The Caribbean Premier League (CPL) 2023 kicked off in a stunning fashion, with Jamaica Tallawahs facing Saint Lucia Kings in the opening game of the tournament. The match saw Jamaica Tallawahs defeat Saint Lucia by 11 runs in the well-fought contest.
Although the match witnessed many eye-catching incidents during the play, the one that stood out was Saint Lucia skipper Faf du Plessis’ brilliant comeback catch after a dropped chance while fielding during the first innings of the match.
Winning the toss and opting to field first, Saint Lucia-based team restricted Jamaica to 187 runs in 20 overs. Brandon King shined for Jamaica with 81 runs off 53 deliveries until he was dismissed courtesy of a brilliant catch from Du Plessis. It is worth mentioning that Du Plessis’ sensational fielding effort came after a dropped catch on the previous ball.
Faf du Plessis drops Brandon King:
It all happened in the 18th over when Chris Sole delivered a slower ball to King, and the batter miscued it high in the air towards long on, where Du Plessis dropped an easy sitting catch. The frustration and disappointment were clearly visible on the face of the Saint Lucia skipper as he shook his head in disbelief after the misfield.
Faf du Plessis amends his mistake:
However, Du Plessis was quick to amend his mistake and grabbed a sensational catch on the very next ball to send back the dangerous King to the pavilion. The brilliant take from Du Plessis came on a very similar delivery as the previous one, but he had to cover more ground to complete the catch this time. The 39-year-old was seen relieved after the wicket with a broad smile on his face.
Here’s the video:
Second time lucky for @faf1307 ! Our @rariohq magic moment from match one! #CPL23 #SLKvJT #CricketPlayedLouder #BiggestPartyInSport #Rario pic.twitter.com/aW5g3D3dJR
— CPL T20 (@CPL) August 17, 2023
Despite the clinical bowling and fielding performance, Saint Lucia eventually lost the contest and fell 11 runs short in the end. Imad Wasim was the pick of the bowlers for Jamaica Tallawahs, claiming three wickets for 27 runs in his quota of four overs.
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