AROUBA, Trinidad, (CMC) – St Kitts and Nevis Patriots finally won their first game of the 2023 Caribbean Premier League campaign, when they pulled off a nervy run chase to beat St Lucia Kings by four wickets here Saturday.
Struggling badly throughout the tournament with six defeats in their eight previous outings, Patriots ended their run of poor form by overhauling a target of 150 at the Brian Lara Stadium with a single ball to spare.

They were inspired by experienced West Indies opener Andre Fletcher, who batted superbly for an unbeaten 93 off 64 balls, striking half-a-dozen fours and five sixes.
With nine required from the last over, Patriots lost Corbin Bosch (12) to the third delivery from off-spinner Roston Chase (2-25), but Fletcher quickly allayed his side’s fears by clobbering the fifth delivery over mid-wicket for six, with six runs required from the last two balls.

“It feels very good, to be honest. We’ve been trying to get that first victory, and to get it today, it feels very good,” said Evin Lewis, who alternated with Sherfane Rutherford as captain throughout the tournament.
Sent in, Kings rallied to an inadequate 149 for seven off their 20 overs, with Shadrack Descarte striking 43 from 31 deliveries, and opener Johnson Charles hitting 42 off 38 balls.

The innings was in turmoil at 22 for three at the end of the fifth over, after left-arm spinner Ashmead Nedd (2-14) struck twice, but Charles and Descarte mounted a crucial recovery effort in a 73-run, fourth-wicket stand.
Charles struck seven fours, while Descarte belted a four and three sixes before both fell in the space of 15 deliveries, leaving Kings on 117 for five in the 16th over, and it was left to captain Sikandar Raza, with a 17-ball 22, to get his side up to their eventual total.
Patriots’ run chase never found momentum, and they needed Fletcher’s vast experience to remain afloat.

Lewis fell to the ninth ball of the innings for one with three runs on the board, before Fletcher dominated a 32-run, second-wicket stand with Will Smeed (2).
When two wickets fell in quick succession to leave Patriots on 49 for three in the seventh over, Fletcher again kept his cool, putting on 35 for the fourth wicket with Rutherford (17), 26 for the fifth with George Linde (9), and 33 for the sixth wicket with Bosch.