All-round Keemo Paul downs Patriots as Kingsmen get off the bottom

Jamaica Kingsmen registered their second win of the season and got themselves off the bottom of the points table, beating St. Kitts and Nevis Patriots by 51 runs at Sabina Park on Tuesday (August 18). A 99-run stand between Rovman Powell and Keemo Paul steadied the innings after an early wobble and helped them post 181 for 6, before an all-round bowling effort restricted the Patriots to 130.

Asked to bat first, the Kingsmen were jolted early with Saurabh Netravalkar bowling a double wicket-maiden to begin. He first had Kirk Mckenzie chopping on before getting Keacy Carty to edge one to the keeper. Wanindu Hasaranga then trapped Usman Khan LBW in the sixth over as the Kingsmen only managed 42 for 3 from the Powerplay.

Captain Powell walked in and struck two fours and a six but the momentum was snatched away once more when Hasaranga returned to dismiss Reeza Hendricks in the eighth over. Walking in with his team in trouble at 54 for 4, Keemo Paul produced a whirlwind innings to tilt the game back in his team's favour. He struck the very first ball he faced for a boundary and continued to dominate Hasaranga, scoring 25 runs off the 11 balls he faced from the legspinner.

Paul launched Netravalkar for 22 runs in the 17th over, bringing up his fifty in the process. He was eventually dismissed for 65 off 36, including five fours and five sixes, by Jason Holder in the 18th over. Having just struck Obed McCoy for six, Powell fell one run short of his fifty in the following over. But the Kingsmen had done enough damage by then to finish with a competitive total.

In reply, the Patriots too did not enjoy a good Powerplay. Andre Fletcher was out in the first over and Johnson Charles, who enjoyed two reprieves, could not capitalize as he fell in the fourth over. Paul then bowled Kyle Mayers in the fifth over with the Patriots reaching 45 for 3 in the Powerplay.

Nikhil Chaudhary looked good during his brief stay but was trapped LBW by Vitel Lawes in the eighth over. Things got worse in the following over with Dasun Shanaka getting run-out after colliding with his partner Kevin Wickham. Having lost half their side for just 64, Wickham and Navin Bidaisee arrested the collapse and began rebuilding.

With the asking rate climbing, however, the 44-run stand was brought to an end when Bidaisee was retired out at the start of the 14th over. The move backfired as the Patriots went on to lose their last five wickets for just 22 runs. Paul returned for the 18th over and claimed the final two wickets to finish with 3-30, completing a match-defining all-round performance.

Brief Scores: Jamaica Kingsmen 181/6 in 20 overs (Keemo Paul 65, Rovman Powell 49; Wanindu Hasaranga 2-36) beat St. Kitts and Nevis Patriots 130 all-out in 18 overs (Kevin Wickham 37; Keemo Paul 3-30) by 51 runs.