Kings vs Royals, 12th Match at Gros Islet, CPL, Aug 24 2025 - Ball by Ball Commentary

CPL action is taking a day off tomorrow, but we'll be back on Tuesday! Until then, this is Rashad Mahbub signing off on behalf of Harshith Gowda. Ciao!

9:53 pm What was set to be a prompt start quickly turned into a waiting game when a sudden drizzle appeared just minutes before the first ball. From there, the rain picked up, and after almost a three-hour wait, the umpires finally called the match off as the weather showed no signs of clearing. It's a disappointing result for both the fans and the teams, especially for the Barbados Royals, who are still waiting to get their first win of the season. Unfortunately, there's nothing that can be done when you're competing against nature.

9:10 pm Rivaldo Clarke and Zishan Motara were seen playing cards with their teammates, while Quinton de Kock sat beside them, trying to learn a trick or two. Then Tim David walked in, gave de Kock a firm handshake, and took a seat in the dressing room. Remember, folks, we're just an hour and six minutes away from the cut-off time for a five-over match. Fingers crossed that we get to see some cricket action here in St. Lucia tonight.

Tyrelle Audain: "Talking about Trinbago Knight Riders (TKR) Hajji49, I find they've been disappointed for the 1st 3 games this season. Their batting has been 50/50 Munro has been getting all the runs so as Pollard but the rest aren't doing their given roles. On the other hand, the bowling minus the spinners have been disappointing so as the fielding which has been primary schoolish. Only Colin Munro, Kieron Pollard and Usman Tariq have been performing and at times Akeal Hosein & Sunil Narine too. "

9 pm Unfortunately, it's still raining out there, and there's no update from the ground. The covers are sitting firmly on the pitch, soaked in water like sitting ducks. While the DJ is creating a good vibe, there are still no signs of conditions improving for any cricket to be played today.

Kevin: "Hope to see Gaston in action soon! To see him face up to Pollard and nail that Yorker, fantastic. "

Hajji49: "Biggest disappointment for me, as a TKR fan, has been Pooran's fairly lean run so far. He just seems to be unable to shift gears. Biggest surprise is that Cricket West Indies seems to have no issue with their all format WI coach, Darren Sammy, also coaching in franchise cricket. "

Annan Boodram: "I noticed mention of Karima Gore part of the breakout league. Is he eligible to play for West Indies?" Yes, he led the Leeward Islands Thunder team all the way to the finals. Gore, who was born in the Bronx, New York, but advanced through the West Indies' age-group ranks in Antigua, fits in as a representative of the Leeward Islands.

8:08 pm The rain has picked up, and there's no movement near the covers. With the cutoff time for a five-over match set for 10:16 p.m., it's looking highly unlikely we'll see any action anytime soon.

Aarav: "That was biggest surprise for me too Tyrelle Audain as during the draft barbados had a solid batting lineup and I thought that falcons would have the weakest but ,here we are "

Tyrelle Audain: "One of the comeback stories in this year's CPL has to be former New Zealand international who has to be my favorite player Colin Munro of TKR who happens to be the second highest run scorer in the tournament so far with 207 runs and I have a feeling at the end of this campaign he'll be at the top of the list. Regarding the players who were picked out of the Breakout League, Karima Gore of Falcons has been the star so far this year 3 half-centuries and his form just gets better game after game. "

7:55 pm The rain continues in St Lucia; it's drizzling out there now. The next inspection is scheduled for 8 p.m. local time. A few fans were completely soaked and huddled under umbrellas with raincoats and blankets on, while the remainder of the spectators took shelter in the stands.

Tyrelle Audain: "This biggest surprise for me this season has to be the Antigua and Barbuda Falcons the reason why I mentioned them is because after losing the first game this season they have been playing solid cricket and that is something that must be commended. One of the other surprises was to see the Barbados Royals at the bottom of the table and they're a team that always gets their campaign off to a bang. "

Umar: "The biggest surprise player has been Imran Tahir. At his age, he continues to excel and has given a new standard to the retirement age. The biggest disappointment has been Rilee Rossow. I expected more from him with the bat" Imran Tahir has been phenomenal with his captaincy, bowling performance, fielding, and overall presence on the field. I hope he stays in the game for a few more years!

Aarav: "According to me, karima gore surprised me the most " You're not the only one, Aarav. I have been getting a lot of feedback regarding the man in red hot form.

Kevin: "I like Karima Gore. Good batsman that! " Gore's promotion up the batting order has undoubtedly paid off for the Falcons!

7:30 pm I have a disappointing update for you, guys. According to Harshith, additional covers are being brought in to protect the entire square. It's still pouring, albeit not heavily, so we might be in for a long night. We still have about 30 minutes before we start losing overs, so grab some coffee and a snack and join us for a discussion about CPL 2025. Which player surprised you the most, and who has been the biggest disappointment so far? Let us know in the feedback section

7:05 pm The intensity of the rain appears to have weakened due to the strong breeze. The fourth umpire is out there, holding an umbrella over his head and angling it to avoid the wind. More large covers are arriving, but due to the strong winds, the groundsmen are having difficulty dragging them near the run-up and ring area. Harshith informs me that the weather forecast is not looking good. There will likely be more rain in the coming hours.

Kiran: "The ground staff look like they're having some challenges just getting the covers on. Looks wild out there with the rain and the wind."

6:59 pm Oh dear! It has started to drizzle and the pitch covers are on now! The groundsmen are waiting near the covers; hopefully, this is just a passing shower and we'll be ready to start the action soon. Never mind, out of nowhere it has started to pelt down along with heavy wind. The big covers are in place now.

6:55 pm We are all ready for a prompt start. There is some rain on the forecast; hopefully it will stay away and we won't be facing any interruptions. The crowd is building nicely at the ground. It's a weekend evening, and expect a fully packed stadium soon.

Pitch Report from Nikhil Uttamchandani and Niall O'Brien: "The surface is ready for play, but let's first discuss the overhead conditions. There's a small chance of some inclement weather, and we're hoping the wind continues to push it east of the island. Speaking of the wind, it's what bowlers use as their main weapon here, forcing batters to hit into the shorter 64-meter boundary, while the straight boundary is quite sizable at 71 meters. Making a pitch of this quality is not easy; it takes a tireless effort from our ground staff across all six venues in the Caribbean. Their work often means putting their bodies on the line. I felt yesterday this pitch looked really good, but the one area I was concerned about was the cracks. The ground staff went down this afternoon, filled them with some clay and water, and hammered them together. It's rock hard, but there are still some cracks that have opened up. Spin last night went for 7.22 runs per over, but it didn't turn much. Good pitch. Trevor Penny came out a few minutes ago, took one look at the pitch, and walked straight off, saying there are plenty of runs in that and plenty of grass on it as well. It looks like a very good surface."

Keon Gaston: "[Imagine playing at this ground for this franchise] Yes, I did. With the work I've been putting in, I felt that it was just a matter of time. I just had to give myself some time, back myself, and back my skills to execute, and hopefully, I would get there. I just didn't know it would be so soon. I think it was after a tournament I played. If I recall, in one game, I got a five-wicket haul. From there, I went to the sports academy. My coach, Gary, nurtured me into becoming who I am today. And my local coach back home, Greg Emmanuel, has always been working on me, pushing me very hard. [Last night] I think it started with the crowd. The crowd was very electric last night. It inspired me a lot to just go out there, give my best, and try to execute the plans. For me, I think bowling against Nicholas Pooran and some of the most dangerous batsmen in the Caribbean and the world, it was just about putting their names behind me and just trying to execute. [The wicket of Pooran or Russell?] I think both of them were equal."

David Wiese: "I think last night's average score of 180 was about right, and you hope to push for the 200-run mark if things go well, but 180 should be par again. [Fielding] We were pretty disappointed with that effort. It was tough out there with the wind blowing and the outfield a bit bumpy, but that's still no excuse. You have to find a way, and ultimately, it cost us. [Gaston] It's great to see a young fast bowler coming through and bowling the tough overs in the Powerplay and at the death. He did beautifully, and that will do his confidence a world of good. We have one change today. Unfortunately, Delano Potgieter misses out, and we're bringing in Aaron Jones."

Rovman Powell: "We're going to bowl first. It looks like a good wicket. I think our preparation has been good. We have played two games and, unfortunately, we have been on the losing end of both. But today provides an opportunity for us to change that. As a team, we have discussed those crucial moments where we just couldn't get ourselves over the line. But having said that, we have played good cricket in those last two games. We have two changes. Young Johann Layne is making his debut in place of Naeem Young. He's a young, promising fast bowler who was recently part of the West Indies senior team. Also, Shaqkere Parris comes in for Kofi James. We've decided to go with six main batters, all-rounders, and then our bowling."

Two changes for Barbados Royals: Shaqkere Parris and Johann Layne come in to replace Kofi James and Nyeem Young.

Barbados Royals XI: Quinton de Kock (wk), Brandon King, Kadeem Alleyne, Rovman Powell (capt), Sherfane Rutherford, Shaqkere Parris, Daniel Sams, Ramon Simmonds, Johann Layne, Eathan Bosch, Jomel Warrican

One change for St Lucia Kings: Delano Potgieter misses out, Aaron Jones comes in.

St Lucia Kings XI: Johnson Charles, Ackeem Auguste, Tim Seifert (wk), Roston Chase, Tim David, Aaron Jones, David Wiese (capt), Oshane Thomas, Keon Gaston, Khary Pierre, Tabraiz Shamsi

Barbados Royals won the toss and elected to field first

In the first game of the doubleheader, the Falcons ended their home leg with a comfortable win in a low-scoring match, thanks to a record-breaking day with the ball from Shakib Al Hasan.

Meanwhile, the Barbados Royals have yet to open their winning account this season. In their last match, they fell short by 12 runs, largely due to Jason Holder's heroic all-round performance. The Royals' big guns need to start firing, and they must improve their fielding, which has been costly in both of their games so far. It has been a rollercoaster ride for both sides, and they'll each be looking for a much-needed win to restart their campaigns.

Both of these teams are struggling at the bottom of the table. The St Lucia Kings have only one win from three matches, with another being abandoned due to rain. Their recent homecoming was spoiled after a middle-order batting collapse, some controversial decisions, and a fielding disaster. They will be desperate to get back to winning ways, and with the home crowd's support, they have the perfect opportunity to reignite their title defence.

6:05 pm Hello and welcome to another CPL 2025 doubleheader! This is ESPNcricinfo's live ball-by-ball coverage of Match 12, featuring the Barbados Royals and the St Lucia Kings, live from the Daren Sammy National Cricket Stadium in Gros Islet, St Lucia.