CPL 2021 | Final: Dominic Drakes steals last ball victory for Patriots

When Dominic Drakes was signed up by St Kitts and Nevis Patriots for Caribbean Premier League 2021, the management wouldn’t have imagined him winning a crucial match like the season finale, especially with bowlers of the stature of Sheldon Cottrell, Dwayne Bravo and international stars like Naseem Shah and Fawad Ahmed present in the side already. 

Well if this was hard to think, imagine how wild it would have been to think that the guy you signed up as a bowler, who has no hundreds or fifties to his credit in domestic cricket would go on to win you the most important game of your franchise history with the bat? But then what are victories if not for wildest dreams to come true. 

And St Kitts and Nevis realised their wildest dreams when Drakes hit the last ball of the final match down to the short fine leg and completed a single to win the first-ever CPL title for the Patriots in their seven-year journey of the league. 

Chasing a target of 160 set up by their St Lucia Kings, who were playing their second consecutive CPL final, having lost to Trinbago Knight Riders last year, the Patriots had a shaky start losing Chris Gayle in the very first over. 

While Roston Chase was responsible for the first dismissal, he single-handedly made it possible to get rid of in form Evin Lewis with a cracker of a catch at the boundary line. At 26-2, the Patriots looked in trouble chasing such a huge total. Soon,  a 45 run partnership developed between wicket-keeper batter Joshua da Silva and Sherfane Rutherford. 

The Patriots’ chase seemed to be motoring along until both da Silva and Rutherford fell in quick succession with the men in black and green still needing 85 to get from 55 balls. It is at this instance that Drakes entered the arena. First with skipper Dwayne Bravo and then with spin bowling all-rounder Fabian Allen, Drakes stitched important partnerships to take Patriots to 139-5 with only 21 needed off the last 12 balls. However, Allen fell in the first ball of the 19th over and all the responsibility came on the shoulders of Drakes.  

The left-hander hit a six and took a single to give the strike to Sheldon Cotrell who too hit a four and even though he got out on the last ball of the over, got the Patriots in winning distance from the total. 

With nine needed off the last over and Drakes on strike, he was blacked to do it. Kesrick Williams, the Kings bowler though had other ideas as he kept the 23-year-old batter quiet for the first four balls. 

With five needed off the last two balls, Williams missed his full length by just a whisker and that was enough for Drakes to drive it past cover-mid-off for a four. A single on the last ball meant that Drakes was off the crease dancing and his teammates were out of the dog out, ready to pounce on him and celebrate. 

Earlier in the day, after winning the toss, St Lucia Kings decided to bat first. Their start was not as they expected as last game heroes Mark Deyal and Andre Fletcher fell in quick succession even as Rahkeem Cornwall ket firing at the other end. Chase provided some support to the opener, but after a 42 run stand was broken and Cornwall was out. 

Then, Chase and Tim David tried resurrecting the innings but hadn’t it been for Keemo Paul’s 39 off 21 balls, the Kings couldn’t have reached 159. Chase was the joint top scorer with 43 runs in the Kings innings alongside Cornwall. 

Overall Chase turned out to be the fin of the tournament as he scored 446 runs in 12 games and took 10 wickets as well. Receiving the Most Valuable Player of the Season award, the 29-year-old said, “Very thankful for this. My advice to youngsters is you always have more time than you think in T20s, so don't rush.” 

Drakes was awarded Man of the Match for his 48 runs and 1-38 with the ball.