CPL 2020: Trinbago Knight Riders ease past St Lucia Zouks in rain-hit clash

Trinbago Knight Riders beat the St Lucia Zouks by six wickets via Duckworth-Leiws Method (DLS) to keep their 100% Caribbean Premier League (CPL) 2020 record intact, on a day where his elder brother made history. 

During the rain-hit clash, DJ Bravo created history as he became the first bowler to reach 500 T20 wickets, and 100 CPL wickets to boot as the Knight Riders showed that they are a formidable side even without Sunil Narine.

The Zouks began the match aggressively as Andre Fletcher lofted Ali Khan for a maximum but fell next ball after Pierre took a fine catch at third man. The fit-again Rakheem Cornwall was unfazed and hit the ball after Fletcher’s dismissal for six, and the Zouks flew to 32/1 after three overs.

Subsequently, Cornwall drove aerially, only to see Munro take a good catch and Bravo became the founding member of T20 cricket’s 500 club on his home ground. He soon made it 501 - a portentous number on a ground with a pavilion named for Brian Lara - by yorking Roston Chase, and after a strong start the Zouks had stuttered to 43/3 off the Powerplay.

Pollard went with Fawad Ahmed and himself after the Powerplay to keep the pressure on. They did so with aplomb, giving away only 15 runs in four overs and not giving up a single boundary. At halfway, the Zouks were 58/3 and hadn’t found the fence for 32 balls.

48-year-old Pravin Tambe, who became the first Indian player to feature in the CPL, only got one over, but it was an eventful one. Najibullah Zadran samshed a maximum and a four, but Tambe had the last laugh. Najibullah misread the googly and gave Pollard a simple catch at cover, and Tambe had his own little moment of history.

Mohammad Nabi was busy, cutting Pollard for four.With Mark Deyal scratchy, Fawad’s over went for just four and Pollard finished his spell tightly to leave the Zouks searching for rhythm at 93/4 off 14 overs.

Nabi tried to provide it, sweeping Fawad for a boundary and launching him for a maximum, but Fawad finished strong by ending Deyal’s struggles. Zouks skipper Daren Sammy decided the situation called for himself, but Pierre returned with another good over and the Zouks entered the last four overs at 109/5.

Sammy had a few lusty swings but missed them all, and was eventually trapped LBW by Pierre. That was the last action before the rain came, and one wonders how many runs Nabi being starved of strike took off the Knight Riders’ adjusted target.

Nabi sparked hope with the ball, trapping Lendl Simmons leg before wicket for a second ball duck. Munro though was positive, sweeping for four then a six to get the Knight Riders up and running. Scott Kuggeleijn didn’t help matters for the Zouks, firing down five wides in an over that went for 11.

Kesrick Williams was on the money, as both Munro and emergency opener Tion Webster found long-on to leave the Knight Riders three down, with Pollard and Darren Bravo yet to face a ball.

Pollard though didn't stayed at the crease for long - he got off the mark with a classy flick for four off Chemar Holder, but the young Bajan responded with one that jagged back off the seam to take an inside edge that was very well caught by Fletcher. After four overs, the Knight Riders required 35 uns off 30 balls but with four wickets down.

Nabi returned, but Bravo and Tim Seifert managed five singles off him to keep the Knight Riders ahead of the DLS par. Seifert had only faced three balls in the whole tournament before this match, but was busy and inventive. A flick over his shoulder off Kuggeleijn raced for a boundary, with the Knight Riders needing 22 off the last three overs.

Darren Bravo achieved a milestone of his own off Williams, his 100th CPL maximum, to reduce the equation to a run a ball.

Holder was excellent at the death in the Zouks’ own DLS victory against the Guyana Amazon Warriors and was trusted with the penultimate over in this clash as well, but Bravo hammered maximum no.101 to make victory a formality. Seifert then notched up to finish off the match with an over to spare and send the Knight Riders clear at the top of the table.

Brief Scores: Trinbago Knight Riders 75/4 (DM Bravo 23*, Seifert 18*, Munro 17; Williams 2/17, Nabi 1/15, C Holder 1/24) beat St Lucia Zouks 111/6 (Nabi 30*, Najibullah 21, Cornwall 18; DJ Bravo 2/7, Tambe 1/15, Pierre 1/19, Fawad 1/21) by 6 wickets (DLS target 72 off 9 overs)