CPL REVIEW: Bravos and Mayers star as Trinbago and Tridents triumph

JACK BUTLER takes a look at some of the standout stars from the latest doubleheader as the CPL action continued at Queen's Park Oval

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Bravo, Dwayne and Darren!

The day's first game saw Dwayne Bravo guide the Trinbago Knight Riders to a six-wicket victory (DLS Method) over the St Lucia Zouks. A mammoth performance with bat and ball saw Bravo take his 500th T20 wicket. He shone with some immaculate death bowling, conceding just five off his first two overs and finished with figures of 2-7. 

Bravo was just one part of an impressive bowling display from the Knight Riders, restricting the Zouks to 111 for 6 before the rain saw their innings finish in the 18th over. The critical cogs of the Knight Riders line-up were once again their mystery spinners – Fawad Ahmed and Khary Pierre, who replaced the rested Sunil Narine, benefited from the turn and bounce they were able to generate on the used surface. Ahmed finished with an economy rate of 5.25 of his fours overs, as left-arm spinner Pierre bowled economically before trapping Darren Sammy lbw; the St Lucia Zouks skipper once again disappointing with the bat as he muscled just two. 

Regular wickets saw the Zouks stumble; no batsmen could kick-on from promising starts. Mohammed Nabi, once again impressed, however, top-scoring with 30 not out but St Lucia were held up as rain curtailed their innings.

A Duckworth-Lewis reduced target saw the Knight Riders set 72 off just nine overs and they appeared to be struggling at 34 for 4. But it would be the turn of Darren Bravo to guide his side home with a powerful 23 not out that featured two sixes and came at a strike of 176.92, ensuring his side's unbeaten record continued.

Mayers' Magic!

Spin was at the forefront of the Tallawahs bowling display that saw the Barbados Trident's top-order struggle: Mujeeb Ur Rahman took 3-14 off four overs as Sandeep Lamichhane took 2-16 from his allocation. Both openers fell to spin - Mujeeb's audacious variations were too good. First, Shai Hope attempted an ambitious reverse sweep and was trapped plumb; then, Johnson Charles was caught prodding at a turning delivery that saw the ball travel to first slip and sent the opener back to pavilion. The pick of the spin bowling came later down the line as both mystery spinners churned through their unpickable variations – a googly from Lamichhane bamboozled Ashley Nurse after Mujeeb's carrom ball bowled the out-of-form Corey Anderson. 

It was in thanks to Kyle Mayers that the Tridents posted 148 from their 20 overs – the 27-year-old smashed a brutal 85 that both anchored and carried the Barbados innings. Watchful against the spinners, Mayers targeted the seamers. It was brutal but effective - the second-highest individual knock of the tournament featured eight sixes and three fours.

First, two sixes off Rovan Powell saw Mayer's batting change gear: a back-foot punch over mid-on was followed by a mammoth drive over mid-off. 

^{The Tridents' had Kyle Mayers to thank as they posted 148}

Next, Carlos Brathwaite was the victim of an over that was dispatched for 29. Mayers' multifaceted game was on display as each of the batsmen's four sixes sailed to different parts of Queen's Park: the first a back of a length delivery pulled for six, the second saw the ball fly over cover; next, it was smashed to cow corner before, finally, and most incredibly, Mayers cut the ball over point for six, leaving Brathwaite with his head in his hands. 

The Tridents never looked like chasing and struggled on their way to 112 for 9. Mitchell Santer impressed, bowling the inform Glen Phillips, who went without troubling the scorers – a vital scalp, considering Phillips has scored 128 runs so far. Santer finished with 2-10 off four overs, as spin again dominated proceedings. Rashid Khan also took two wickets. 

At 27 for 4, the Tallwahs were unable to kick on after a disastrous powerplay, managing just 112 on their way to a 36-run defeat.

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