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CPL 2021 | TKR vs SLK: Pollard, bowlers help Trinbago get back to winning ways

Trinbago Knight Riders were back on the winning ways after they defeated Saint Lucia Kings convincingly by 27 runs while defending a target of 159 runs in 20 overs. The Kings lost an early wicket during the chase in the form of Rakheem Cornwall who was undone for 8 off 8 deliveries by Isuru Udana but Andre Fletcher and captain Faf du Plessis tried to steady the ship for the side as the two chipped in with a partnership of 40 runs for the second wicket. Du Plessis was eventually sent back in the hut for 14 off 24 by Sunil Narine and the skipper’s wicket certainly broke the shackles. The Saint Lucia side kept losing wickets at regular intervals and were reduced to 104/7 in the 18th over to eventually end the innings at 131/7. Fletcher was the pick of the batsmen for the Kings after he notched up a 55-ball 81 that included four maximums and 6 fours during the course but his efforts went in vain as the side failed to go over the line. Ravi Rampaul scalped a three-wicket haul for the Knight Riders while Udana bagged a couple of wickets for the team. Narine and Akeal Hossain were also among the wickets as the two bowlers picked up a wicket apiece. Earlier, riding on Kesrick Williams four-fer, Saint Lucia managed to restrict Trinbago for a total of 158/7. TKR lost Lendl Simmons early in the innings but Narine and Tion Webster scored 38 runs for the second wicket to provide the resistance before Webster departed for a run-a-ball 14. Webster’s dismissal saw a couple of more wickets falling for the Knight Ridersand they were eventually left tottering at 68/4 before Kieron Pollard and Seifert joined hands to stitch a stand of 78 runs for the fifth wicket. Pollard scored 41 off 29 while Seifert was dismissed for a 25-ball 37. With the win, TKR are now placed at number three spot in the points table with a couple of wins and as many defeats in the four matches that they have played. TKR captain Pollard later expressed his delight at the win and also discussed his own innings. “Very pleased. Happy Independence day. Sometimes you have to take the initiative, I knew if I came up, they would bring back their main bowlers. It's about capitalising on those things,” he said after the match. SLK skipper Du Plessis too lauded Pollard’s efforts with the bat. “We lost it with the ball at the end. 20 too much on that wicket. It's not easy batting, especially against the spinners. Polly hung in there and he got the bowling at the end to capitalize,” he said. TKR will now face Guyana Amazon Warriors on Wednesday while the Kings will be up against the same opposition on Thursday.

CPL 2021 | TKR vs BR: Isuru Udana, Kieron Pollard get Trinbago back on track

Trinbago Knight Riders’ captain Kieron Pollard blew a flying kiss after he smacked one out of the park for a maximum off Thisara Perera in the 17th over to complete his fifty against Barbados Royals in St Lucia on Saturday. The right-hander struck a boundary on the very next delivery to complete a comprehensive win for TKR by 6 wickets as they chased down a target of 123 runs with more than three overs to spare. Trinbago needed to get the momentum back after they suffered a defeat in the first match of the competition and Pollard along with Denesh Ramdin showed their skills against the Royals to get the side back on track. The Knight Riders had some early hiccups after they were reduced to 18/3 and were left tottering at 38/4 in 8th over when skipper Pollard and wicket-keeper batsman Ramdin joined hands and steadied the ship for the side. The two batsmen made sure that there were no further dismissals and put up an unbeaten stand of 87 runs for the fifth wicket to see the side home. But the game totally changed in the 15th over when Jason Holder took the ball in his hands. He had only given 8 runs in the first three overs that he had bowled but what unleashed next was simply disappointing for his side and left Holder in disarray. He was hit for three sixes in his final over and ended up giving away 22 runs in total which also included a couple of no-balls to eventually return with figures of 0/30 in 4 overs. Pollard (58*) and Ramdin (29*) then took less than two overs to go over the line and hand the side its first win of the season. Mohammad Amir was the pick of the bowlers for Barbados after he scalped a three-for at the cost of 21 runs in 4 overs while Oshane Thomas too had an impressive day at the office as he returned with figures of 1/14 in 4 overs. Earlier in the day, it was Isuru Udana show who ripped through the Barbados batting line up and bagged a five-wicket haul during the course. The Royals had a decent start to the proceedings as the openers Glenn Philips and Charles put up 29 runs for the first wicket. But Charles’ departure broke the shackles and Barbados kept losing wickets at regular intervals to get bundled out for 122 in the final over. However, Charles' wicket was a controversial one as the replays showed that it came off the shoulder and not the bat while the batter went for a hook on a short delivery from the bowler. But he was eventually given out and had to walk back into the hut. Udana’s fifer included the wickets of Philips, Charles, captain Holder, Azam Khan and Thisara Perera. Azam top-scored for Barbados with a 21-ball 30 that included a couple of sixes and as many boundaries but the middle-order failed to fire and the side was pushed on the backfoot. Apart from Udana, Ravi Rampaul picked up two wickets while Hosein and Narine took one wicket apiece. Barbados captain Holder expressed his disappointment and said that the players need to take up the responsibility. “We didn't give ourself a fair chance (with that kind of a score). Guys need to take responsibility. We have had two tough games so far. It's a tricky situation, trying to defend 120 is difficult,” he said after the match. TKR skipper Pollard admitted that the side didn’t really have a good start to the competition but lauded the efforts made by Ramdin and Udana to eventually give them the first win. “Wasn't a great start for us yesterday. Even today it wasn't a great start, but these things happen,” he said. “We were in a spot of bother today, but Ramdin played well. Shows the experience we have in this TKR line-up. I think Udana's come here to make a statement. He got those early wickets and we were able to support him at the backend,” Pollard added. The Royals will now face Jamaica Tallawahs while TKR will be up against Saint Lucia Kings on Sunday.

Somya Kapoor ∙ 19 Aug 2021

CPL 2021: Varied armoury brings solidity to Trinbago Knight Riders unit

What could be the most difficult aspect of this game? Batting, bowling or fielding? Probably, yes but more than anything, it is sustaining to stay at the top. That pressure of defending your title in comparison to lifting the trophy for the first time is immense. But this doesn’t seem to be the case with Trinbago Knight Riders. Team manager Colin Borde has already said that the team is under “no pressure” whatsoever. Well, as they say, attack in the best defence. For TKR, this seems to be the basic plan as the side goes into the tournament to defend the title. The defending champions begin the competition against Guyana Amazon Warriors on August 26, 2021 which will also mark the start of CPL 2021 in St Kitts. All the matches will be played at the same venue. TKR have always invested in experience and they have continued to do the same as they picked up the squad for this edition of the CPL. From Kieron Pollard to Sunil Narine and from Yasir Shah to Colin Munro, the unit has a bunch of players with vast experience especially in the shorter format of the game who have played cricket all around the globe and probably under all sorts of conditions. Trinbago Knight Riders squad: Kieron Pollard (captain), Ravi Rampaul, Sunil Narine, Colin Munro, Yasir Shah, Darren Bravo, Lendl Simmons, Khary Pierre, Isuru Udana, Tim Seifert, Anderson Phillip, Denesh Ramdin, Tion Webster, Akeal Hosein, Jayden Seales, Leonardo Julien, Ali Khan. Team News Trinbago made a bold decision after they let go experienced all-rounder Dwayne Bravo and traded him to St Kitts/Nevis Patriots, with experienced wicketkeeper Denesh Ramdin who made a return to the franchise. “Obviously, to any team, Dwayne is an asset,” Borde had said. “We have the requisite expertise and experience to forge ahead.” TKR retained as many 12 players and completed their squad of 16 after the conclusion of CPL draft. They attained the services of Ravi Rampaul, Isuru Udana, Sandeep Lamichchane and wicket keeper batsman Leonardo Julien. But Lamichhane and Zimbabwe’s Sikandar Raza were later replaced by Pakistan’s Yasir Shah and New Zealand keeper Tim Siefert respectively. Shah had featured in the CPL back in 2018 for the Knight Riders for a short span of time while Siefert was a part of it in the 2020 edition. Lamichhane would be busy with national duties during that time as Nepal would be battling it out against PNG in Oman. Let the willow talk Those who follow the Indian Premier League or are Kolkata Knight Riders fans would know what Sunil Narine brings to the table not just with the ball but with the bat too. Narine has opened the innings for the T20 franchises and the move has come as a success for his sides. The left-handed batsman can fetch runs at brisk pace in the power play overs that gives the side an edge and a basic foundation to post a big total. Apart from him, Darren Bravo and Lendl Simmons are the other two batters who can be lethal against any bowling attack on their day. Both the players have the ability to go after the opponents’ bowling line up and hammer them around the park. West Indies cricket fans would remember how Simmons hammered India in the semis to notch up a 51-ball 82. Interestingly, that was his first game of the tournament. So, if Simmons along with Bravo or Narine go all guns blazing, the bowling attacks would be in all sorts of trouble. Next in the list are some international recruits such as Colin Munro and Tim Seifert. Munro’s tally of 300 T20 matches speaks for itself. The left-hander has scored over 7000 runs in T20 format at a strike-rate of 143.87 which gives one an idea about how menacing he can be with the willow in his hands. Tim Seifert on the other hand, if gets a chance in the final XI can prove to be an asset. The right-hander too has a lot of T20 experience. Captain Kieron Pollard would play a vital role in creating a balance in the batting unit as he is capable enough to steady the ship for the side if and when required while can score runs quickly and increase the scoring-rate whenever needed. The TKR would want him to play that anchor’s role especially while chasing. The presence of wicket-keeper batsman Denesh Ramdin and Isuru Udana in the middle and lower middle-order also brings stability in the batting department for TKR. Variety in bowling Sunil Narine, Yasir Shah, Ravi Rampaul, Isuru Udana, Kieron Pollard and now Jayden Seales. What is the first thing that comes to your mind when you see such a bowling line up? Experience? Yes. Strength? Yes. But most importantly, it is the variety that these bowlers bring. Narine is probably one of the most successful bowlers when it comes to power play. He has the ability to keep a check on the run flow especially in the starting of the proceedings. Then comes another spinner, Yasir Shah. The leg-spinners are said to belong to that genre of bowling who are at the receiving end if the batsmen are on song but the leggies are the most lethal and dangerous too. From the wrong-uns to tossed up leg spin deliveries, they can deceive the batsmen with authority and rip through any line up. Moreover, the amount of cricket that Yasir Shah has played, he is a well-equipped bowler. A left-arm pacer has a lot on offer for his team. He can deceive the batsmen with the deliveries coming in or the ones moving away quite efficiently. There came a time in the 2019 World Cup in England where almost all the teams barring India had at least one left-arm pacer in the unit. Though, the conditions were pretty different then but the responsibility would be similar. Trinbago have Isuru Udana in their ranks. The Sri Lankan has played some franchise cricket and his international exposure would come as a boon for the side. TKR have a mix of young lads and experienced campaigners in their side. Someone like Ravi Rampaul would not just only be an important cog in the wheel for the team but he can be one of those players who would mentor and nurture the young crop which includes someone like Jayden Seales. Seales would be riding high on the way he has performed recently in the Tests especially against Pakistan in their first encounter of the series where the pacer bagged a total of 8 wickets. Skipper Pollard will have an extra bit of responsibility on himself as he will have to chip in with some overs as well. The right-arm bowler has impressed everyone with his bowling in the past and would look to pick wickets consistently for the side. Overall, the team looks to be a balanced one and has a lot of variety as well. Probable XI: Sunil Narine, Lendl Simmons, Darren Bravo, Colin Munro, Kieron Pollard (C), Denesh Ramdin, Isuru Udana, Ravi Rampaul, Yasir Shah, Jayden Seales, Akeal Hosein

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CPL 2021 | TKR vs SLK: Pollard, bowlers help Trinbago get back to winning ways

CPL 2021 | TKR vs BR: Isuru Udana, Kieron Pollard get Trinbago back on track

CPL 2021: Varied armoury brings solidity to Trinbago Knight Riders unit