Kings Falter Against Defending Champs

The Saint Lucia Kings experienced their first defeat of the 2024 Republic Bank Caribbean Premier League (CPL) season on Saturday night, beaten by the defending champions, Amazon Warriors, at the Daren Sammy Cricket Ground. After losing the toss and being put to bat, the Kings faced early setbacks, losing Captain Faf Du Plessis and other key wickets, leaving them at 47-4 after the powerplay. Despite a determined 31 from Matthew Forde, their innings crumbled, and they were bowled out for 100 within 15 overs. The Amazon Warriors made quick work of the chase, driven by a strong performance from their opening pair. Rahmanullah Gurbaz scored a swift 47, while Tim Robinson contributed 33 runs. Their solid partnership set the foundation for an easy victory, with the visitors winning the game by six wickets. Noor Ahmad was the pick of the bowlers once again, bagging three wickets for 22 runs. Captain Faf Duplessis assessed the loss as a learning moment for the team. “We were never really in the contest, losing wickets all the time. So some learning from us from game one, and in our first home condition. And hopefully we can improve on that in Game 2” he said....