Shanaka’s record-breaking century helps Patriots dismantle Kings

BASSETERRE, St Kitts (CMC):

Dasun Shanaka blasted the fastest-ever century in Caribbean Premier League CPL) history to lead the St Kitts & Nevis Patriots to a humiliating 137-run thumping of the St Lucia Kings here on Thursday.

Shanaka needed just 39 balls to reach three figures, on his way to bludgeoning an unbeaten 121 off 43 balls, as the home side compiled a mammoth 235 for four in 20 overs at Warner Park – their second highest ever total in the CPL and seventh highest overall.

The Kings’ lower order was then undermined by a superb spell of bowling by pacer Jeremiah Louis, with his maiden T20 five-wicket haul helping to rout the visitors for an embarrassing 98 in 13.5 overs.

It marked the biggest-ever margin of victory in the CPL by a team batting first, surpassing the 133-run defeat the Trinbago Knight Riders inflicted on the Barbados Royals back in 2023.

No one could predict the carnage that would follow after the Patriots lost Kyle Mayers for just one in the second over of the match.

But Andre Fletcher joined forces with an out of sorts Johnson Charles to add 81 runs in eight overs.

Fletcher let his aggressive intent be known from the start of his innings, hitting spinner Maheesh Theekshana for a six and three fours in the fifth over that went for 19 runs.

He should have been dismissed twice in the seventh over bowled by left-arm spinner Joshua Bishop, but Matthew Forde and Theekshana spilled catches that helped Fletcher bring up his half-entury off 23 balls.

Charles eventually holed out to long on after scoring 26 off 23 balls, to leave the score 89 for two in the 10th over.

What followed was a mesmerising display of power hitting by Player of the Match Shanaka, with the right hander striking Bishop for two fours and clobbering Chase for successive sixes in the 12th over.

Fletcher lost his wicket along the way for a well played 64 off 38 balls that included six fours and four sixes, but his dismissal did nothing to slow down Shanaka, who reached his 50 off 24 balls by sending Keon Gaston over long on for six.

He continued by hitting Theekshana for two sixes and a four to end the 18th over, and followed up by thumping Forde for two maximums in the ensuing over to move into the 90s.

Shanaka then created history by smashing Gaston for two sixes to begin the final over, becoming the fastest man to three figures in the CPL.

It bested the 40-ball centuries made by Andre Russell (2018), Tim Seifert (2025) and Shimron Hetmyer, who achieved the feat this year.

Shanaka then brought the innings to a close in spectacular fashion by hitting Gaston for two more sixes and a four.

Needing to pull off the second highest run chase in CPL history, the Kings got off to a horrible start when they lost Kamil Pooran to the third ball of the innings.

Hasaranga then bowled John Campbell and Obus Pienaar and Naseem Shah got rid of Charith Asalanka for one to leave the Kings stuttering on 55 for four.

Louis then joined the party by dismissing Chase, Forde, Bishop, Theekshana and Amari Goodridge to bring the match to an end.

He finished with the stunning figures of 5-10, while Ashmead Nedd claimed 2-24 and Hasaranga 2-25.