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Keon Gaston in action (Source: @stluciatimes/X)
At 22 years old, Keon Gaston could hardly have imagined the weight that would land on his shoulders at Warner Park. With the Patriots chasing 201 and the game balanced on a knife’s edge, Alzarri Joseph pulled up injured mid-over.
Suddenly, the St Lucia Kings turned to the young seamer to finish what Joseph had started in the 19th.
Fire-Tested In Four Balls
The moment was raw, the tension electric. Gaston began with a single, then another, small wins in a high-pressure chase. A wide followed, the nerves of youth flickering through. He hit back with a dot ball, lifting his team’s hopes, before Goolie finally seized on a short ball, pulling it clean over square leg for six. In just four deliveries, Gaston had felt the full spectrum of a bowler’s baptism: control, error, redemption, and punishment.
Beyond The Numbers
The stat line, 1.4 overs, 23 runs, no wickets, may look harsh, but it hides the true story. Gaston showed the heart to step in when his team needed him most, knowing every ball might tilt the match. He was not flawless, but he was fearless. And in T20 cricket, that willingness to embrace the fire often matters more than the numbers.
The Kings’ Spirit
St Lucia would go on to hold their nerve, David Wiese finishing the job in the last over to seal a dramatic 3-run win. Yet the victory also carried the quiet courage of a youngster who, under the brightest lights, answered when called. For Gaston, those four balls were not just deliveries — they were a promise of the player he could become.
