Twenty-one-year-old Ackeem Auguste lit up the Darren Sammy Stadium with a dazzling 73 off just 35 balls, steering St Lucia Kings to a four-wicket win over Guyana Amazon Warriors in a CPL 2025 run-fest on Tuesday. His explosive knock, witnessed by family in the stands, proved decisive in a chase of 203 – the highest total ever successfully chased by the Kings in CPL history.
Captain David Wiese applied the finishing touches with 11 balls to spare, as the Kings climbed to second place on the points table – just one point behind Antigua & Barbuda Falcons with a game in hand. Remarkably, it was also the first time in CPL history that the Warriors lost after scoring 200-plus, having won each of the previous 10 such occasions.
Shepherd’s Fireworks Lift Warriors
Opting to bat, Warriors wobbled early at 44 for 3 inside five overs after Keon Gaston removed both openers in quick succession and Khary Pierre bowled Moeen Ali for a duck. The slide deepened when Shimron Hetmyer was run out and Shai Hope crawled to 23 off 27 before falling. At 78 for 5 in the 13th over, the visitors were staring at collapse.
But Romario Shepherd turned the tide with an astonishing counterattack. He blasted a 23-ball half-century laced with seven sixes, including four in one chaotic over from Oshane Thomas that cost 33 runs. Iftikhar Ahmed chipped in with 33 as Warriors surged past 200, finishing at 202 for 6. Gaston’s 2 for 57 was expensive, but crucial late dots kept the target just within reach.
Auguste’s Masterclass Seals It
The Kings’ chase began brightly with Tim Seifert (37) and Johnson Charles before Auguste stole the show. His maiden CPL fifty came in just 19 balls, the fastest of the season, as he tore into the Warriors’ attack during a blistering powerplay worth 86 runs.
Spinners Gudakesh Motie (2/32) and Imran Tahir applied brakes with key strikes, and Auguste’s dismissal for 73 (7 fours, 5 sixes) left the Kings needing 67 from 48 balls. Calm contributions from Aaron Jones and Roston Chase kept things under control, before Pierre and skipper Wiese struck the final blows to complete a memorable win.
With this result, Kings extended their dominance over Warriors, making it three wins in a row against them in CPL contests.
