Barbados Royals' Rahkeem Cornwall scripted history at Kensington Oval on September 17. Cornwall claimed five wickets for just 16 runs, the best bowling figures by a West Indies bowler in Caribbean Premier League (CPL) history. Cornwall's fifer helped Royals bowl out St Kitts and Nevis Patriots for 110 and then beat them by nine wickets.
The previous best bowling figures for a West Indies bowler in CPL was five wickets for 19 runs registered by Hayden Walsh in the 2019 edition.
Cornwall’s fifer causes collapse
Earlier, Royals skipper Rovman Powell won the toss and opted to bowl first. Patriots got off to a slower start. Naveen-ul-Haq dismissed Evin Lewis for a single-digit score in the fourth over. Andre Fletcher hit the first six of the innings in the fifth over. In the next over, he lost his wicket to Naveen. In the eighth over, Cornwall was introduced into the attack. Fletcher charged down the track and got stumped. He scored 32 runs from 22 balls. On the next ball, Mikyle Louis got out as well.
Left-arm pacer Obed McCoy joined the party and got the better of Rilee Rossouw. Cornwall continued from one end and got the wicket of Wanindu Hasaranga but floating one up. In his third over, Cornwall ended Odean Smith's troubled stay at the crease. Odean departed for an eight-ball duck. In his last over, Ryan John went for a big shot and Alick Athanaze took a brilliant one-handed catch at deep mid-wicket. Cornwall completed his fifer and created history in Barbados. Joshua de Silva held on to one end whereas Anrich Nortje hit a four and six each in his 17-ball 22. Silva's 25-run knock helped Patriots 110 before they got bowled out in the final over of the innings.
De Kock hits fifty in run chase
In the run chase, the in-form Quinton de Kock took on the bowlers during fielding restrictions. Hasaranga broke the opening partnership with Kadeem Alleyne's wicket. He scored 25 runs from 15 balls. De Kock reached his fourth CPL fifty from 33 balls in the 10th over. Athanaze remained unbeaten for 15-ball 22 as Royals chased down the target with 52 balls to spare. De Kock scored 59 runs from 38 balls including three fours and four sixes. The win helped Royals stay on top of the points table with their fifth win from six games.
“I backed myself and the team backed me as well. We have a good unit, the boys are playing well together and we will see how far we can go. The support for us was really good and we gave them something to cheer about,” Cornwall said in the post-match presentation as he was adjudged ‘Player of the match’.
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