Dasun Shanaka smashed the fastest century in Caribbean Premier League history as St Kitts and Nevis Patriots crushed St Lucia Kings by 137 runs in Gros Islet on Thursday night.
Shanaka reached his hundred from only 39 balls and finished unbeaten on 121 from 43 deliveries. His eight fours and 12 sixes powered Patriots to 235 for four after they chose to bat first.
The Sri Lankan walked in during the 10th over with Patriots on 89 for two. He wasted little time changing the match.
Shanaka launched consecutive sixes against Roston Chase before taking aim at Matthew Forde. Even the wickets of Andre Fletcher and Jason Holder could not slow him down.
He reached his fifty from 24 balls before attacking Maheesh Theekshana with three boundaries in an over. Shanaka then saved his biggest assault for the final over.
Keon Gaston conceded four sixes and a four as Shanaka collected 28 runs. Patriots scored 93 runs during the final five overs, with Shanaka and Wanindu Hasaranga adding 93 from just 31 balls.
Shanaka’s 39-ball century came only four days after Shimron Hetmyer struck a 40-ball hundred for Guyana Amazon Warriors. Hetmyer had matched the previous CPL record alongside Andre Russell and Tim Seifert.
Patriots needed more than Shanaka’s brilliance, however. Fletcher contributed 64 from 38 balls, while Jeremiah Louis then destroyed the Kings chase.
St Lucia lost Kamil Pooran for a duck in the opening over. Hasaranga soon struck twice to reduce them to 55 for four.
Louis then removed Chase and Forde from consecutive deliveries. Seifert reached 50 from 36 balls, but the opener received little support.
Louis claimed five of the final six wickets to complete his maiden T20 five-for. The fast bowler finished with five for 10 in only his 10th T20 match as Kings folded for 98 in 13.5 overs.
The result gave Patriots their biggest win by runs in CPL history. It also improved their net run rate from -0.547 to 0.593 and kept their playoff hopes alive.
Shanaka provided the fireworks, but Patriots won because they combined explosive batting with relentless bowling.
