SKNP’s ninth consecutive defeat in CPL 2024: Andre Fletcher says they were ‘way below poor’

Andre Fletcher, captain of the St Kitts and Nevis Patriots, voiced his frustration following a devastating ninth consecutive defeat in CPL 2024. The match, held in Tarouba against the Trinbago Knight Riders (TKR), saw TKR successfully chase down 194 runs, with Nicholas Pooran delivering an unbeaten 93 off just 43 balls. Pooran was dropped four times, a reflection of the fielding troubles that have plagued the Patriots all season, as they had dropped a total of 28 catches across the tournament.

Fletcher, clearly disappointed, labelled the team’s fielding as “way below poor” and admitted that these errors were the difference between winning and losing multiple games. The captain emphasized that despite only two wins in their last 20 games, his team remained united and committed, even participating in off-field bonding activities. Fletcher said the lack of bickering among teammates showed their strength as a family.

“The guys [bowlers] executed well and dropping five catches in a crucial game, especially a world-class player as Pooran…I know, but not many people know, we dropped 28 catches in the tournament,” Fletcher said. “As a fielding team, it’s poor, way below poor. It actually cost us a lot of games, which we lost.”

Fletcher had a good season despite SKNP’s ninth consecutive defeat in CPL 2024

In contrast to the team’s performance, Fletcher had a productive tournament with the bat, scoring 318 runs at an average of 31.80 and a strike rate just shy of 150. He also became the highest run-getter in CPL history. However, Fletcher expressed that his individual success was bittersweet, given the team’s performance.

“Knowing that it was a bit hard and tough for us losing, but tried to keep the team together as much as possible,” Fletcher said. “We had a lot of team bonding activities. Yes, as much as we weren’t showing it on the field, but sometimes when teams lose, you tend to have a lot of bickering in the team, but we never had that. We stuck together and we gelled as a team and it’s just sad that the result didn’t show. But I must say that we stick as a family.

Looking ahead, the Patriots are already focusing on the next CPL season, with Fletcher hopeful that his squad can learn from this tough campaign and deliver better results. For now, though, the key takeaway from the season is that “dropped catches cost matches,” something the Patriots learned the hard way.

“Just want to apologise to the St Kitts and Nevis fans. I know you guys are hurt, so am I. Unfortunately we didn’t get it well this year, hopefully, next year it will be better.”