ImageSource:GETTYIMAGESCPL2020:PollardtakesTKRtosixthstraightwin;TallawahsoutplayPatriots
KieronPollardsmashedablistering28-ball72topowerTrinbagoKnightRiderstoathrillingtwo-wicketwinoverBarbadosTridents,whileJamaicaTallawahsoutplayedSt.Kitts&NevisPatriotsby37runsintheHeroCaribbeanPremierLeaguehere.
TheKnightRidersinstalledthemselvesasfirmfavouritesforthetitleafterrecordingasixthstraightwintostayatopthetable.
Sentintobat,TridentslostShaiHope(4)earlybutJohnsonCharles(47)andKyleMayers(42)showedalotofaggressiontohelptheteampost148for7.
Inreply,theKnightRiderswerestrugglingat62for5butPollardsmashedninesixesandtwofoursinhis72off28ballstotaketheteamhome.
Earlier,Charlesscored44oftheTridents’59for1infirst10overs.HewasoutwhenhesteeredafulltossstraighttoSimmonsatpoint.MayersthenlaunchedafewfoursbeforeJasonHolderwasthethirdtoleaveasTridentsslippedto95for3.
MayersandCoreyAndersontriedtoforcethepacebutSikandarRazastrucktwiceinthe17thover,dismissingboththebatsmentoleavethemat107forfive.
AshleyNurse(19)andRashidKhan(12)thenplayedsomelustyshotstotaketheTridentstoclosetothe150-mark.
Chasingthetotal,KnightRiderslosttwoquickwicketsofTionWebster(5)andColinMunro(0)tobereducedtosixfortwo.
RashidKhanthentrappedBravolegbeforeinawicket-maiden.TimSiefert(4)thenedgedRaymonReifertothekeeperasKnightRiderswere48forfour.
WhenPollardcametothecreasetheteamneeded87off39balls.HeservednoticesmashingHaydenWalshintothescoreboardfirstballandthenhammeredRashidforasixoverlong-off.
AfterLendlSimmonsleft,theKnightRidersneeded66in24balls.
Inthe17thover,PollardsmashedfoursixesbeforehittingReiferforsuccessivefoursinthenextovertoreducetheequationto31offlast12balls.
WithtwobrutalsixesoffHolder,Pollardmadeit15offthefinalover.HestartedwithasixoffReiferbutwasrunoutthenextballwhilegoingforadesperatesecondrun.
Witheightneededinfourballs,KharyPierreandJaydenSealestookthemhome.
Inanothermatch,openerGlennPhillipsbattedthrough20overs,scoringanunbeaten79off61ballstohelpJamaicaTallawahspostacompetitive147for6.
Theirbowlers,ledbyCarlosBrathwaite(3/11),thencompletedthejob,dismissingthePatriotsfor110in19.4oversforacomfortablewin.
Earlier,promotedtoopen,NkrumahBonnersteeredSheldonCottrellforfouranddroveIshSodhiforsixbeforebeingdismissedbyImranKhanashechippedtoCottrellatlong-on.
JermaineBlackwoodandPhillipsthentooktheTallawahsto53foroneathalfwaystage.
WithPhillipsdroppinganchor,theTallawahswere79for2inthe14thoverandthen97forthreeafter16.
PhillipsfinallyopenedupwiththreestraightsixesoffCottrellinthe17thoverwhichproduced21runs.Whilewicketsfellattheotherend,Philipsuppedthescoringwithaflurryoffoursandsixes.Hehitanothersixina15-runlastoverastheTallawahsreached147forsix.
ForPatriots,KieranPowellopenedtheinningswithEvinLewissufferingagroininjury.TheotheropenerChrisLynnwasthefirsttogoasPatriotsclosedthefirstsixoversat39forone.
Theninaspanof10runs,Patriotslostfourwicketsandwerereducedto52forfive.
SpinnersSandeepLamichhaneandMujeeburRahmandidafinejobwithtwoandonewicketsrespectivelyasPatriotsneverchallenged.Lewiscametobatandscored21in16butitwasn’tenough.
TallawahswillmeetTrinbagoKnightRidersonTuesday.
