Knight Riders prevail over Patriots in opening thriller

Hero CPL 2019…

An all-round effort from Jimmy Nesham ensured that Trinbago Knight Riders started their campaign on a winning note, with an 11-run win over St Kitts and Nevis Patriots. The visitors, St Kitts and Nevis Patriots, won the toss and elected to bowl first; they managed 152-7 in their allotted 20 overs.

On a pitch which was more suitable to the spinners, Trinbago Knight Riders lost their openers early and were reeling at 20-3 in four overs. Pace duo, Sheldon Cottrell and Alzarri Joseph made the ball talk; Joseph destroyed the woodworks of Lendl Simmons (11) while the soldier saluted twice in the power play.
Cottrell, nipping the ball around, bowled Sunil Narine for a duck, who was the first dismissed, and Tion Webster who followed suit at 11-2. Denish Ramdin and Jimmy Neesham then settled the nerves for the defending champions, Trinbago Knight Riders. The duo added 60 runs together but Rayad Emrit put an end to the tea party between Ramdin and Neesham. Emrit removed Neesham for a well-composed 33 which came in 30 balls and included three fours and one six.
Ramdin, who was partnered by the dominant Kieron Pollard, took the score to 134-5 in 17.1 overs. Pollard dominated that 54-run partnership; Ramdin was removed for 33 from 32 balls, but Pollard’s fireworks of 47 from 32 balls, which was decorated with four boundaries and three sixes, ensured his team finished with a respectable 152-7 in 20 overs.
Cottrell continued his form with the ball in the just concluded T20I series against India with 3-13 in four magical overs. He was supported by Emrit, who picked up 3-39. In response, Evin Lewis in particular and his opening partner, the promising Kjorn Ottley added 42 runs in the power play. Ottley who scored 25 from 30 balls, soaked up the deliveries and was finally undone by Jimmy Neesham after a top-edge which resulted in a caught and bowl.
At 47-1, Lewis was partnered by the professor, Mohammed Hafeez and continued to entertain the Queens Park crowd but the 2018 CPL player of the final, Khary Pierre, got the final say. Lewis’ marauding innings ended on 36 from 27 balls, including two fours and three sixes. At 72-3 in 11.5 overs, the Knight Riders clawed themselves back into the game in the middle overs.
Some disciplined bowling and sharp fielding by the Knight Riders saw the Patriots stutter to 76-5. Jason Mohammed was removed by Sri Lankan leg-spinner, Seekkuge Prasanna for a duck while Devon Thomas was undone by Pierre for one. The inconsistent Captain, Carlos Brathwaite, was run out for one as hope was somewhat ended for Patriots.
The professor, Hafeez, saw all these wickets tumble but a dashing Fabian Allen came and shifted the game back into the Patriots’ favour. Allen took 27 off the leg-spinner, Prasanna, in over number 16, which saw 18 runs scored in the first three legal balls and a six off the final ball. With 42 needed off the final four overs, it was set to be a thrilling match.
Allen’s fireworks ended when his 14-ball knock of 30 ended. At 112-6, it was a reunion for the Pakistanis; Usama Mir joined Hafeez. Mir scored 10 in his first three balls but Hafeez was not finding the boundaries on the other end. The right-handed Hafeez’s misery ended when the Knight Riders’ and Pakistan’s teenage fast bowler, Mohammad Hasnain, peeled off Hafeez’s edge for 16 from 22 balls.
Hasnain ended with 3-37 in his four overs, after removing Emrit for one. The Patriots required 13 in the final over but New Zealand’s World Cup player, Neesham, sealed the deal for the Knight Riders after removing Mir for 24 from 10 balls. Neesham picked up his third wicket to end with 3-18.
The second match of the season will bowl off today, Thursday, September 5, with Guyana Amazon Warriors and St Lucia Zouks at Providence from 18:00h.