TRINBAGO Knight Riders were humbled on Saturday in the 2023 Republic Bank Caribbean Premier League, crashing to a 54-run defeat to the St Lucia Kings at Warner Park in St Kitts.
TKR, after finishing last in 2022, have again assembled a strong team on paper.
But their manner of defeat on Saturday would raise concerns as their attempts to hit sixes backfired spectacularly.
After two matches, TKR have one point as their opening match on August 19 against St Kitts and Nevis Patriots was abandoned because of rain in St Lucia.
Batting first, the Kings seemed set to score close to 200 as their top order gave them a blistering start.
Captain Faf du Plessis and Johnson Charles, the leading scorer in CPL history, put on 85 for the first wicket. Du Plessis did the bulk of the scoring.
Medium pacer Andre Russell got the breakthrough when Du Plessis was caught by Akeal Hosein for 57 off 36 balls, an innings with eight fours and one six. Charles stuck around taking Kings past 100, before Russell removed him for 37 off 31 balls.
The Kings' innings lost momentum and with some impressive death bowling, led by Dwayne Bravo, limited Kings to 167/5 in 20 overs. Bravo ended with 2/31 in four overs and Russell picked up 2/28 in three overs.
In reply, TKR made a positive start with openers Martin Guptill and Mark Deyal putting on 33 inside three overs. However, Guptill (seven), Chadwick Walton (duck) and the in-form Nicholas Pooran (duck) all fell in quick succession as TKR were reduced to 41/3 after 4.4 overs. A 41-run wicket partnership between Deyal and Kieron Pollard put TKR back into the contest, but when the latter fell for 34 off 15 balls the innings fell part and they were all out for 113 in 14.5 overs.
Deyal struck 33 off 19 balls and doing the damage for the Kings was former TKR spinner Khary Pierre taking 4/20 in 3.5 overs. Off spinner Roston Chase (2/13) and Sikandar Raza (2/31) took two wickets each.
TKR, who are at the bottom of the standings, will play the Patriots on Sunday at Warner Park from 7 pm.
Summarised Scores:
ST LUCIA KINGS 167/5 (20 overs) (Faf du Plessis 57, Johnson Charles 37, Sikandar Raza 32; Andre Russell 2/28, Dwayne Bravo 2/31) vs TKR 113 (14.5 overs) (Kieron Pollard 34, Mark Deyal 33; Khary Pierre 4/20, Roston Chase 2/13, S Raza 2/31). Kings won by 54 runs.
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