Trinbago maintains winning streak in Hero CPL; Zouks log third win

Trinbago Knight Riders maintained their unbeaten run as they first posted the highest total of the Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL) 2020 and went on to beat Barbados Trident by 19 runs.

After being put in to bat, Colin Munro started the assault while Darren Bravo and Kieron Pollard continued it in the death overs as Trinbago piled up a massive total. Munro (50) came in at the fall of Lendl Simmons, who faced 21 of the first 28 deliveries, leaving the other opener, Sunil Narine to nearly being a spectator as Barbados.

Narine, who had fifties in the first two matches, left soon after, but Munro who was joined by Darren Bravo (54) kept up the scoring tempo. Munro departed at the end of the 13th over with the total at 87 for three.

Then Bravo and the incoming Kieron Pollard savaged the Tridents bowling for 98 runs in seven overs. Pollard was particularly severe with his 41 coming in 17 deliveries and including four sixes and one four and a lot of good running in between the wickets as they aggregated 185 for three in 20 overs.

Holder proved expensive in the 19th, with three wides and Pollard and Bravo took advantage. The last four overs went at an incredible 17.25 an over.

Johnson Charles gave the Barbados Tridents a chance as he scored 52 in 33 balls with three sixes and four fours and made a major contribution to the opening stand of 68.

Though Shai Hope scored 36 in 38 balls, the rest of the line-up could not continue the charge as wickets fell at regular intervals.

Skipper Jason Holder (34) and Ashley Nurse (21) added 45 runs in four overs between the 16th and 20th overs, but they ran out of time and overs. Nurse left with one ball to spare and it was all over.

Narine, who failed with the bat proved his usefulness with the ball as he conceded just 17 runs in four overs and took thee wicket of Shai Hope.

Brief scores:

Trinbago Knight Riders 185/3 (DM Bravo 54*, Munro 50, Pollard 41*; Nurse 1/20, Holder 1/37, Reifer 1/47) beat Barbados Tridents 166/6 (Charles 52, Hope 36, Holder 34*; Fawad 1/14, Narine 1/17, Pierre 1/19, Ali Khan 1/32) by 19 runs

Player of the match: Colin Munro

Roston Chase’s second straight fifty backed by some excellent bowling fetched St Lucia Zouks a 10-run win over the Guyana Amazon Warriors for whom Nicholas Pooran (68) battled hard, but in vain.

The match was poised in an interesting position as Warriors needed 13 off the last over from Chemar Holder with four wickets in hand. Holder bowled a brilliant last over to deny the Warriors. Holder conceded just two runs and took two wickets to snatch a win for Zouks.

With all three previous games on this track won by the team batting first, Daren Sammy chose to set a target. Kimani Melius made his Hero Caribbean Premier League debut with a glorious Hero Maximum off Chandrapaul Hemraj but was caught at mid-off trying to repeat the trick off Imran Tahir.

Amazon Warriors captain Chris Green used five bowlers in the first seven overs including two overs from himself, which fetched him Andre Fletcher’s wicket.

Chase and Mohammad Nabi, and the Bajan re-built the innings as Zouks reached 67 for 4 at halfway. Chase brought up his second T20 fifty off 40 balls. With four overs to go, the Zouks were provided the acceleration they needed by Chase.

Green gave Smith the last over and he was hit for a six by Javelle Glen but Glen and Chase fell in consecutive balls and the late flourish did not happen. Yet Zouks managed 144 for seven in their 20 over.

When Warriors began, Nabi bowled a superb first over and in the Scott Kuggeleijn had Brandon King caught behind for one and Shimron Hetmyer top-edged to square leg for four. The Warriors top two stars were back in the second over with the total at five. Ross Taylor left when his reverse sweep found the top edge and hit his own helmet and was caught in the sixth when the score had just crawled to seven.

Pooran with Chanderpaul took the score to 60 with a 53-run stand, where Pooran contributed mostly. Then Pooran and Keemo Paul (20) added 46 for fifth wicket but once Pooran left, Warriors floundered and finally Holder bowled a superb final over to take Zouks to their third win in four matches.

Brief scores:

St Lucia Zouks 144/7 (Chase 66, Nabi 27, Glenn 19; Tahir 3/22, Smith 2/33, Nedd 1/20, Green 1/24) beat Guyana Amazon Warriors 134/8 (Pooran 68, Paul 20, Rutherford 15; Kuggeleijn 3/24, Holder 2/32, Williams 2/32, Nabi 1/17) by 10 runs

Player of the match: Roston Chase