West Indies all-rounder Jason Holder has been in sensational form in the ongoing Caribbean Premier League (CPL), leading the St Kitts and Nevis Patriots and registered his best figures as a captain in T20 cricket on Thursday, August 21. Holder, who smashed a 29-ball 63 in the previous game against the Saint Lucia Kings, made a difference with the ball on Thursday as his best T20 figures as captain - 4/14 - helped the Patriots restrict Barbados Royals to achieve their second win of the ongoing CPL season.
Holder, with those four wickets, completed 50 scalps in T20 cricket as captain, having led the West Indies, Los Angeles Knight Riders, Barbados Royals and now in charge of the Patriots. The four-wicket haul also helped Holder get to 44 wickets as captain in T20 cricket in the Caribbean, as he surpassed the likes of Shane Warne, Hardik Pandya, Imad Wasim, Tymal Mills and Colin Ackermann on the list.
Shane Warne (India) and Hardik Pandya (India) both have 43 wickets to their name as captain in T20 cricket in a country, while Mills and Wasim have scalped 42.
Holder also contributed with the bat, scoring 38 off just 21, pushing the Patriots' score to 174, which was eventually critical in the end as the hosts prevailed in a thriller by 12 runs. The Barbados Royals had a couple of batters scoring 20-odd and Kadeem Alleyne scoring a 28-ball 42; however, the lack of partnerships cost the Men in Pink.
A 10-ball 25 or a 15-ball 30 partnership would have taken the Royals over the line and now the two-time champions have lost both their games so far in the competition. On the other hand, the Patriots broke their three-match losing streak, getting their second win of the season in their final home game.
As the Patriots go on the road now, Holder and Co. will hope that they can build on this momentum.
