2017 Hero Caribbean Premier League – Match Report 22

Trinbago Knight Riders 88-2 (McCullum 40, Darren Bravo 38, Hilfenhaus 17-1) beat St Kitts & Nevis Patriots 162-3 (Gayle 93, Lewis 39, Narine 36-1) by 8 wickets with 4 balls remaining (DLS method)

The Trinbago Knight Riders extended their lead at the top of the 2017 Hero Caribbean Premier League table, after a rain affected victory over second place St Kitts and Nevis Patriots.

Despite both teams having already qualified for the next stage, there was no shortage of spice in this encounter between Chris Gayle and Dwayne Bravo’s assembled teams. Some astonishing late-hitting from Darren Bravo saw the Knight Riders across the line, despite a magnificent 93 from Patriots captain Gayle, Trinbago stretching the gap to their rivals in second place to 3 points.

After Dwayne Bravo won the toss and elected to bowl, the Patriots openers started brightly. Evin Lewis set off particularly sharply, blasting both Ronsford Beaton and Sunil Narine over the rope in the opening overs. Debuting spinner Ashley Nurse escaped Lewis’ power, but the same could certainly not be said for fellow spinner Narine, who conceded 27 in his two powerplay overs.

Young quick Beaton conceded 19 in one over, Gayle hitting him cleanly down the ground, whilst Lewis pulled Beaton over mid-wicket for a typically powerful maximum, then followed it up with an elegant cover drive. Narine’s second over then saw two consecutive Gayle fours, and a Lewis maximum before the latter fell caught behind to a quicker one from the Knight Riders off-spinner, for 39, with one ball left in the PowerPlay.

An issue with the stadium lights and heavy showers brought the game to a halt. Once the game restarted, adjusted to 18 overs a side, Shamarh Brooks and his captain went about regaining their lost momentum. Nurse dropped a tough caught-and-bowled chance off Gayle, and the Patriots captain punished him with successive sixes over cow corner. Frustratingly, only one over later, another rain break intervened again, further reducing the game to 13 overs.

When the game got underway again the Patriots batsmen went hard. Brooks cleared the rope off Narine, while Gayle reached his 50 with a six off Dwayne Bravo, a shot which also brought up the 50 partnership between the two. Anderson Philip bowled a chest high full toss to Brooks, Gayle hitting the resulting free hit out of the ground. Gayle lifted the Patriots to 162-3 off their 13 overs. Gayle eventually holed out to Beaton on 93, with three balls remaining and trying to hit his third consecutive maximum.

Trinbago Knight Riders set about chasing down the DLS adjusted target of 169, initially rather haphazardly. Australian Ben Hilfenhaus swung the ball prodigiously, opening the bowling to Brendon McCullum and Narine, a shaping slower ball enough to get through the defence of Narine.

Carlos Brathwaite was deposited back over his head by McCullum for six, who then top edged in an uncontrolled manner that just fell out of the reach of the chasing Hilfenhaus in the deep. Colin Munro was bowled by Samuel Badree from the first ball of the spinner’s spell, before rain intervened once more.

After another delay, McCullum and Darren Bravo returned to the field, with a new target of 86 in 6 overs. This was to be the defining moment of the match however, as Bravo immediately dispatched Badree for three successive sixes over mid-wicket. Gayle then turned to Mohammad Nabi to bowl the penultimate over, but he cost 23 runs, with Bravo able to loft him over long-on for his fourth maximum in 7 balls, and McCullum blasting two of his own. Jonathan Carter was given the difficult task of defending 10 off the final over, but Bravo returned to strike two more enormous sixes to finish the match with four balls to spare.

Both teams will be looking ahead to their next match against Jamaica Tallawahs as a chance to dig in at the top of the table, but the Knight Riders will be over the moon with their efforts against their closest challengers tonight.

Upcoming Fixtures

Friday, Jamaica Tallawahs vs St Lucia Stars, Kingston, 20:00

Saturday, Jamaica Tallawahs vs Trinbago Knight Riders, Kingston, 20:00

For images from this match visit https://mm.gettyimages.com/mm/nicePath/gyisports?nav=pr538082992 where they can be downloaded and used for free. Credit: CPL via Getty Images.

For further information please contact:

Peter Miller 

Mobile: +447769119636

Caribbean Mobile: + 1 (758) 729 2012

Head of PR and Communications

Hero Caribbean Premier League

ISSUED ON BEHALF OF DIGICEL GROUP 

Wednesday 23rd August 2017 – Castries, St. Lucia: Digicel Ambassador and soca superstar, Machel Montano, has been confirmed to bring down the curtain on the fifth staging of the Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL) with an epic performance at the Finals. Machel will take the stage during the Digicel Postgame Live segment at the Brian Lara Stadium in Trinidad and Tobago on September 9^th.

Since inception in 2013, Digicel has been a partner of CPL which offers a beautiful mixture of cricket and party in a carnival-like atmosphere – simply put, it’s a ‘must-be-there’ event. In keeping with its commitment to putting customers in the centre of all the action, Digicel recently launched a promotion as an extension of its Quick Pick bundles offer that allows one lucky customer from the Caribbean to win a trip to the Finals for themselves and three of their friends to hang out with Machel.

The seven-time international Soca Monarch champion, producer and songwriter is looking forward to performing in front of his hometown fans, plus thousands from across the world who will travel to Trinidad and Tobago to ensure they’re a part of the final CPL action for the season.

“Of course I am looking forward to the show – the atmosphere, energy and overall ambiance is indescribable. It’s always special when I get the opportunity to perform at home. I can’t wait!” said Machel.

Digicel Director of Marketing, Peter Lloyd, said; “What better way to bring the curtain down on the biggest party in sport in Trinidad and Tobago with Machel himself? It’s been an amazing season – the energy is high, the stadiums have been packed, and the excitement around the Finals is growing to fever pitch – so we know Machel will be performing for a well-energised audience. And of course, for those who won’t be able to attend the finals, can always tune in on CPL’s dedicated channel on PlayGo.”

In 2016, Digicel and Machel forged a three-year partnership which includes delivering exclusive and unique multimedia content to customers across multiple platforms and devices – plus, giving customers the opportunity to engage with Machel.

-End-

About Digicel Group

Digicel Group is a total communications and entertainment provider with operations in 31 markets throughout the Caribbean, Central America and Asia Pacific. Digicel also runs a host of community-based initiatives across its markets, including Digicel Foundations in Haiti, Jamaica, Papua New Guinea and Trinidad and Tobago which focus on educational, cultural and social development programs.

Visit www.digicelgroup.com for more information.

Peter Miller

UK Mobile: +447769119636

Caribbean Mobile: + 1 (758) 729 2012

2017 Hero Caribbean Premier League – Match 21

Guyana Amazon Warriors 101-3 (Mohammed 42*, Guptill 38, Shillingford 1-20) beat St Lucia Stars 100-7 (Ryder 29, Rashid 2-19, Emrit 2-26) by seven wickets

Another loss for the St Lucia Stars means they have now played eight matches without a win in the 2017 Hero Caribbean Premier League. A victory for Guyana Amazon Warriors takes them above Barbados Tridents, to fourth in the table. 

After being put into bat by the Amazon Warriors on a typically difficult Providence Stadium pitch the Stars innings never got going and they limped their way to 100 for 7 from their 20 overs. The Amazon Warriors chased the target for the loss of just three wickets and with 32 balls to spare.

This was a pitch on which attacking stroke-play was rarely rewarded and after a slow start the Stars attempted to hit their way out of trouble, but that only hastened their downfall. Regular wickets punctured any chance that they might scrap their way to a competitive total.

This season the Stars have been heavily reliant on the runs scored by openers Johnson Charles and Andre Fletcher. Here their opening partnership lasted only ten balls after Fletcher looked to cut loose following a tight start and was caught at long off by Rashid Khan off the bowling of Veerasammy Permaul. Only two balls later Shane Watson was gone too, the victim of some confused running and a direct hit from backward point. At the end of the PowerPlay the Stars were 26 for 2.

Things quickly got worse for when Charles attempted to respond to the pressure of the scoreboard by taking on Rayad Emrit. He could succeed only in picking out Permaul at long-on to fall for a scrappy 15 off 22 balls, leaving the Stars 35 for 3 after 7.4 overs.

Ryder became the fourth batsman dismissed when he pushed for a second run, despite an injured knee, and was run out by a tidy throw from mid-wicket. The Stars remote hope of a decent total was all but ended when Daren Sammy was given out leg before wicket on the back foot to Khan for 19 off 24.

It was asking a lot of the Stars lower order to elevate them to an imposing total. After Sammy’s dismissal they only managed to add 27 for 3 in their final 4.5 overs with Jerome Taylor hitting a six off the last ball of the innings.

The Amazon Warriors chase got off to the worst possible start when Chadwick Walton was brilliantly bowled by Taylor for a first ball duck. When Martin Guptill was stumped off the bowling of Rahkeem Cornwall the Stars may have believed that they could pull off the most unlikely of victories.

However, when defending such a small total they needed to take regular wickets to maintain the pressure. They were unable to do that and the aggression of Sohail Tanvir, again promoted to open, ensured the run rate never became a concern. Tanvir scored 38 from 29 balls and his partnership of 51 with Jason Mohammad took the Amazon Warriors within 28 of victory when he was stumped. Mohammad’s unbeaten 42 took the Amazon Warriors to victory with more than five overs to spare, giving them a crucial net run rate boost in the race for a Play Off place.

Upcoming Fixtures

Wednesday: St Kitts & Nevis Patriots v Trinbago Knight Riders, 6.00pm

Thursday: Jamaica Tallawahs v St Lucia Stars, 8.00pm

For images from this match visit https://mm.gettyimages.com/mm/nicePath/gyisports?nav=pr538082992 where they can be downloaded and used for free. Credit: CPL via Getty Images.

For further information please contact:

Peter Miller 

Mobile: +447769119636

Caribbean Mobile: + 1 (758) 729 2012

Head of PR and Communications

Hero Caribbean Premier League 

Residents of St Thomas are chiding successive governments for not following through on plans to develop the eastern parish.

Despite often complaining of being the forgotten parish, the residents have remained loyal to their two political representatives.

The People’s National Party’s Dr Fenton Ferguson has controlled St Thomas Eastern for the past 24 years, while the Jamaica Labour Party’s James Robertson has been member of parliament for St Thomas Western for the last 15 years.

But speaking during The Gleaner’s On the Corner series with Keith Duncan, co-chairman of the Economic Programme Oversight Committee (EPOC), last Thursday, Hansel Whyte challenged residents of the parish to not blindly vote along party lines but to do so based on policies proposed and delivered to develop the parish.

“Government comes and government goes, and everyone come make promises that the parish will be developed and up to now we haven’t seen anything,” Whyte said.

“Vote for policies, not politicians, because we are not getting anywhere.”

Follow through and make plans work

Prime Minister Andrew Holness announced earlier this year that a town centre would be constructed in St Thomas, along with a four-lane highway from Harbour View to Bull Bay. He also said three roads between Bull Bay and Morant Bay would be upgraded.

Whyte, who has resided in the parish for the past 31 years, is however fearful that if there is a change of government after the next general election, these plans for the parish could be abandoned.

“Whenever a member of parliament or a prime minister come and say they are going to do something to develop St Thomas, as soon as there is a change of government, there is a change of plan,” Whyte said.

“All we are asking them to do is just follow through. If there is a good policy in place that can generate income, follow through and make it work.”

Duncan agreed with Whyte’s sentiment as he shared the view that “no matter which administration is in power, they need to follow through on the development plan for St Thomas”.

Whyte further lamented the lack of decent employment opportunities for persons within the parish and said he believed it was one issue the government of the day needs to focus on.

“People with all degree have to be packing bag in supermarket, a work inna bar or run taxi,” Whyte said.

“So we have to think about St Thomas, and if we really want to move St Thomas forward. The politicians need to put aside politics and work with the policies that are there.”

ryon.jones@gleanerjm.com

In declaring entertainment the lifeblood of St Thomas, one resident is resolute that the Government should establish special zones for party events within the parish to the benefit of small business folk.

“It is the number one source of income,” said businessman Hansel Whyte last Thursday as The Gleaner’s On the Corner series with Economic Programme Oversight Committee (EPOC) Co-chairman Keith Duncan made a stop in Duhaney Pen, St Thomas.

Whyte, who operates a small loan company, pointed to vendors, bartenders and wholesales as beneficiaries of the social events.

The businessman, who has lived in the parish for more than 30 years, said the round-robin format of parties required patrons and promoters to travel far apart between events to lend equal support.

However, he argued, the cut-off time stipulated by law makes this difficult, and the events are being shut off before promoters can get maximum mileage.

“Sunday to Thursday is 12 a.m., while Fridays and Saturdays, we can go up until 2 p.m. But most times, the police reach before the liquor even cold. We know the police only enforce the law, so we don’t fault them for following instructions, but the Government need to sit down and revisit that legislation, not just to aid St Thomas, but the wider Jamaica,” added Whyte.

On same topic, fellow businessman and St Thomas native, Denver Howell, noted that several residents continue to turn to farming for a livelihood despite unfavourable results.

However, Howell said the parish’s many natural resources see it primed to capitalise on health tourism, and focus should be shifted to that area sooner than later.

“We have the Blue Mountain range. Many visitors just want to go into the mountainside and listen to the birds sing and look at the beauty of the mountainsides,” said Howell, who employs up to 100 persons through his One Touch group of companies, which includes transportation and gas stations.

Upgrade Princess Margaret for health tourism – businessman

While stating that the abundance of water sources in the parish speaks well for health tourism, St Thomas businessman Denver Howell said upgrading the Princess Margaret Hospital in the capital, Morant Bay, would be a prerequisite to tapping into the market.

“We have to start training young people in this area. We can’t remain stuck at the same stage; we have to move into new territory,” Howell said.

“St Thomas has nothing except resources. … We have to make use of our natural resources if we’re to experience growth.”

syranno.baines@gleanerjm.com

For years, residents of St Thomas have complained that they are not benefiting from the numerous resources in the parish.

Those cries were repeated last Thursday as The Gleaner On The Corner, with the Economic Pro-gramme Oversight Commit-tee (EPOC), made its latest stop in Duhaney Pen.

Leading the charge was businessman Denver Howell, who argued that St Thomas is being raped, with none of its resources used to move the parish forward.

“How can it be that the water from St Thomas supplies Kingston and yet still the people who live in the hills of St Thomas where the water is coming from have to bore the pipeline to get a little water to do the basics?” asked Howell to loud cheers from his neighbours.

Howell noted that the parish is uniquely blessed with construction aggregate, which has been used to build numerous hotels, highways and roadways outside of the parish with no monetary returns from the material.

“It has been said that St Thomas have the best aggregate but yet we don’t have a proper road. It’s foolishness,” declared Howell.

The businessman argued that if successive governments had collected even a small contribution from every litre of water and tonne of aggregate to leave the parish, St Thomas would be among Jamaica’s most developed and richest parishes.

With co-chairman of EPOC Keith Duncan engaging the audience as he outlined the role of EPOC in monitoring the Government’s performance under the three-year International Monetary Fund standby agreement, Howell argued that St Thomas would take off if a more active role was played in applying taxes to the resources.

In the meantime, Winston Thompson charged that over the years, respective administrations have favoured urban Jamaica at the expense of rural communities.

“The people here try hard to access social services but is just pure runaround we get. This country seem to only check for town areas and tourist resorts and avoid investments in the rural communities because they fear it will fail,” charged Thompson.

Fellow St Thomas resident Elaine Edwards agreed, as she argued that despite the willingness of the people of the parish to work, employment opportunities are scarce because of a lack of state investment.

“Government can do way more,” charged Edwards. “We have a lot of resources that can be put to good use and create employment, we just need the Government’s assistance and we’re not getting much, if any.”

syranno.baines@gleanerjm.com

2017 Hero Caribbean Premier League – Match 20

St Kitts and Nevis Patriots 208-3 (Gayle 71*, Lewis 69, Santokie 1-23) beat Jamaica Tallawahs 171-7 (Griffith 42, Powell 31, Shamsi 3-35) by 37 runs

Fifties from Evin Lewis and Chris Gayle powered the St Kitts and Nevis Patriots to a 37-run victory over the Jamaica Tallawahs in Match 20 of the 2017 Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL). The Patriots victory confirms their qualification for the Play Off stage and pulls the Tallawahs into a mid-table scrap with Barbados Tridents and Guyana Amazon Warriors. 

The Patriots win was set up by an excellent team batting effort which saw them post a massive score of 208 which proved too many for the Tallawahs, even on a good batting pitch.

After being put into bat by the Tallawahs, Lewis and Gayle were relatively becalmed in the Powerplay phase, striking just two boundaries each. Gayle should have been caught on the third man boundary by Odean Smith when on 16 off 17 balls.

Once the field dropped back the Patriots, perhaps liberated by there being fewer close fielders, picked up the scoring rate, scoring 27 off the next two overs before a sharp rain shower delayed play. Half an hour off the field did not appear to disrupt the rhythm of Lewis and Gayle who continued where they left off. Their partnership of 110, of which 80 came in boundaries, was eventually broken in the twelfth over when Lewis skied a leg side ball from Smith high in the air. 50 of Lewis’ 69 runs and all of his six sixes came on the leg side.

Lewis’ demise brought Carlos Brathwaite to the crease, elevated to number three with 7.3 overs remaining. Brathwaite’s innings was short but destructive, his two fours and two sixes contributed to a 13-ball 26, lifting the Patriots to 151 for 2. Meanwhile Gayle, whose innings hadn’t until that point got going was beginning to lose what little momentum he had, having gone 23 balls without a boundary.

It was then that he finally launched as Mohammad Sami’s last over was taken for 25 with Gayle striking two sixes and a four. Whatever Gayle could do, his partner Mohammad Nabi could do better. In an astonishing assault Nabi scored 29 off just 12 balls and it could have been more were it not for a spectacular boundary save by Lendl Simmons. Nabi’s brilliant cameo and a last ball six from Brandon King, off just his first ball, took the Patriots to 208 for 3 from their 20 overs – the highest score of Hero CPL 2017. Gayle finished unbeaten on 71 off 55 balls.

The Tallawahs innings begun with a new opening partnership in Glenn Phillips and Trevon Griffith. The pair hit some good-looking boundaries in the Powerplay but could only score 48 runs in the phase, increasing the required run rate from 10.45 to 11.50. In the 2.5 overs after the Powerplay the Tallawahs struck just two more boundaries and the rate climbed further still. The growing pressure soon accounted for Griffith, caught off a leading edge for 42 off 32.

Soon after Phillips was gone too. He had strangely struggled for timing and that eventually cost him as he picked out deep mid-wicket off the bowling of Tabraiz Shamsi. An over later Kumar Sangakkara followed, caught top-edging a sweep against Nabi. The wicket of Simmons, picking out Brathwaite at deep mid-wicket, all but ended the Tallawahs faint hopes of victory with 110 required off 43 balls. Shamsi’s incisive spell of 3 for 35 had dealt a fatal blow to the run-chase.

Some powerful late hitting from Andre McCarthy and Rovman Powell briefly threatened to open the match up once more but in the end the task was too steep, although it did help protect their Net Run Rate from more significant damage.

Upcoming Fixtures

Tuesday: Guyana Amazon Warriors v St Lucia Stars, Providence, 6.00pm

Wednesday: St Kitts & Nevis Patriots v Trinbago Knight Riders, 6.00pm

For images from this match visit https://mm.gettyimages.com/mm/nicePath/gyisports?nav=pr538082992 where they can be downloaded and used for free. Credit: CPL via Getty Images.

For further information please contact:

Peter Miller 

Mobile: +447769119636

Caribbean Mobile: + 1 (758) 729 2012

Head of PR and Communications

Hero Caribbean Premier League 

Source: http://jamaica-star.com/article/news/20170821/beverage-company-builds-basic-school

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

ISSUED ON BEHALF OF TWITTER

21^st August 2017

Fans can catch the best sixes, fall of wickets, Play of the Day and #HeroFanOfTheMatch videos on Twitter through an In-Stream Video Sponsorship partnership with Hero during #CPL

 India, 21 August 2017: Twitter today announced an in-stream video sponsorship partnership with the Hero Caribbean Premier League (@CPL) and Hero MotoCorp (@HeroMotoCorp), the world’s largest two-wheeler manufacturer. This is the first such deal for any T20 cricket league globally. Twitter is where live cricket conversation happens and through this partnership, title sponsor Hero MotoCorp will ensure that fans will be able to watch the best moments from #CPL17 in their timelines.

https://twitter.com/CPL/status/898149920686788608

https://twitter.com/CPL/status/898152447713005568

The fifth edition of the #CPL has taken off in grand style with some exciting encounters stealing the show in the first two weeks. The excitement will now go up a notch with fans never having to miss key moments from the matches.

Twitter’s In-stream video sponsorship enables publishers to monetize video content while making it easy for advertisers to reach engaged audiences and sponsor exclusive content.

Twitter plays a key role in facilitating both content creators and brands to capture the excitement from broadcast and distribute it to fans and audiences across the platform, far beyond their existing followers. Audiences can immediately relive that moment or experience it for the first time on their mobile phones while they engage in conversations on Twitter. So don’t miss out on the action and catch the buzz on Twitter!

“Twitter has always been the destination for live sports conversation. Twitter’s In Stream Video Sponsorship has been adopted by more than 300 premium media partners across 20+ countries and it will help fans watch premium sports video content from the Caribbean Premier League. We’re excited that this will ensure cricket fans on Twitter don’t miss out on magic moments like Fabian Allen’s catch at the start of the season.“ said Aneesh Madani, Head of Sports Partnerships, Asia Pacific, Twitter.

“We are delighted to be the first T20 cricket league globally to do an In Stream Video Sponsorship deal with Twitter and our title sponsor Hero. We saw Twitter as a natural ally for match videos to drive conversation and monetization. Hero has been a special partner for us and it’s great that they will be promoting the best Hero CPL videos to fans on Twitter right in their timelines.“ quipped Jamie Stewart, Commercial Director, Hero Caribbean Premier League

“We are thrilled to be the first title sponsor of a T20 cricket league to have an InStream Video Sponsorship campaign run on Twitter that brings some of the best videos from the Caribbean Premier League to cricket fans in India. Twitter is a key partners of ours and this is yet another signal in Hero’s commitment to sports.“ said Mr. J Narain, Head of Sports, Hero MotoCorp.

About Twitter

Twitter is what’s happening in the world and what people are talking about right now. From breaking news and entertainment to sports, politics, and everyday interests, see every side of the story. Join the open conversation. Watch live streaming events. Available in more than 40 languages around the world, the service can be accessed via twitter.com, an array of mobile devices, and SMS. For more information, please visit about.twitter.com, follow @TwitterIndia, and download both the Twitter and Periscope apps at twitter.com/download and periscope.tv.

About Hero CPL

First started in 2013, the Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL) is a franchise-based T20 format cricket tournament that combines two of the most compelling aspects of Caribbean life – dramatic cricket and a vibrant Carnival atmosphere. Combining broadcast and digital viewership over 149 million fans watched the 2016 season to make it one of the fastest growing leagues in world cricket. Jamaica Tallawahs are the current Hero CPL champions and the other competing teams are Barbados Tridents, Guyana Amazon Warriors, St. Kitts & Nevis Patriots, St. Lucia Stars and Trinbago Knight Riders. The 2017 tournament will run from 4 August – 9 September 2017. For further information visit www.cplt20.com.

Media Contacts

Nathan Burman nathanburman@twitter.com

Chirag Bhanushali Creation chirag.bhanushali@creation.io +91-9769521055

Peter Miller

UK Mobile: +447769119636

Caribbean Mobile: + 1 (758) 729 2012

2017 Hero Caribbean Premier League – Match Report 16

St Kitts & Nevis Patriots 84-1 (Gayle 38*, Hafeez 30*) beat Barbados Tridents 168-6 (Pollard 63*, Smith 33, Badree 2-27) by 17 runs (DLS Method)

The St Kitts & Nevis Patriots pulled four points clear of the Barbados Tridents in third place of the Hero Caribbean Premier League table with a comfortable victory in Match 16. An underwhelming start to a defense of 169 by the Tridents meant the Patriots were 84 for 1 after 9.3 – and 17 ahead of the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern par score when tropical rains brought an early end to the match. 

Warner Park has historically been the highest scoring venue in the Hero CPL, with an average first innings score of 160, and an average first innings winning score of 180, and it soon became apparent that this was another excellent pitch for batting when Dwayne Smith struck a four and a six in the first over to get the Tridents up and running.

The Tridents batted aggressively through the Powerplay, scoring 51 runs, but lost three wickets as well. Both Kane Williamson and Smith were caught attempting to hit consecutive boundaries – Williamson picking out deep square leg and Smith mis-timing to mid-on. In between those two dismissals Christopher Barnwell was trapped leg before wicket by a ball that skidded on from Samuel Badree who finished with figures of 2 for 27.

After the Powerplay the Tridents were quickly four down as some poor running and excellent fielding saw Akeal Hosein run out, leaving the Tridents 62 for 4. Following a brief period of consolidation Shoaib Malik was dismissed too as he looked to accelerate the innings in the 13th over by taking on a Hasan Ali short ball. He could only top edge the shot which was well caught by Mohammad Nabi at fine leg despite a swirling wind.

With Malik’s dismissal the pressure on Kieron Pollard to elevate the Tridents to a competitive total increased. Seemingly aware of the additional responsibility Pollard took care against the spin of Nabi, who finished with 0 for 23 from his four overs. However, against the medium pace of Carlos Brathwaite and the pace of Hasan Ali, Pollard showed clear intent to capitalise and hit cleanly and powerfully with the wind to lift the Tridents in the latter stages of their innings.

Pollard’s power was on full display as he hit six sixes and just one four in his unbeaten 63 off just 40 balls. Nicolas Pooran also hit two sixes in a useful 14-ball cameo. The Patriots dared to bowl the spin of Tabraiz Shamsi at the death and the last over cost 15 runs, meaning the Tridents scored 75 runs off their last six overs and finished with 168 for 6.

Only three scores lower than 168 had ever been defended at Basseterre and the Patriots were given an early boost by a first over in which the first five balls from Hosein were all wides. When Hosein finally discovered his radar Evin Lewis stuck a straight six down the ground only to be dismissed off the last ball of the over, top edging another leg side delivery.

The rest of the Powerplay brought no let up in the scoring rate as Gayle and Mohammad Hafeez took the Patriots to 59 for 1 after six overs with 18 of them coming from six balls bowled by Wahab Riaz.

The field dropping back could not stem the flow of runs and two more boundaries lifted the Patriots to 84 for 1 after 9.3 overs when the rain begun to fall.

Upcoming Fixtures

Saturday: Guyana Amazon Warriors v Trinbago Knight Riders, 12.00 & St Kitts & Nevis Patriots v St Lucia Stars, 21.00

Sunday: Guyana Amazon Warriors v Barbados Tridents, 18.00

For images from this match visit https://mm.gettyimages.com/mm/nicePath/gyisports?nav=pr538082992 where they can be downloaded and used for free. Credit: CPL via Getty Images.

For further information please contact:

Peter Miller 

UK Mobile: +447769119636

Caribbean Mobile: + 1 (758) 729 2012

Head of PR and Communications

Hero Caribbean Premier League