Saint Lucia Kings win 1st CPL title, beat Guyana Amazon Warriors in final

Saint Lucia Kings (SLK) clinched their maiden Caribbean Premier League title as they defeated Guyana Amazon Warriors (GAW) by 6 wickets in the final on October 7. It's the first trophy for the Kings franchise in T20 cricket, as Faf du Plessis and Co celebrated the win in style at the Providence Stadium in the West Indies.

Opting to bowl first, SLK bowlers did a good job in the final and took quick wickets to remove the top batting order on the night. Noor Ahmed took 3 wickets for the champions, helping restrict GAW to just 138/8 in their 20 overs.

 

In reply, SLK skipper Faf du Plessis and his opening partner Johnson Charles, who had a brilliant tournament up to the final, lost their wickets early in the innings. However, it was Roston Chase (39*) and Aaron Jones (48*) who took the side from 51/4 to eventually chase down the target within 19 overs to lift their maiden CPL title.

SLK's Noor Ahmed was named the player of the tournament for his impressive 22 wickets in 12 matches.

40-yr-old skipper Faf du Plessis wins CPL title

Speaking after the win, SLK captain du Plessis said, "We have been really consistent throughout the league stage, and I believe the two best teams played in the final. We always believed in the depth of the squad, and credit to Roston and Aaron for absorbing the pressure and stepping up in the final when needed. It takes a special team performance to come here to their home ground and beat them twice. I am extremely proud of the team for showing grit throughout the tournament and getting the job done. There was an excitement at the start of the competition in St Lucia about 'is this gonna be the season.' First CPL trophy, and it is a great achievement."

SLK Coach Darren Sammy said after the match, "I’ll tell you something, five days ago, Aaron Jones said to me that he will win me the CPL final, I swear to God. And we made one change today because the way he looked me in the eye when he said that, I believed that. We did send a message that the Moeen over had to go for plenty. He found his rhythm, and I guess the message was well delivered."

SLK CEO Satish Menon further added, "We wish to congratulate all the players and the support staff for their fantastic display this season. Each of them deserves to be applauded for the team effort. We didn't have superstars, but the team as a unit was more than any superstars. It was a tough game, and this is a great win for us and hopefully the first of many to come."