Trinbago Knight Riders (TKR) continued on their merry way at this year's Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL), recording their seventh successive victory as they tumbled the Jamaica Tallawahs by 19 runs at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy (BLCA) in Tarouba, San Fernando, on Tuesday.
SCORES: TKR 184/4 (20) versus Jamaica Tallawahs 165/6 - TKR won by 19 runs.
Firstly, runs came back to the CPL as the pitch at the BLCA allowed for proper stroke-making and a total of 349 runs were scored in the match. The TKR accounted for 184 of those which was enough to defend as the Tallawahs were restricted to 165/6 despite the presence of Andre Russell at the end.
The Tallawahs, probably thinking along the lines of the pitch playing slow and low, won the toss and sent TKR in to bat. After the first over they would have been wondering about that decision because 17 runs came, as Sunil Narine plundered 16.
Narine's five fours and a six were then met with defensive prods and running between the sticks. He would go on to blast 29 off 11 balls but the Tallawahs came back into the contest while the struggling Lendl Simmons continued to work his way back to form and the man of the match, Colin Munro, found his feet. This after the South-African born New Zealand international cricketer was lucky not to lose his wicket on four after Jermaine Blackwood dropped a simple catch.
However, the pitch was too sumptuous for batting and Munro dug in, he started to send balls flying and although he lost Simmons for a 28-ball 25, the run rate was good enough.
As Munro warmed to the task under the searing heat at the BLCA, skipper Kieron Pollard came in to bash the ball brutally. Munro ended with 65 falling off the last ball of the innings and Pollard was 33 not out. Munro's runs came off 54 balls with 10 fours and a six, while Pollard only needed 16, hitting three into the stands and one rolling over the ropes.
The Tallawahs needing to win the encounter to ensure they keep their hopes of getting into the semifinals alive, then had the worst possible start, as they lost Chadwick Walton off the very first ball of the innings. Walton trudged off knowing that his team tried with him, as all he could garner after seven innings are 14 runs.
Khary Pierre, the other part of the left-arm spin pair, then grabbed a wicket in his first over as well and this crippled the Powerplay batting. With the Tallawahs losing wickets regularly, it was difficult to mount an onslaught.
In the end, Russell and Carlos Brathwaite pulled the trigger too late and they fell 19 runs short. Glenn Phillips who kept the runs coming among the early carnage got 41 off 31 balls with two sixes and a four and Russell ended with 50 not out 23 balls with four sixes and five fours.
Brathwaite also did his part with the willow, 21 not out off 16, to add to his two wickets earlier.
The Tallawahs now have to win their final three matches to stand a chance of making the semifinals. They have won only two from seven matches.
SCORES:
TKR 184/4 (20) (Colin Munro 65, Kieron Pollard 33no, Sunil Narine 29, Lendl Simmons 25, Carlos Brathwaite 2/36) vs JAMAICA TALLAWAHS 165/6 (20) (Andre Russell 50 no, Glenn Phillips 41, Nkrumah Bonner 26, Carlos Brathwaite 21no, Fawad Ahmed 2/21) - TKR won by 19 runs.
Man of the match: Colin Munro.