Auguste’s Blazing 73 Powers St Lucia Kings to Four-Wicket Win Over Amazon Warriors

A blistering 73 off just 35 balls from 21-year-old Ackeem Auguste headlined a high-scoring thriller as St Lucia Kings edged out Guyana Amazon Warriors by four wickets to climb to second place on the CPL 2025 points table. The victory, secured with 11 balls to spare, was the Kings’ third consecutive win over the Warriors and keeps them just one point behind leaders Antigua and Barbuda Falcons with a game in hand.

Chasing a stiff 203, the Kings made a commanding start, reaching 86 in the powerplay despite losing Johnson Charles early. Auguste, playing in front of his home crowd and family, dazzled with a maiden CPL half-century — the fastest of the season — off only 19 deliveries. He smashed six fours and five sixes during his whirlwind knock, overshadowing a similarly aggressive 73* off 34 balls from Warriors allrounder Romario Shepherd.

Tim Seifert (37) played a key supporting role, while skipper David Wiese and Khary Pierre calmly finished the chase after a brief wobble in the final overs.

Earlier, the Warriors, having opted to bat, found themselves reeling at 44 for 3 in the powerplay and then 78 for 5 in the 13th over. The early damage was done by Keon Gaston, who dismissed both openers in the fourth over, and Khary Pierre, who bowled Moeen Ali for a duck.

Romario Shepherd then staged a remarkable rescue act. Entering with the innings in trouble, he unleashed a savage counterattack, particularly targeting Oshane Thomas in a chaotic 15th over. That over went for 33 runs — the most expensive in CPL history by a Kings bowler — and included multiple no-balls, wides, and five towering sixes, three of which came from Shepherd himself.

Shepherd reached his half-century in just 23 balls, finishing unbeaten on 73, with seven sixes. Supported by Iftikhar Ahmed (33) and some late extras, the Warriors posted a formidable 202 for 6. Gaston ended with expensive figures of 4-0-57-2, while Thomas finished with 4-0-63-1 — the worst ever for a Kings bowler in CPL history.

In response, the Kings started aggressively before losing momentum against spinners Gudakesh Motie (2 for 32) and Imran Tahir (1 for 28), who applied pressure in the middle overs. However, Auguste’s innings had done enough damage to keep the chase on track. Even as wickets fell late, cameos from Aaron Jones, Pierre, and Wiese ensured the Kings crossed the finish line comfortably.

With this result, the Kings now sit firmly in playoff contention, while the Warriors face increasing pressure to turn around their inconsistent campaign.

Brief Scores:
Guyana Amazon Warriors 202/6 (Shepherd 73*, Iftikhar 33, Gaston 2-57)
St Lucia Kings 203/6 in 18.1 overs (Auguste 73, Seifert 37, Motie 2-32)
St Lucia Kings won by 4 wickets