Captain Kieron Pollard delivered a match-winning performance, smashing a rapid half-century under pressure to guide Trinbago Knight Riders to a four-wicket victory over Saint Lucia Kings. The exciting Republic Bank Caribbean Premier League (CPL) clash took place at the Daren Sammy Cricket Ground, keeping fans on the edge of their seats. Former West Indies all-rounder Kieron Pollard turned back the clock to produce a match-winning knock in the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) on Tuesday (September 10).
Kieron Pollard smashed 52 not out off 19 balls to script Trinbago Knight Riders’ four-wicket victory over St Lucia Kings in Gros Islet. Kieron Pollard’s blistering 19-ball 52* helped Trinbago Knight Riders chase down a 188-run target with five balls and four wickets to spare, to hand St Lucia Kings their second successive defeat of CPL 2024.
Roston Chase and Bhanuka Rajapaksa steadied Kings after four wobbly overs to guide them to a strong finish on 187/6. However, Shaqkere Parris’ rollicking knock and Pollard’s finishing touches ensured a comfortable victory in the end for the Knight Riders, their second of the season.
Pitch and Toss
62m, 63m side boundary, 73m straight. It is a pretty high scoring generally. There is a patch on the pitch that is really interesting and it could play up and down. There has been some rain. 16mm yesterday, 3mm today. But there was some sun today, opines Pommie Mbangwa
Kieron Pollard skipper of Trinbago Knight Riders won the toss and chose to field with two changes in the squad bringing in Jason Roy and Jayden Seales for Andre Russell and Joshua Little. St Lucia Kings skipper Faf Duplessis batting first made three changes to his playing XI bringing in Aaron Jones, Descarte and Campbell.
Roston Chase fifty guides St Lucia Kings to 187 for 6 in 20 overs
After being routed for just 100 by Guyana Amazon Warriors, the Kings paced their innings well after being sent in to bat. Opener Johnson Charles got the Kings off to a flier with two sixes in three balls to spoil the 23th birthday of quick Jayden Seales. Skipper Faf du Plessis also chanced his arm and was dropped twice before his middle stump was knocked over by left-arm spinner Waqar Salamkheil in the eighth over.
The Kings went through a lull in the middle overs, with Sunil Narine enjoying the spin-friendly conditions to finish with 2/13 from four overs. But Roston Chase (56 not out from 40 balls) stepped up in the latter overs and powered the Kings to a strong total.
Put in to bat first, Kings went at 9.5 an over in the powerplay, powered by Johnson Charles’ 14-ball cameo worth 29 and skipper Faf du Plessis’ 26-ball 34. A quiet opening over later, Charles took the attack to Jayden Seales with a 6, 4, 6 – all on the offside – before tearing into Akeal Hossein.
TKR summoned Sunil Narine in the fourth over, and the ace spinner delivered immediate results by having Charles caught at long-off. Hossein got more severe punishment from du Plessis, but Narine plugged the runs in his next and also handed the new batter, Sadrack Descarte, a golden duck.
Narine was guilty of dropping du Plessis on 23, and the former South African skipper hacked a six soon after to keep the attack going but Waqar Salamkheil put an end to those fireworks in his first over, cleaning up his stumps with a sharp turner. Chase was then joined by Rajapaksa in the middle to resurrect the innings after the slight wobble, and the pair responded by putting on 80 runs for the fourth-wicket stand.
After moving at about run-a-ball, Rajapaksa switched gears by smoking back to back sixes off Salamkheil but it wasn’t until the 17th over that Chase had truly joined the party. Kieron Pollard sent Rajapaksa packing with a slower ball but Chase deposited one maximum each on either side of the wicket to still make it an expensive 18th over. Cameos from Tim Seifert (11 off 4) and Matthew Forde (11 off 7) ensured Kings finished with a competitive total despite Narine choking the runs in his four overs as he finished with mighty impressive figures of 2 for 13.
Kieron Pollard slams 4 sixes in 5 balls to script Trinbago Knight Riders’ win over St Lucia Kings
The Knight Riders needed a fast start and Narine obliged before falling to debutant left-arm quick Khari Campbell, who picked up the wicket with his sixth delivery.
But Campbell was brought back to earth when he misjudged a skier in a lucky let off for Jason Roy on 10. Campbell’s confidence was shaken and he succumbed to an assault from a rampaging Parris who cracked a trio of sixes in the fifth over. Parris raced to 31 off 9 balls as the Knight Riders continued to soar above the required run rate. He fittingly hit a six to reach his half-century off 20 balls as the Knight Riders reached triple figures in the ninth over.
But Parris was less assured against vicious short-pitched bowling from Alzarri Joseph and on 54 he gloved a rearing delivery only for wicketkeeper Tim Seifert to fumble the chance after diving forward.
Parris’ momentum was halted and a clever bowling change led to his downfall when spinner Noor Ahmad lured him into a false shot. Keacy Carty struggled for fluency and in the 17th over was brilliantly caught by substitute fielder David Wiese, who dived at long on to take a stunner. The pressure fell on Kieron Pollard, who kept his calm with his first CPL half-century since 2021 to leave the local fans once again stunned.
Chasing 188 to win, the required run-rate kept climbing for TKR, who required 27 runs off the last 12 balls when Kieron Pollard brought out his A game to the fore.
Facing the penultimate over bowled by pacer Matthew Forde, Kieron Pollard slammed four sixes in five balls to turn the match upside down. His carnage left Trinbago with just three needed off six balls, and Akeal Hossein (5*) hit the first delivery of the last over for a boundary to overhaul the target.
If he hadn’t caused enough damage with the bat, Narine gave Knight Riders’ chase a blistering start with two maximums in his short eight-ball cameo upfront to set the tone for the powerplay. Shaqkere Parris made his intentions clear with a first ball six too, and hacked three more of those in the space of four balls in Khari Campbell’s opening over to propel his side to 70/1 in just five overs. Noor Ahmad plugged the free flow of runs by first removing a set Jason Roy at the other end in a miserly first over.
Parris continued to deal in sixes, bringing up his half-century in just 20 balls with his sixth maximum. However, Sadrack Descarte returned into the attack to stem the free flow of runs and have Nicholas Pooran caught at deep cover. In the six overs, from 10 to the end of 15, TKR could add only 35 runs to their tally. Noor dismissed the well-set Parris as the dot-ball pressure mounted, and Descarte bowled his three remaining on the trot to finish with 1-24 .
Kieron Pollard then switched gears. Having already started with a second-ball six, the skipper laid into Forde and hammered four more of them in the 19th over to not only relieve the pressure but also complete his 19-ball half-century that scripted an easy win eventually.
With 27 runs needed off 12 balls, Pollard (52 not out off 19 balls) whacked four sixes off seamer Matthew Forde in the penultimate over before the Knight Riders ran down the target with five balls remaining to inflict defeat on the Kings. The Knight Riders moved to a record of 2-1, while the Kings are 2-2.
Presentations and Road Ahead
Faf Du Plessis the loosing skipper said : Great game of cricket. Quality powerplay from both teams and I would have taken 190 – it was maybe five above what we thought we could get. We went for 70 in the first six and that is my one concern (from tonight). We stayed in the contest right till the end but unfortunately, that second-last over went for a few too many sixes. (On the dropped chances) Fielding at St Kitts and this one, with the lights and the dark skies, plus the breeze, you see a lot of dropped catches.
We did a lot of things right tonight but the small margins, at the end of the day, when it is you against someone else…we were in the contest for 90% of the game but came up against a strong batting line-up. You look at all the positives and stay positive as a group. When you lose badly, you feel that a little more. When you play well, you walk off the field with your chin up.
Kieron Pollard the winning skipper and Player of the Match for his whirlwind 50 said : (On the celebration) For someone who has played for the West Indies, captained them (the West Indies) and played a lot in St Lucia, for them to boo…Young Shaq (Parris), showing his worth from the first ball he faced, he set the tempo. He did not have a great day in the field. Everyone has roles and responsibilities, and if my role is to finish games, that is what I have to do. Love seeing the young guys (contribute).
We continue to do that and until I call it quits, I’d like to do that (give opportunities to the youngsters). Very good game of cricket from both sides. It was a good wicket, felt 15-20 runs too many (conceded). Fielding (in that manner) is something that is unacceptable. Even senior guys dropping catches.
We can be out-skilled but fielding is something we need to improve on. He showed again what a champion bowler he is. He has been consistent for us (at the death) throughout this campaign. (On the next game against the Barbados Royals) Looking forward to that. I have played there a long time.
Tough loss for the home side but they fought really well. They leaked runs in the powerplay but came back really well – led by Noor and Descarte. That phase even put the hosts on top with pressure mounting on the set Parris and a struggling Carty. But in came Kieron Pollard like a man possessed. Showed outstanding skill of not panicking under pressure and maintaining clear though process. He took calculated assaults.
Gave respect where needed, shouldered responsibility when the situation demanded. Akeal is a handy batter but with 27 needed off 12 he denied him strike in the penultimate over during which he smacked 4 sixes to stun the hosts. But it was Shaqkere Parris who set up a great base. He played some brilliant shots and made jaws drop during his fifty. Alzarri figured him out with some short stuff and eventually Noor prized him out. But Kieron Pollard was too stubborn to take his side home and once he did that he gestured to silence the crowd.
Pollard’s whirlwind half-century was studded with seven sixes. He was deservingly named the Player-of-the-Match. This was TKR’s second victory of the tournament. They now have four points from three matches and currently stand third in the six-team standings.