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Saint Lucia Kings signed off their home leg of the Caribbean Premier League 2026 in emphatic fashion, defeating Jamaica Kingsmen by six wickets at the Daren Sammy National Cricket Stadium early on Saturday to go top of the table.
A sensational first five-wicket haul from Matthew Forde, followed by a match-winning unbeaten 81 from Kamil Pooran, and an explosive debut from Obus Pienaar powered the Kings to victory with 10 balls to spare, according to a release. Forde claimed his first five-wicket haul and restricted the Kingsmen to 169 after they were asked to bat first. The seamer struck four times inside the Powerplay, reducing Jamaica to 54/5 by the sixth over, before completing his five-wicket haul later in the innings. The performance took Forde's tally to 12 wickets this season, making him the leading wicket-taker in CPL 2026. Chasing 170, the Kings lost Tim Seifert early, but Kamil Pooran continued his great form with a commanding unbeaten 81 off 49 balls. He combined with John Campbell to add 66 runs from 39 balls, with Campbell contributing 23 off 19 before being dismissed by Vitel Lawes. Pooran then found an ideal partner in debutant Obus Pienaar, who produced a superb all-round introduction to the Kings. After taking three catches during the Jamaica innings, Pienaar smashed an unbeaten 34 off just 14 balls, including four boundaries and two sixes. The pair added an unbeaten 57 runs for the fourth wicket, taking the Kings comfortably over the line. Pooran's innings included six fours and five sixes. The victory brings a memorable conclusion to the Saint Lucia Kings' home leg, with the team heading into the next phase of the tournament sitting at the top of the CPL 2026 table and carrying strong momentum into their remaining fixtures. The Kings will next face Trinbago Knight Riders on August 27. (ANI)
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