Pooran powers TKR to record run chase
Andre Fletcher’s 61-ball 93 was outdone by Nicholas Pooran’s faster, more brutal 93* as Trinbago Knight Riders completed a record chase of St. Kitts and Nevis Patriots’ 193 to subject them to their ninth successive defeat of CPL 2024. Fletcher was aided by Kyle Mayers’ 60 which came at a strike-rate of 200 in a 99-run stand. Pooran was supported by the platform Jason Roy had set from the word go with his 34-ball 64, as TKR polished off the chase with an over and a half to spare.
On a good batting track, the Knight Riders opted to field first and Akeal Hosein took all of five balls to provide a breakthrough as he sent Lewis packing on 2. However, that brought Mayers on and he never wasted any time in getting going as he smashed the spinner for 12 runs, including the first four and six of the innings, in the first three balls he faced off Hosein. Jayden Seales leaked three boundaries in his opening overs while Andre Russell got a taste of his own medicine when both Fletcher and Mayers pounded a six each. That said, the most severe punishment in the powerplay was dished out to Dwayne Bravo as Mayers went 4,6,4,4 to take the team to 63/1 at the end of that phase.
In an economical middle-overs spell, Chris Jordan applied the breaks with two good overs and even prised out the big-hitting Mayers to cut the partnership short of the 100 mark. In a brief cameo, Rilee Rossouw hit as many as four boundaries to chip in an 11-ball 20 before being dismissed by Seales.
Fletcher then switched gears, sparing neither Waqar Salamkheil nor an otherwise economical Jordan to help SNP get 61 runs in the last six and finish with a strong 193 on the board. Fletcher had four fours in his top-scoring effort, and half a dozen boundaries while Jordan was the pick of the bowlers with his 2-29 despite the pounding he took in his last over.
After a quiet couple of overs to begin the chase, Roy found his gears and did most of the scoring in the 43-run opening stand with Keacy Carty. Pooran, who arrived at the crease in the sixth over, had quickly raced to 12 off the remaining five balls to help TKR end the powerplay on 55/1.
Together they kept the attack going in the middle phase as well, and the opener quickly raced to a 26-ball fifty. At the halfway mark, TKR were 100/1 and after copping a bit of the punishment in his first two, Tabraiz Shami broke the threatening stand by having the Englishman caught behind on an under-edge. Roy reviewed but to no avail. In the five-over phase that followed, SNP clawed their way back by conceding just 30 runs and also removing the dangerous Tim David cheaply.
Aided by a couple of reprieves, Pooran raised a 32-ball fifty but TKR still needed 48 runs off the last four overs. Deciding to take charge, Pooran went on the offensive against Jeremiah Louis, who had only given 26 in his first three. Three maximums in the over made it an expensive 21-run one as Pooran wrestled back control for his team. Anrich There was no looking back then as Anrich Nortje came in the firing line next, hammered for 4,6,6 and 18 overall in his final over. Fittingly, it was Pooran who completed the formalities with his seventh six of the innings, nine balls and seven wickets to spare.
Brief Scores: St Kitts and Nevis Patriots 193/4 in 20 overs (Andre Fletcher 93, Kyle Mayers 60; Chris Jordan 2-29) lost to Trinbago Knight Riders 197/3 in 18.3 overs (Nicholas Pooran 93*, Jason Roy 64; Kyle Mayers 1-26) by 7 wickets