Brief scores: Barbados Royals 162/7 in 20 overs (Mayers 36, Cornwall 32; Deyal 2-15) beat Saint Lucia Kings 91/4 in 9 overs (du Plessis 47, Joseph 29; Mayers 4/4) by 11 runs (DLS method).
Earlier, the Kings won the toss and opted to bowl in overcast conditions. Openers Rahkeem Cornwall and Kyle Mayers got off to a thunderous start, helping the team cross the 50-run mark in the Powerplay. A total of two sixes and 11 fours were scored between the duo at the top, setting the tone for the rest of the innings.
Then came Quinton de Kock, playing his first game of the season. Despite some tight bowling from the Kings in the middle overs, Quinton, along with Azam Khan kept the scoreboard ticking. An unbeaten 24 from captain David Miller towards the end and some useful lower-middle order contributions helped the Royals post a challenging total of 162/7 in their 20 overs. Mayers, with his 23-ball 36 top-scored for the Royals.
He was even better with the ball, shooting down the Kings just when their chase begin. His two wickets in three balls of the opening over pushed the Kings on the back foot straight away. Mayers then returned in the third over to claim two more scalps, finishing a fiery spell to derail the chase. With the possibility of rain interrupting the game, the Royals needed at least five overs of the chase to be completed for them to win as per the DLS method. But with only four overs done before the showers, they were placed in a precarious position.
However, both teams returned after a 45-minute break to resume the chase, with the Kings needing 93 runs to win in 30 balls. Faf du Plessis, who held fort at one end, was joined by Alzarri Joseph at the other. The duo took the game deep until they needed 30 runs to win in the final over. Corbin Bosch held his nerve to bowl the final over that saw the Royals seal the game.