An Australian wicketkeeper-batsman led his team to a resounding victory in the Caribbean, dismantling the Pakistani bowlers. The player formed a crucial partnership with West Indies captain Shai Hope, securing a dominant win for his team. Their partnership of 114 runs in just 59 balls in the second match of CPL 2025 was pivotal. During this match, Australian wicketkeeper-batsman Ben McDermott scored a brilliant half-century, hitting 10 fours and four sixes. The West Indies captain also commenced the league with an unbeaten half-century.
Ben McDermott secured the victory for Guyana.
The second match of CPL 2025 was played between St. Kitts and Nevis Patriots and Guyana Amazon Warriors. Batting first, St. Kitts and Nevis Patriots scored 153 runs for the loss of eight wickets in 20 overs. Andre Fletcher played a fiery innings, scoring 60 runs off 41 balls. Fletcher hit one four and five sixes during his innings. Young player Jyd Gooly contributed 24 runs. From the Amazon Warriors, all-rounder Dwayne Pretorius took three wickets, conceding 43 runs in four overs, while Imran Tahir took two wickets. Ben McDermott made the 153-run target seem small, leading his team to a five-wicket victory.
Ben McDermott wreaked havoc in the West Indies.
The Amazon Warriors lost their first wicket early, but then Ben McDermott formed a 114-run partnership with Shai Hope for the second wicket. McDermott played a blistering innings of 75 runs off 39 balls during this partnership. He spared no bowler of the Amazon Warriors during his innings, launching powerful attacks against all of them. During his innings, the aggressive batsman scored 21 runs in a single over against Pakistan’s Abbas Afridi. He also heavily punished Naseem Shah.
Apart from Ben McDermott, Shai Hope scored an unbeaten 56 runs. During his innings, he hit five fours and two sixes. He provided excellent support to Ben McDermott. Even after McDermott’s wicket fell, Hope anchored one end well, leading his team to victory with 16 balls remaining. Veteran all-rounder Moeen Ali was out after scoring 19 runs.
St. Kitts and Nevis Patriots’ bowlers failed.
From St. Kitts and Nevis Patriots, Abbas Afridi took two wickets, conceding 24 runs in two overs, while Naseem Shah, Fazalhaq Farooqi, and Waqar Salamkheil took 1-1 wicket. Their team displayed poor fielding in the match. St. Kitts had dropped Ben McDermott’s catch in Naseem Shah’s bowling in the early overs. At that time, he was batting at 32 runs. However, after this, the brilliant player did not give them a chance and played a valuable innings for his team.
