Republic Bank CPL: Fletcher, Netravalkar, Holder upstage Kings at home

The St. Kitts and Newis Patriots trumped the St. Lucia Kings at home on Wednesday night, to bring up their first win in the 2026 Republic Bank Caribbean Premier League 2026.
The Kings won the toss at the Daren Sammy Cricket Stadium and opted to bat first.
Half centuries off the bat of Jewel Andrew and Kamil Pooran, in just his second T20 game, got the Kings past a rocky start, triggered by Saurabh Netravalkar and the new ball.
Netravalkar dismissed both Andries Gous and Ackeem Auguste to leave the Kings in a spot of bother at 12-2 by the 3rd over.
However, the repair job between Andrew and Pooran was magnificent; the pair combining for an 82- run partnership off just 51 balls.
Pooran smashed 7 fours and 3 sixes in his 54 off 30 balls, striking at 180 to ignite the once quieted St. Lucian crowd. When all of Jason Holder’s bowling options failed to rattle the partnership, it was a throw from Wanindu Hasaranga, gathering a single on the boundary that found Pooran meters short of his crease.
Andrew kept the momentum going, adding a few lofty maximums to his total to get to his half century. The 19- year- old prodigy hit 58 from 42 balls, punctuated by 2 fours and 4 sixes. Andrew, though, got too inventive, looking to play the scoop shot but instead, having his stumps disturbed by Holder.
Charith Asalanka pitched in with 14 off 11 balls, but no other double digits were on the cards as the St. Lucians experienced a meltdown in the death overs, with a few odd runs coming from the tail.
As such, the hosts could only manage 155-8 in their 20 overs, after appearing as though they would surpass 180.
Netravalkar was the pick of the Patriots’ bowlers, claiming 3-32 from 4 overs while Holder snared 3-20 from 4.
Johnson Charles got the Patriots chase off to a rollicking start with 1 four and 2 sixes in his brisk 16. However, Matthew Forde soon had his man, shattering the stumps.
The lows came as quickly as the highs for Matthew Forde as Kyle Mayers’ introduction to the game, saw the Barbadian bowler being punished. Mayers smashed 27 runs off the fourth over, served up by Forde to propel the Patriots run rate with rain being a looming concern.
The heavens eventually opened but not before Maheesh Theekshana struck, removing the ominous Mayers for 32 off 16 balls.
The brief rain delay seemed to benefit the hosts as the Patriots struggled to score immediately after the resumption, so much so that they could only produce 20 runs in the 5 overs after the break.
Kevin Wickham looked to up the ante, but eventually hit one too many, going back to the dugout for 19 off 20. The same was the case for Captain Holder who departed for 10 from 9 not too long after.
At the other end of the crease, Andre Fletcher held on, anchoring the innings.
Though the Kings were able to chip away at the Patriots’ batters, having Dasun Shanaka removed with a brilliant catch on the boundary from Forde; it was not enough as their asking score got smaller and smaller, the longer Fletcher held on.
Alongside hasaranga, Fletcher saw the contest to the end as the Patriots crossed the line with 14 balls and 5 wickets to spare.
The Republic Bank CPL will continue today with action at Sabin Park in Jamaica, where the Guyana Amazon Warriors will open their account against hosts, Jamaica Kingsmen.