Former West Indies captain Jason Holder put on a magnificent performance against his old team, Barbados Royals, as he helped St. Kitts and Nevis Patriots to a nerve-wrecking one-run win at the Kensington Oval in Barbados.
In a must-win encounter for the two teams at the bottom of the table, Holder held his nerves in the final over of the match when he defended 14 runs to see the Royals finish their innings on 149 for seven in pursuit of a 150-run target. The victory took the Patriots to eight points from their ten matches, while the Royals will be exiting the CPL contest.
Holder’s big hitting took the Patriots to a competitive 150 for seven as he hit an unbeaten 53 off 30 balls, which included five sixes.
At one point in time, the Patriots seemed to be in trouble with the score at 74 for five in the 12th over, but Holder’s 74-run partnership for the sixth wicket with Navin Bidaisee, who scored 30 off 23 gave the Patriots a passable score. Pakistani opening batsman Mohammad Rizwan also chipped in with 39 off 36.
The 25-year-old Bidaisee showed his value in bowling by grabbing two for 24, as he got the wickets of Quinton de Kock (22) and Sherfane Rutherford (25).
When Rutherford was caught by Evin Lewis, the Royals were on 88 for four and needed 63 runs off the last 44 balls as Powell came to the crease. Powell made 16 off 13, but was dismissed off the last ball in the 16th over of Waqar Salamkheil. Salamkheil had figures of two for 27.
With the home team needing 35 off the last four overs, Holder (two for 32) and Pakistani pacer Naseem Shah (one for 30) were brilliant as Shah conceded just four in the 17th over, with Holder conceding five in the subsequent over as well as the scalp of Chris Green (four).
The Royals got 12 runs in the penultimate over with batsman Rassie van der Dussen (37 not out off 27) was also dropped in the over by Mikyle Louis.
With 14 needed in the last over, Barbados looked in control as van der Dussen belted the first ball of the over for six, but Holder held it down when it mattered most and with two runs needed off the last ball, Holder delivered the perfect delivery to trap Daniel Sams and give the Patriots the most dramatic win.
