The Patriots won the toss and chose to bat first, and they were off to a great start with Andre Fletcher and Will Smeed putting on 115 runs for the first wicket. Fletcher scored 56 off 37 balls, while Smeed made 63 off 36 balls.
The Royals’ bowlers did well to break the partnership, with Rahkeem Cornwall dismissing both batsmen. However, the Patriots continued to score at a good pace, with Sherfane Rutherford hitting a quick-fire 65 off 27 balls.
The Patriots finished their innings on 220/4, a total that looked challenging but not insurmountable.
The Royals got off to a good start in their chase, with Kyle Mayers scoring 22 off 13 balls. However, he was dismissed in the fourth over, and the Royals were at 41/1.
Followed by the Rahkeem Cornwall show, and he proceeded to take the game away from the Patriots. He scored his century off just 45 balls, and he was eventually retired hurt on 102.
Rovman Powell and Alick Athanaze finished the job for the Royals, scoring 49 and 13 not out respectively, as they chased down the target with eight wickets and 11 balls to spare.
This was a remarkable performance from the Royals, and it will be interesting to see if they can continue their good form in the upcoming matches.
Brief Scorecard:
St Kitts and Nevis Patriots 220/4 (Rutherford 65, Smeed 63,; Cornwall 2/27, Brathwaite 1/66)
Barbados Royals 223/2 (Cornwall 102, Powell 49*; Bosch 1/29, Drakes 1/34) beat
Result: Barbados Royals won by eight wickets
