TKR condemn Tridents to seventh straight loss
THE BARBADOS Tridents bowed out of the Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL) in humiliating fashion’s, as they suffered a seventh straight defeat at the hands of the Trinbago Knight Riders here at the Queen’s Park Oval on Friday night.
In a clash of two teams heading in opposite directions, the Knight Riders strengthened their stronghold at the top of the table with a nine-run win over the hapless Tridents, to complete their sixth straight victory.
Having been asked to bat first by the Tridents, the home side posted a formidable 180 for five from their 20 overs, thanks mainly to a brisk half-century by Denesh Ramdin.
Fawad Ahmed then delivered a masterful spell of leg-break bowling on his way to capturing three wickets, as the Tridents were limited to 171 for five in their 20 overs. The Knight Riders were given a blistering start by Chris Lynn and Colin Munro, as the duo added 35 runs inside the first three overs. When fast bowler Chemar Holder got rid of Lynn with a pinpoint yorker for a wellplayed 29 runs from just 10 balls, Ramdin joined Munro at the crease and proceeded to take the game away from the Tridents.
MAIN AGGRESSOR
The pair added 75 in eight overs, with Ramdin being the main aggressor. He belted Roston Chase for two fours and six in the fourth over, before turning his attention to Tridents’ captain Jason Holder two overs later, smashing him for two boundaries.
But once Ramdin was eventually dismissed for 51 from 31 balls, laced with five fours and two sixes, with the score 117 for three in the 12th over, the Knight Riders’ run rate slowed down.
It took a late cameo from captain Dwayne Bravo, who hit three fours and two sixes in scoring 33 from 20 balls, to help push the Knight Riders up to their eventual total.
Introduced into the attack in the fifth over, Ahmed struck with his first delivery, bowling Tion Webster with a googly. He also used the same delivery to also bowl Sunny Sohal, and then tricked a charging Shai Hope into playing down the wrong line to have him stumped as the Tridents slipped to 92 for three in the 12th over.
A 50-run partnership between Nicholas Pooran, who smashed 44 from 32 balls, and Jason Holder, who made 21, then brought the Tridents within striking distance of earning just their third win of the tournament.
Following Pooran’s dismissal, the visitors required 39 from three overs. However, Holder holed out to long off soon after, leaving Chase and Shamar Springer to get an unlikely 24 runs from the final over.