time, when you are away for that period of time, it takes its toll."

    England are 2-0 up against the Windies in their three-match series, with the final Test starting at Edgbaston on Friday.