TAROUBA, Trinidad (CMC): THE BARBADOS Royals limped to the knockout stage of the Caribbean Premier League in worrying fashion with a fourth consecutive loss on Friday, this time to the Trinbago Knight Riders. The Knight Riders’ 30-run victory was set up by cameos from captain Kieron Pollard, who made 42 and the explosive Andre Russell, who muscled his way to 31 from just 12 balls, to help them post a challenging 175 for seven from their 20 overs. Player-of-the-match, Akeal Hosein, then ran through the Royals’ top order, as the visitors produced another lacklustre batting performance to finish on 145 for nine.
The result was never in doubt after left-arm spinner Hosein crippled the Royals’ run chase, snagging the first three wickets. He first enticed Kadeem Alleyne to push a delivery straight into the hands of Jason Roy at cover after making just two, before grabbing the important wicket of the in-form Quinton de Kock for eight, caught on the boundary trying to hit him out of the ground, to leave the Royals 13 for two. Kevin Wickham and Alick Athanaze stemmed the flow of wickets in a 53-run partnership for the second wicket that brought some stability to the innings.
But just as it looked as though the pair was about to accelerate, Wickham gifted Hosein a simple return catch to be out for a run-a-ball 23. Athanaze looked set to reach his half century, when on 44 he pulled a short delivery from pacer Chris Jordan straight down the throat of Roy stationed at deep midwicket.