If you were to describe the St Kitts and Nevis Patriots debut season in the Caribbean Premier League, the most apt term would be a “roller coaster”.
There was the ecstasy of their first victory in the tournament, over the previous champions the Barbados Tridents at the Kensington Oval, coupled with a new, passionate fanbase on their home island. Yet the competition’s newest team were unable to sustain their performances and eventually finished 6th in the table, agonisingly falling short of the play-offs by a single point.
We caught up with Eric Simons, the head coach of the Patriots, to assess the franchise’s first season as part of the Biggest Party in Sport…
Q: Looking back on the tournament, how would you rate the Patriots performances?
"We were exceptional. We unearthed some really good cricketers and we were very much part of the tournament" - Patriots coach Eric Simons
A: I think it’s been exceptional. I think we’ve not only competed, we’ve done really well. We’ve beaten some really good sides and we were competitive in every single game. We’ve scored more runs per over than any other team scored in the tournament. We’ve been really consistent and I think we’ve unearthed some really good cricketers.
Q: If you had to pick a couple of players who stood out for the Patriots, who would they be and why?
A: Well I think the obvious one is Tabraiz Shamsi. He’s come out of nowhere and he’s bowled really well. He’s grown in stature, he’s grown in confidence. I think that’s important from his perspective having come from nowhere. Somebody else who I’ve taken leaps and bounds in his career, although he already had a higher profile, is Carlos Brathwaite. I think he’s had a real growth experience both in the way he has played and his own personal confidence in the way he’s gone about what he’s done. I think he’s added strings to his bow.
Q: Were there any other players you were pleased with over the course of the tournament?
A: I think Raymon Reifer’s grown. I think someone like Devon Thomas has grown. Shane Dowrich has learnt a lot about playing this form of the game. I think there are a few guys you know that weren’t perhaps the higher profiles coming into this tournament that to my mind that maybe some of them have made an impact in terms of being noticed but others have made an impact on themselves as growth of cricketers.
Q: In your opinion, how well has the CPL embraced the Patriots in their first year?
A: I think incredibly well, particularly back in St Kitts where the crowds grew. It was one of our objectives was to grow the fanbase because as a new team we didn’t have the identity of the country so to get the crowd behind us the way we did was very important. By the time we left there we had an identity. We were playing a style and brand of playing cricket, which I think people enjoyed and embraced and we got a lot of good support. But wherever we’ve gone we’ve had really good compliments about how the guys have played together. As I said, the cherry would have been to qualify but I have no doubt we were certainly very much part of this tournament.
Q: You did, however, miss out on the playoffs. How disappointing was it not to make the final stages in Trinidad?
A: We were so close to actually qualifying and I think that would have been the cherry on top for us. I think this bunch of guys with the effort they put in and the cricket they played, to be honest with you, they deserved to qualify I really do believe that. But sometimes it doesn’t work out like that. The guys need to learn from it and grow from it because that’s what sports about - you learn more from these tough moments sometimes than you do from the good moments. That’s the career we’ve chosen and the one we have to deal with.
Q: What has been you overall impression of the tournament this year?
A: I think the quality of the cricket played is really good. I think the young cricketers have a much bigger impact on the game than people think. There’s no doubt there are some really good cricketers in the West Indies that are just bubbling under the surface. Tournaments like this, playing in this type of environment and pressure and profile is going to be really good for them. So I think it’s a tournament that’s going to go from strength to strength and I think what’s really good is so many of the teams were competitive all the way and that’s important to keep the interest going and make sure the tournament is strong.
Q: And finally for you personally, how have you enjoyed your experience of the CPL?
It’s been really, really good. It was a really fast learning experience for me. It’s my first involvement in the tournament and every tournament you get involved with is different and unique. You learn things as you go once you’re in it, so I think we come back next year and we apply those growth moments into what we do as a support staff.
