BRIDGETOWN, Barbados (CMC) — St Kitts and Nevis Patriots survived a courageous counter-attack spearheaded by big-hitting Kieron Pollard to clinch a nail-biting one-run victory over Barbados Tridents in game seven of the Caribbean Premier League at Kensington Oval here on Saturday.
Pollard unleashed a brutal half-century to resurrect a run chase which had collapsed under a fiery spell from Sheldon Cottrell to lead the Tridents within three runs of securing their fourth-straight win in the CPL.
But, despite the captain’s heroics and an expensive last over bowled by Orlando Peters, Tridents fell to their first defeat in a match decided on the last delivery, giving the Patriots their first win.
Tridents, chasing 143 set by Patriots who were sent in to bat first, were off to a disastrous start as Cottrell wreaked havoc within three balls to send the champions reeling at 14 for three.
He removed the dangerous Dwayne Smith for 10 after the Tridents opener was dropped on nine by Evin Lewis, and two balls later had Jonathan Carter caught and bowled for a duck.
Carter’s dismissal was the third wicket to have fallen in seven balls.
Tridents inability to score quickly then was due in large part to the bowling exploits of Cottrell, who had excellent figures of two for 13, including one maiden over.
Pollard arrived and took the fight to the Patriots, reviving the chase with a fighting 82 from 58 balls, his highest T20 score in the CPL, as he attempted to pull his side out of a hole.
He hit five towering sixes and four fours and dominated a 93-run fourth-wicket partnership with Shoaib Malik, who scored 35.
Pollard was particularly hostile to Tabraiz Shamsi, scoring 17 runs off one of his overs that included two sixes and a four.
The Tridents captain waged a gallant last-over battle with his side needing 19 for victory from six balls.
In the final over Peters was expensive as Pollard beat the square-leg boundary and top edged the next ball to the fine-leg boundary.
Neven Stewart, on strike with three runs needed from the final ball, whipped to mid-wicket. But the batsmen failed to scamper for the second and Pollard was left stranded and was run out.
Earlier, at least five batsmen got starts for the Patriots but none was able press on with major scores as Pollard, Rayad Emrit and Ravi Rampaul picked up wickets regularly to stem the run flow.
Martin Guptill and Evin Lewis were able to carve out a 36-run stand for the first wicket, the highest partnership of the innings.
It ended when Guptill, on 23 from 15, attempted to whip a delivery from Ravi Rampaul on the on-side and succeeded only in spooning a catch to Jason Holder at mid-on.
Emrit inflicted further damage to the Patriots innings, grabbing two wickets within three balls in the ninth over to send the visitors reeling at 56 for three.
Lewis contributed 19, then attempted to pull but got a top edge to short mid-wicket for Peterson to take a dolly, while Samuels’ cut shot flew to Malik at third man.
Orlando Peters top-scored with 27 before he was caught by Dwayne Smith off Pollard, who, like Rampaul and Emrit, finished with two wickets.
Shahid Afridi chipped in with 19, while Carlos Brathwaite added some lusty late hitting to be unbeaten on 22 from 10 balls.
Pollard was named man-of-the-match for his all-round performance of two for 27 and his score of 82, which gave his team a shot at remaining unbeaten but was not enough.