Aaron Jones, Roston Chase lead Saint Lucia Kings to maiden CPL title

Georgetown, Oct 7 (IANS) America's Aaron Jones laboured hard to score 48 not out in 31 deliveries after Afghanistan's Noor Ahmad scalped three wickets as Saint Lucia Kings defeated the Guyana Amazon Warriors by six wickets in the final to win their maiden Caribbean Premier League (CPL) title at Providence Stadium.The victory made Saint Lucia the fifth team to win the CPL, ending their run as the only original franchise yet to claim the title.On a slow, tricky pitch, and after a middle-order collapse that left Saint Lucia reeling at 51 for 4 in pursuit of a modest 139, Jones turned the match around with a sudden burst of power-hitting.

The Warriors’ spinners, led by Imran Tahir and Gudakesh Motie, strangled the Kings, sending the packed crowd into a frenzy. For nine long overs, Saint Lucia couldn’t find a single boundary. Roston Chase, battling illness, was struggling, and Jones looked so out of sorts that Daren Sammy briefly considered retiring him out.

But just when it seemed like the Kings might falter, Jones flipped the script. After creeping to 10 off 19 balls, he exploded, smashing 38 off his next 12 deliveries. With crucial support from Chase, who played a calming role akin to Marlon Samuels’ famous big-match performances for West Indies, the pair forged an unbroken 88-run partnership. Their efforts took Saint Lucia over the finish line, with two balls to spare, stunning the home crowd that had roared for Guyana all evening.

The victory ended a long-standing jinx for the Kings, who had previously been the only original franchise yet to claim the CPL title. The team, formerly known as the St Lucia Zouks, had come close in past years but had always fallen short, including a playoff exit just last season.

This year, however, under Sammy’s leadership and powered by standout performances from players like Chase and Jones, the Kings finally lifted the trophy.

Chase, who has been with the Kings for five seasons, battled illness and pressure to deliver a crucial performance in the final. Having already earned a Cricket West Indies central contract earlier in the week, Chase’s calmness and resilience underlined his growing reputation as a key player in the CPL. His contributions with both bat and ball throughout the season were critical to Saint Lucia’s success.

Before the Kings’ spirited comeback, the match had seemed to be tilting in Guyana’s favour. The Warriors’ spin quartet had kept Saint Lucia under constant pressure, and the crowd was at its loudest when Tahir and Motie were picking up wickets. Aaron Jones and Roston Chase’s boundary drought made Guyana’s back-to-back title hopes seem almost inevitable.

Earlier in the match, Saint Lucia’s bowlers had done well to restrict Guyana to 102 for 7 after 18 overs. However, the Warriors managed to scramble 36 runs from the final two overs to post a competitive 138.

Afghanistan’s Noor Ahmad was the star with the ball for the Kings, taking three wickets in the final. His efforts throughout the tournament earned him the Player of the Series award, as he finished the competition as the leading wicket-taker with 22 scalps at an outstanding economy rate of 6.19.