Cricket West Indies President Dr. Kishore Shallow has extended congratulations to the Saint Lucia Kings for their remarkable achievement in securing their inaugural Republic Bank Caribbean Premier League (CPL) title. 

In a thrilling final at the National Stadium in Providence, Guyana on Sunday, the Kings defeated the Guyana Amazon Warriors by six wickets to claim their first-ever title at the third attempt.

“The Saint Lucia Kings have etched their names in history, and I commend their performance throughout the tournament which was an exhibition of relentless hard work and unmatched determination,” Dr. Shallow said in his commendation.

“With Aaron Jones and Roston Chase playing crucial innings at a decisive moment and Faf Du Plessis’ outstanding leadership, the Kings demonstrated the resilience and skill needed to succeed. This victory also reflects the tireless efforts of Head Coach Daren Sammy, whose knowledge and belief in the team have shaped their journey to this moment,” he added.

President Shallow further extended congratulations to Prime Minister Philip J. Pierre and the people of Saint Lucia, who are in the midst of a period of remarkable national pride.

“This victory comes at an exciting time for Saint Lucia, which recently celebrated the homecoming of their Olympic gold medalist and the fastest woman in the world, Julien Alfred. Prime Minister Pierre and his nation have much to celebrate, and Saint Lucia’s sporting achievements are a source of pride for the entire Caribbean.”

The CWI President noted the impact of the emerging players in the tournament and highlighted the wealth of talent the Caribbean continues to produce.

“This edition of CPL stands out with the remarkable impact of the West Indies emerging stars. It has been a historic year with a record number of appearances by Emerging Players. With over 50 appearances and some impressive performances, the talent pool in the Caribbean remains exciting and surely augurs well for the future of West Indies cricket.”

Saint Lucia Kings featured former West Indies Under 19 captain Ackeem Auguste. Other impressive emerging players in the 2024 Republic Bank CPL were Shaqkere Parris for Trinbago Knight Riders and Jewel Andrew for Antigua and Barbuda Falcons who has just been selected for the West Indies Men's ODI team to tour Sri Lanka.  

Cricket West Indies remains committed to the partnership with the Caribbean Premier League which continues to play a pivotal role in the advancement of regional cricket.  

Saint Lucia Kings booked their place in the 2024 Republic Bank Caribbean Premier League (CPL) Final with a 15-run victory over reigning champions Guyana Amazon Warriors in a weather curtailed match at the Guyana National Stadium in Providence.

The Warriors will now take on Barbados Royals on Friday with the winner of that match contesting the final with Kings on Sunday.

Winning the toss and batting first proved a wise decision given the forecast and Faf du Plessis led from the front once more for his side. An opening stand of 124 runs between himself and Johnson Charles ensured the Kings posted a challenging total of 198-5 off their twenty overs.

Charles was starting to eye up a three-figure score when he was well caught on the long-on boundary by Keemo Paul off the bowling of Moeen Ali for 79 off 45 deliveries. Du Plessis then fell for a well-made half-century of his own, the Kings captain forced to depart after Rahmanullah Gurbaz held on to an exceptional catch from a firmly hit shot down the ground off Shamar Joseph.

The Warriors bowlers did well to keep the score down to a manageable target with Moeen Ali once again being the standout performer with the ball, figures of 2/24 off his four overs showcasing all his experience.

In response, the Warriors had reached 106-4 at the end of the 13th over before the persistent drizzle turned into heavier rain and the players were taken off the field by the umpires. Unfortunately for the 2023 CPL champions it then did not relent meaning that they were behind the required run rate on DLS calculations when the match was called off over an hour later.

Still requiring 92 runs off the remaining 42 deliveries when the weather intervened the Warriors would have still fancied their chances of hauling down the total with a well-set Shimron Hetmyer looking dangerous with 37 off 18 balls and with Moeen Ali having just joined him.

Hetmyer had just opened his shoulders to hit four sixes in quick succession off Noor Ahmad and Roston Chase, despite this injection of runs the Warriors were comfortably behind the required DLS score of 121 when the rain decisively intervened.

The Warriors will have a chance of setting up a re-match with a victory over Barbados Royals in the final eliminator match on Friday evening. Saint Lucia Kings will await either side in Sunday’s final with an inaugural CPL title very much in their sights.

Seamer Jeremiah Louis is set to join his younger brother Mikyle at the St Kitts and Nevis Patriots for the 2024 Caribbean Premier League (CPL), marking the first time the Louis brothers could potentially play together in the tournament. Jeremiah, 28, has been drafted into the Patriots squad as a replacement for Sherfane Rutherford, who has withdrawn from the competition due to personal reasons.

 Jeremiah's inclusion adds depth to the Patriots' bowling attack and brings a wealth of experience to the team. Having played six CPL games between 2016 and 2022, Jeremiah has taken three wickets at an average of 38.66, with an economy rate of 9.66. In addition to his CPL experience, Jeremiah also represented the Patriots in the 6IXTY competition, where he took four wickets in five matches in 2022, although he struggled with an economy rate of 10.68.

 Despite his presence in the shorter formats, Jeremiah is best known for his red-ball prowess. Over 57 first-class matches, he has amassed 151 wickets at an impressive average of 25.43. His red-ball form earned him a call-up to the West Indies Test squad for their recent tour of England, though injury unfortunately ruled him out before the tour commenced.

 While Mikyle Louis made his CPL and T20 debut this season, the chance to play alongside his older brother will be a special moment for both siblings. The addition of Jeremiah brings another dynamic to the Patriots' squad, as the team looks to build momentum in the CPL 2024 season.

 The reunion of the Louis brothers promises to be a highlight of the tournament, with fans eager to see how the siblings combine their talents on the field for the Patriots.

Trinidadian and West Indies batter Nicholas Pooran has etched his name in the history books by breaking Chris Gayle's long-standing record for the most sixes hit in a calendar year in T20 cricket. Pooran, known for his explosive batting, reached this milestone during the 2024 Caribbean Premier League (CPL) while playing for the St Kitts and Nevis Patriots.

Pooran’s record-breaking moment came when he struck the sixth of his nine sixes during a blistering 43-ball 97 against the St Kitts and Nevis Patriots, taking his tally to 139 sixes in 2024. This incredible achievement surpassed the previous record of 135 sixes set by Chris Gayle in 2015.

Pooran’s six-hitting spree in 2024 has been nothing short of extraordinary. He has hit 139 sixes off 1145 balls, averaging a six every 8.23 deliveries. While Gayle had a slightly better rate of 7.50 balls per six in 2015, Pooran's consistency over 57 innings—compared to Gayle’s 36—highlights the sustained nature of his power-hitting.

A deeper dive into Pooran's numbers reveals his dominance, especially against pace. Out of his 139 sixes, 92 came against fast bowlers, setting a new record for the most sixes against pace in a calendar year. This is significantly higher than Gayle’s 68 sixes against pacers in 2015. Pooran has averaged a six every 8.65 balls against seamers, while spinners have fared slightly worse, with Pooran sending one over the ropes every 7.43 deliveries.

Pooran has also excelled across different phases of the innings. He smashed 79 sixes during the middle overs (7th to 16th), breaking yet another record previously held by Gayle, who hit 71 sixes in that phase in 2012. Additionally, Pooran hit 32 sixes at the death, averaging a six every 6.22 balls, and 28 in the powerplay, at a rate of 8.14 balls per six.

The 2024 season saw Pooran distribute his sixes across multiple tournaments. He hit the most in the IPL, with 36 sixes, followed by 34 in T20 Internationals, 31 in the ILT20, and 19 in The Hundred. Pooran’s consistency across these formats and leagues underscores his status as one of the most destructive batters in T20 cricket.

Four bowlers were particularly tormented by Pooran’s power-hitting, with each conceding four sixes to him in 2024: Dominic Drakes, Nandre Burger, Rashid Khan, and Sikandar Raza.

With 551 sixes in T20 cricket, Pooran now stands as the fourth-highest six-hitter in the format, trailing only his fellow West Indians Chris Gayle, Kieron Pollard, and Andre Russell. Pooran’s remarkable feat in 2024 not only solidifies his place among the game's greats but also further cements the Caribbean’s legacy in T20 cricket.

Caribbean Premier League (CPL)'s CEO believes scheduling arrangements through collaboration by the various T20 leagues should be routine to avoid the frequent tournament clashes, which forces players to fly from one tournament to another in a short window.

Russell’s suggestion came during an interview with ESPNcricinfo, as he called for regular meetings among franchise leagues owners and administrators to solve cricket's global scheduling crisis. This, as CPL and the Hundred have overlapped in the past, but will avoid a clash this season, following dialogue with England Cricket Board (ECB) earlier this year.

“[The ECB] have a defined window that they have to play in, and it happened that we could move everything out to ensure that we didn't clash [with the Hundred]. It makes absolutely zero sense if you've got [Sunil] Narine and [Andre] Russell having to fly back the day before the final of the Hundred. That's in no one's interests, and certainly not the Hundred's,” Russell declared.