Sports
Roneil Walcott
TRINBAGO Knight Riders (TKR) skipper Nicholas Pooran said his team was set back by a pair of underwhelming power plays in their three-wicket loss to Guyana Amazon Warriors at Providence Stadium, Guyana on September 6.
Thanks to a punishing knock of 54 not out from 18 balls by former captain Kieron Pollard, TKR posted a competitive score of 167 for five. For a good part of their innings, a total of 150-plus looked unlikely as TKR were placed at 93 for three after 15 overs. However, with Pollard’s big-hitting, TKR set a target which looked challenging on a turning Providence track.
“Kudos must be given to Guyana. I felt they bowled really well in the power play. In saying that, losing three wickets in the power play made it tough for us. Obviously, the conditions were suitable for bowling,” Pooran said at the post-match presentation.
At the end of their power play, TKR were on 40 for three with Pooran (13) and the overseas opening pair of Alex Hales (seven) and Colin Munro (17) also being dismissed early. Pooran praised the pair of Keacy Carty (29 off 34) and Darren Bravo (33 off 35) for their “outstanding” partnership as they added 56 for the fourth wicket in just over ten overs, as they consolidated in the middle overs.
With their partnership going at a rate of under six runs per over, Bravo was dismissed in the 16th over by Imran Tahir, with Carty’s innings being retired at the end of the 18th over.
“The way Polly came and finished the innings and gave us some hope there at the end, I think 168 was a really good score on this pitch. Going into the halftime interval, we were really happy in defending this.”
The Amazon Warriors didn’t start with their regular opening pair, but TKR still had a wonderful start with the ball as left-arm spinner Akeal Hosein (two for 35) prised out the wickets of makeshift openers Moeen Ali (four) and Keemo Paul (six).
“I felt like we disappointed ourselves in the power play after getting two wickets. We bowled two easy overs to them at the back end of the power play,” Pooran said.
From 14 for two, the Amazon Warriors took their score to 66 for two at the end of the six-over power play as the in-form Shai Hope (53 off 46) and Shimron Hetmyer (49 off 30) took the attack to the TKR team, which was a bowler light after Carty came back into the playing XI at the expense of Terrance Hinds.
Guyana were motoring along, but they were stalled somewhat when a six-hunting Hetmyer was dismissed by the impressive Sunil Narine (two for 12), with Hope and new batsman Hassan Khan (three) following soon after as the Amazon Warriors slipped to 123 for five in the 16th over.
When Hope was trapped lbw in Narine’s last over, the Amazon Warriors still needed 45 off 26 balls. And when the dangerous Romario Shepherd was bowled by Andre Russell for just nine, Guyana still needed 32 off 16 balls. Despite getting the wicket of Shepherd, the 18th over didn’t end well for Russell and TKR as the Jamaican allrounder was hit for two sixes by eventual Man of the Match winner Dwaine Pretorius to close out the over.
Pooran reckoned his team had a genuine chance to register the victory and they let one get away.
“I felt like in the last three overs of the game, they wanted 38 and we let ourselves down there.”
He appreciated their efforts, though, as the Amazon Warriors sealed the game with a ball to spare in a last over, which was bowled by Pollard.
“In CPL, it’s obviously difficult to win games. Conditions and the toss play a massive role in that. We need to understand and accept that certain things aren’t going to be in our favour all the time.
“We’re going to be coming back (to Guyana) again for the playoffs. We’re going to take all the positives from this game, take it to Barbados and hopefully we could correct those boxes for us.”
The four-time CPL champions will get at least five days of rest before playing the cellar-placed Barbados Royals in their final preliminary match at Kensington Oval, Barbados, on September 12.
For that game, Pooran said TKR are hopeful to get back the services of Pakistan pacer Mohammad Amir, who pulled up with an injury in his final over in the team’s win against St Kitts and Nevis Patriots at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy, Tarouba, on September 1.
TKR have already clinched a spot in the playoffs and are currently second on the six-team table with 12 points.
