JACK BUTLER rounds-up the latest batch of matches as Trinbago Knight Riders made it eight in a row and Shimron Hetmyer stole the show
Without Roston Chase - St Lucia struggled with no-one to bat around, eventually falling to a seven-wicket defeat at the hands of the Guyana Amazon Warriors.
The Zouks fell to 26 for 3 in six overs, Rahkeem Cornwall almost the sole scorer from the top order, hitting two massive sixes before a leading edge was caught spectacularly by Naveen-ul-Haq.
RAHK ATTACK! Cornwall hits two early sixes. #CPL20 #SLZvGAW #CricketPlayedLouder pic.twitter.com/6c3E2wnDeR
— CPL T20 (@CPL) September 2, 2020
No Zouks batsmen scored over 25 as St Lucia lost wickets at regular intervals, somehow stumbling towards 109 for 7 off their 20 overs. Once again spin was at the forefront for the Amazon Warriors; Imran Tahir finishing with 1-10 off four overs, another vital return from the wiley South-African spinner as the Zouks fell to a below-par total.
In response, Shimron Hetymer stole the show once again as he recorded his third CPL fifty of this year's campaign. His knock featured three sixes, and six fours as Guyana chased the Zouks total down in just 14 overs to win comfortably by seven wickets. The talented West Indian hit 24 runs of one Chemar Holder over, who finished with 0-33 off two overs. Ouch!
The result means that Guyana leap-frog St Lucia into 2nd place. Darren Sammy’s side are third, but like Guyana are almost assured of a semi-final place. With only two games to go both sides need to find consistency if they are to challenge in the latter stages of the competition.
SMASH IT!!! Hetmyer hits 2 sixes in a row. #CPL20 #SLZvGAW #CricketPlayedLouder pic.twitter.com/KQPHNkYowT
— CPL T20 (@CPL) September 3, 2020
Top faced bottom, and even without their superstars - Sunil Narine, Fawad Ahmed, Kieron Pollard and Jayden Seales all omitted - the Knight Riders dominated, as expected, in a comprehensive win over St Kitts and Nevis by 56 runs.
Batting first Trinbago lost Colin Munro, who retired hurt, and Amir Jangoo who was run out impressively by Sheldon Cottrell; the West Indian seamer swivelling onto his front foot and throwing the stumps down from 15 yards.
Sheldon Cottrell with pin point accuracy! Superb run out! #CPL20 #CricketPlayedLouder #TKRvSKP pic.twitter.com/RtdyGSbIvX
— CPL T20 (@CPL) September 2, 2020
However, a significant partnership from Darren Bravo and Lendl Simmons dismissed any initial concerns of a faltering innings. Simmons took control, top-scoring with a mammoth 96 featuring six sixes and seven fours. The pick of Simmons' boundaries two towering sixes of Jon-Russ Jaggesar and a flat batted dispatch of a short delivery from Rayad Emrit over mid-wicket.
Eventually dismissed after skying to square-leg, Simmons fell just four runs short of his maiden CPL century. The 35-year-old oozed class and experience throughout; his 17th CPL half-century was a mixture of stand and deliver power-hitting and intelligent strike rotation as he guided Trinbago to 174 of their 20 overs.
In response, Chris Lynn hit 30, and Joshua Da Silva hit 29, but like St Kitts, in general, both were too slow at the crease. Throughout the innings, only two St Kitts' batsmen had a strike rate over 110.00, with half the line-up were striking at less than or just over a run a ball.
96 fro 63 balls! Lendl Simmons was on Fire today and helped get Trinbago Knight Riders reach a match winning score #CPL20 #CricketPlayedLouder #TKRvSKP pic.twitter.com/Y7lnOl8Uf8
— CPL T20 (@CPL) September 2, 2020
Again an ineffectual power play meant the Patriots were always playing catch up with the Knight Riders total. As the required run-rate grew, Lynn and Ben Dunk fell quickly; both Australians caught trying to push on. Likewise, the pressure was too much for the St Kitts middle-order. Forty-year-old Pravin Tambe finished with 1-12, and part-time off-spinner Sikander Raza, claimed 3-15 as the Patriots woefully collapsed from 73 for 3 to 98 for 7.
The result means Trinbago record their eighth win in a row, a result that leaves the Patriots all but knocked out of CPL 2020.
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