JAMAICA Kingsmen Captain Rovman Powell called their latest defeat exactly what it was — “chaos” and “recipe for disaster”.

The Kingsmen went down by six wickets to the St Lucia Kings, with 10 balls remaining, in the Republic Bank Caribbean Premier League T20 competition at the Daren Sammy Cricket Ground in St Lucia on Friday night.

Jamaica never recovered from a horror start, slumping to 54-5 in the power play before limping to 169-9 from 20 overs. The Kings then knocked it off comfortably, finishing on 171-4 in 18.2 overs.

“It’s very, very difficult. If you have five of your main batters out in the first six overs… that is chaos. You know that is [a] recipe for disaster, and that happened tonight. Credit has to be given to the guys; they stuck to it and gave us a fight in total of 170,” Powell said in a televised interview.

The Kingsmen innings unravelled in 5.4 overs.

Matthew Forde of St Lucia Kings celebrates getting the wicket of Saim Ayub of the Jamaica Kingsmen. (Photo: CPLT20)

Matthew Forde was the destroyer. The St Lucian right-arm medium pacer ripped through the Kingsmen top order. He removed Saim Ayub (1), Usman Khan (28), Powell (0), and Hassan Khan (12), while Shadley van Schalkwyk had Kirk McKenzie (1) in the first over. Forde then later returned to get Keacy Carty to finish with 5-23 from 4 overs.

Powell blamed intent on a good batting surface.

“I think as a batting group we just didn’t bat. We came on a wicket that is a good wicket for batting and we just feel as if we had to play a shot from ball one. That set us on the back foot very early. Credit has to be given to Matthew Forde; I think he bowled well in the power play,” he said.

Carty held the innings together for the Kingsmen with 50 runs (45 balls), hitting three fours and one six. Odean Smith added 27, Andre Russell made 25, and Keemo Paul chipped in with 11 to get Jamaica to a defendable total.

Jamaica Kingsmen cheerleaders dance during game. (Photo: CPLT20)

“Keacy Carty is somebody we look to anchor the innings for us. Fortunately for us tonight, he did that,” Powell said.

But the Kingsmen total proved nowhere near enough. Kamil Pooran smashed an unbeaten 81 from 49 balls with six fours and five sixes to carry St Lucia home. Obus Pienaar made 34 and John Campbell 23. For Jamaica, Hunain Shah and Vitel Lawes took two wickets each, but the Kings were always in control.

Powell was blunt about the performance with bat and ball.

“I think we had a poor game, a poor game in all disciplines,” he said. “We didn’t bat properly and I think we didn’t bowl properly. You know, we have all different plans as a bowling group.

“We thought 170 runs after getting it is a fight in total. You know, we had needed a few early wickets but, you know, we felt as if we were in the game. But it’s… it’s a matter of execution.”