THE TRINBAGO Knight Riders (TKR) paid the price for accumulating 61 dot balls (deliveries where no runs were scored off) as, despite an unbeaten 50-run fourth-wicket partnership from Tim Seifert and Colin Munro, St Lucia Kings secured a tense five-run victory over the defending Caribbean Premier League T20 champions at Warner Park, Basseterre, St Kitts on Sunday.
Sent in to bat, the Kings tallied 157 runs for five wickets with Tim David (43) and Roston Chase (30 not out) leading the charge, with useful contributions from openers Andre Fletcher (28) and Rahkeem Cornwall (23).
For TKR, Ravi Rampaul was the pick of the bowlers as he snapped up three wickets for 29 runs while Jayden Seales (1/22) and Akeal Hosein (1/27) captured one apiece.
[caption id="attachment_910105" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Ravi Rampaul (centre) of Trinbago Knight Riders celebrates the dismissal of Mark Deyal (right) of St Lucia Kings during the 2021 Hero Caribbean Premier League match 7 between St Lucia Kings and Trinbago Knight Riders at Warner Park Sporting Complex on Sunday in Basseterre, St Kitts. (Photo by CPL T20/Getty Images) -[/caption]
In reply, TKR had a positive start with Lendl Simmons (25) and Tion Webster (18) at the crease. But tight bowling from the St Lucia Kings attack stifled TKR’s run chase. With skipper Kieron Pollard dismissed for nine, New Zealanders Seifert and Munro, who each finished unbeaten on 40, led a late fightback.
Needing 31 off the final two overs, the pair seemed on course as they smashed 21 in the penultimate over off pacer Keemo Paul. However, smart bowling from veteran Pakistani left-arm pacer Wahab Riaz in the final over squeezed the TKR pair, who needed six runs from the final ball but was unable to execute.
This was the Kings’ first victory over TKR since 2016 and the defending champions’ second loss in three matches of this year’s edition.
Chase, who was named as the Man of the Match, was the pick of the Kings' bowlers with 1/17 while Riaz also took 1/17 off three overs.
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