Barbados Royals fell to their first defeat of the Caribbean Premier League 2024 season, as they narrowly lost to Trinbago Knight Riders by two wickets at the Kensington Oval in Bridgetown, Barbados on Friday.
The last over proved to be a thrilling one, with the match swaying both sides. When Jason Holder took Akeal Hosein's wicket in the fourth ball, it seemed all over for Trinbago. But a no-ball in the very next ball from Holder turned the match around and Terrance Hinds finished it off with a maximum. The win saw Trinbago extending their head-to-head record to 15 wins from 24 meetings.
Early setbacks
Trinbago won the toss and chose to field first. Being put to bat, the Royals faced two early setbacks. They lost both Rahkeem Cornwall and Alick Athanaze in the first over. Both went out for ducks in the hands of Hosein.
Crucial de Kock-Clarke Partnership
However, Quinton de Kock remained undeterred. He took the attack to the opposition, making the most of the powerplay overs. De Kock, along with emerging talent Rivaldo Clarke, formed a crucial 53-run partnership off 35 balls for the third wicket, providing a significant boost to the scoreboard.
Powell Masterclass
Then came in skipper Rovman Powell. He played a classy innings, taking calculated risks at crucial junctures and earned a half-century for his efforts. He remained on the crease till the last ball and scored 58 runs off 38 balls, which included five sixes and two fours. David Miller and Keshav Maharaj also made notable contributions with the bat to put a fighting total on the board.
Trinbago’s bowling contrasts
Trinbago’s bowling performance was a tale of two contrasts. While their spinners excelled, the pacers struggled. The spin trio of Waqar Salamkheil, Sunil Narine, and Hosein shared seven wickets between them, conceding just 58 runs in 12 overs. In contrast, the pacers proved expensive, leaking 93 runs in just eight overs.
Theekshana strikes early, Trinbago hold fort
In the second innings, Maheesh Theekshana started strongly and took out both the openers - Sunil Narine and Jason Roy. Shaqkere Parris and Nicholas Pooran came in next and stabilised the Trinbago innings. They stitched a 51-run partnership to keep the scoreboard ticking. After Pooran's dismissal, Keacy Carty came in and scored a swift 32 off 21 to keep the target within reach.
A steady defence
Thereafter, the Barbados bowlers took over, scalping some quick wickets to put the match in their favour. Obed McCoy, Maharaj, Holder and Naveen-ul-Haq joined Theekshana to take the fight to the opposition. In the last 10 balls, Trinbago needed 21 runs to win with just three wickets in hand.
Even the fielding department, which was a cause of concern in the last match, improved greatly. Pooran's wicket, where Holder and Powell came together to take his catch, was a testament to that.
Hosein-Hinds end with a flourish
It seemed the Royals had done enough to get all points when Hosein and Hinds came together to see Trinbago over the line. While Hosein scored a brisk 20 off 10, Hinds hit the all-crucial six in the penultimate ball off Holder to take home a win.
Barbados Royals will be in action once again on Saturday, when they meet table-toppers Guyana Amazon Warriors at the Kensington Oval in Bridgetown, Barbados. A win would see the Royals take the top spot in the standings.