Pollard pulls off a nail-biting victory for Trinbago Knight Riders

Trinbago Knight Riders skipper Kieron Pollard blasted 72 off 28 deliveries to snatch a nail-biting victory against Barbados Tridents in the 17th match of the Caribbean Premier League 2020 at the Queen’s Park Oval on Saturday (August 29).

In the last over, Knight Riders needed 15 runs off 6 balls. Pollard smacked a huge six but on the very next ball, he was run out in desperation to get back to the strike. It was Tridents captain Holder, who collected the ball quickly and dismissed the opponent skipper with a striking throw.  

Khary Pierre levelled the score by hitting a maximum on the off-side and earned a single to help his side emerge victorious.

Needing 149 to win, Knight Riders could not get to a good start as Tridents skipper Jason Holder put the opponents in a fix after he struck twice to leave Knight Riders 6 for 2 in two overs.

In the 5th over, Rashid Khan trapped Darren Bravo leg before (6 off 12) that mounted pressure on the Knight Riders. They kept losing wickets of Tim Seifert (4), Akeal Hosein (12) and Lendi Simmons’ (32).

They were 62 for 5 when Kieron Pollard shouldered the run-scoring responsibility in the 15th over. Knight Riders needed 87 runs to win from 44 balls.

The game began in the 17th over when Pollard slammed Walsh by hitting four sixes. He struck two boundaries in the next over and two sixes in the 19th over off Holder.

The 33-year-old smashed 72 off 28 deliveries with two fours and nine sixes to take his team towards a thrilling win before being run out in the last over.

Earlier, Knight Riders won the toss and opted to bowl first against Barbados Trident, who scored 148 runs after losing 7 wickets.

For them, Johnson Charles (47) and Kyle Mayers (42) scored the highest runs.

Shai Hope and Johnson Charles opened the innings for Barbados Tridents with Knight Riders skipper Pollard decided to call spinners to initiate the innings. 

After smashing two boundaries, Charles hit a six in the fourth over, but on the very next ball, Tridents lost Hope (4 off10), who was caught by Simmons off Hosein before the rain halted the play for a few minutes. Tridents were 37 for 1 in 6 overs.

Tridents' batsmen accumulated runs through singles. Charles, who was 17 runs away from his half-century, hit a four and a square leg six off Fawad. Skipper Pollard conceded 5 runs in the 10th over, with Barbados Tridents were 59 for 1.

Tion Webster came into the attack and granted nine runs including a four smacked by Mayers, who was gradually trying to catch the rhythm with Charles. The former pounced a six over mid-wicket, but Tridents fans’ celebration ceased by Seales who dismissed Charles for 47 runs. 

Holder came to shoulder the run-scoring responsibility, while Khary Pierre came into the attack for Knight Riders. In his first over, Holder got a lifeline when Webster dropped his catch at long-off. Mayers smashed two boundaries before Holder was clean bowled by Hosein in the 15th over. Tridents were 5 runs away from scoring 100 after losing three wickets. 

Tridents completed 105 for 3 in the 16th over. However, they got in trouble in the death overs after losing wickets in quick succession. Sikandar Raza dismissed Mayers (42 off 37) and Anderson (6 off 8), before giving away 11 runs in his first over. In the same over Ashley Nurse hit two back to back boundaries as Tridents accumulated 148 runs for the loss of 7 wickets in the first innings.

This is the sixth consecutive win for Trinbago Knight Riders in the CPL 2020.