Before holding the St. Kitts and Nevis Patriots to 171 for 6 in Basseterre, the Jamaica Kingsmen scored 182 for 7. Wanindu Hasaranga, Naseem Shah, and Obed McCoy each claimed two wickets, while Ayub led the Kingsmen innings with 102 from 58 balls. Saim Ayub became the second player in as many nights to score a CPL century with an incredible all-around performance.
Inspired by Tim Seifert’s century the night before, Ayub led the Kingsmen to 182 for 7 with a stunning 102 from 58 balls. Hunain Shah and Jediah Blades both took two wickets, and he followed up his incredible innings with a pivotal session with the ball.
The Patriots’ chase got off to a rough start as they lost three wickets for 42 runs during the powerplay. But before succumbing to Ayub for 55 off 38 balls, Andre Fletcher and Jason Holder shared 48 runs to revive the innings.
The Patriots were still in the running after Holder and Dasun Shanaka added 38 from 21 balls. The Patriots were unable to finish the chase despite Shanaka scoring 19 runs in his final seven deliveries to finish undefeated on 35 from 18 balls after Holder was dismissed, leaving 33 runs needed from the final eight balls.
Then, in the middle overs, Wanindu Hasaranga stole centre stage, dismissing Usman Khan, a strong candidate for catch of the tournament, with a magnificent one-handed diving catch and two wickets. However, Ayub resisted, allowing the Patriots to control the game.
He built his innings patiently, gradually regaining the momentum, and then launched an attack in the last seven overs. Ayub spearheaded the Kingsmen’s 91-run blast during that time, while Rovman Powell and Keemo Paul made crucial cameos that added 46 runs between them.
Together with Keemo Paul, Ayub persisted in his onslaught and finished his century off of 57 balls. After Tim Seifert’s undefeated 105 from 61 balls in the previous game, it was the second century in CPL 2026. As the Kingsmen closed on 182 for 7, Paul finished undefeated on 25 from 13 balls. The Patriots stayed at the bottom of the competition, while the Jamaica Kingsmen moved up to fourth position as a result of the victory.
