Fletcher, Bowlers Set Up Big Win For Patriots
Fletcher was handed a relatively comfortable chase after the Patriots bowlers proved a thorn in the Kings’ side throughout the night at the Daren Sammy Stadium in Saint Lucia. Saurabh Netravalkar’s 3 for 32 and Jason Holder’s 3 for 20 were the standout performances from the Patriots attack.
Netravalkar and Holder had the new ball on a string in the early stages, striking twice in the first half of the powerplay, including the dangerous Andreis Gous. Kamil Pooran, playing just his second match at this level, led the Kings’ fightback, with one of their brightest prospects, Jewel Andrew, joining him at the other end.
The pair combined for an 82-run partnership for the third wicket to steady the innings. While they never quite exploded, their composed approach put the Kings in a position to attack in the latter stages. Both went on to score half-centuries, with Pooran recording his first in T20 cricket.
The partnership was finally broken when Pooran was brilliantly run out by Wanindu Hasaranga, who produced a direct hit from deep cover. Andrew then tried to carry the innings on his shoulders, producing an excellent 58 from 42 deliveries. However, his teammates crumbled around him as the platform he and Pooran had built quickly disappeared.
The final five overs produced just 22 runs for the loss of five wickets, leaving the Kings well short of par at 155 for 8.
The Patriots approached their chase cautiously before Kyle Mayers got a feel for the pitch and the bowlers and began to shift through the gears. He put the Patriots firmly in pole position before some clever bowling from Maheesh Theekshana brought his innings to an end for 32.
From there, the Patriots continued their conservative approach, maintaining a run rate just above a run a ball, with Fletcher calmly working the ball around and taking the impetus.
Theekshana and Roston Chase then looked to put the squeeze on the Patriots in the middle overs, much like they had successfully done against the Antigua & Barbuda Falcons a few nights earlier. Whenever the Patriots appeared ready to take control, the spin duo pegged them back, with Kevin Wickham and Jason Holder both falling into their trap.
However, once Chase and Theekshana had been seen off, the Kings’ bowlers struggled to find the same control, allowing Fletcher to calmly guide the Patriots home to a comfortable five-wicket victory.
The Kings return home on Friday to face the Barbados Tridents, while the Patriots travel to Jamaica to take on the Jamaica Kingsmen at Sabina Park on Tuesday.
