RBL CPL 2023: Rain devastates final day in St Lucia, with both matches being washed out
By Brandon Corlette in St Lucia
Rain had the final say in the final matches of the opening leg of the 2023 Republic Bank Caribbean Premier League, slated for play yesterday at the Daren Sammy Cricket Ground in St Lucia; they were both washed out.
At 10:00h, the match between Barbados Royals and defending champions Jamaica Tallawahs was washed out without a ball being bowled. And the match between St Lucia Kings and St Kitts and Nevis Patriots was also called off without a ball being bowled, as the outfield was deemed unsafe for play due to the rain that had fallen earlier.
Rain had the final say again in St Lucia
On Saturday evening, only five overs of play were possible between Guyana Amazon Warriors and St Lucia Kings. That said evening the rain fell, and it was written in the stars that the Royals and Tallawahs match would have been rained out. Both teams shared points from this encounter, as did the Warriors and Kings.
St Kitts and Nevis Patriots, who also shared points with Trinbago Knight Riders on Saturday morning, also shared points on Sunday evening with St Lucia Kings.
Throughout the day, the rain fell and the sun was a no-show, hence the Daren Sammy Cricket Ground could not have dried and be fit for cricket.
All teams will now travel to St Kitts and Nevis for the second leg of the 2023 CPL. The tournament will resume on Wednesday August 23 with Patriots playing Jamaica Tallawahs from 19:00h, and Guyana Amazon Warriors will be in action on August 24 against the Patriots, from 19:00h.
Reon King was match referee
The remaining matches will be essential for the teams, and for Patriots winning at home in a cramped schedule will be important. CPL had initially noted that fans who purchased general admission tickets can exchange their paid ticket stubs from the abandoned match between Saint Lucia Kings and Guyana Amazon Warriors on Saturday 19 August for one of the other matches that will be played at the Daren Sammy Cricket Ground on 20 August.
However, the damp conditions all day did not allow cricket to be played on Sunday.
