Rashid Khan, Mitchell Santner
Rashid Khan, Mitchell Santner of Barbados Tridents (Credits: Twitter)

Defending champions Barbados Tridents (BT) could not start Caribbean Premier League (CPL) on a dominating note but they did just enough to start their title-defence with a win over St Kitts and Nevis Patriots (SNP). Despite the Patriots dominating the proceedings for most part of the game, Barbados Tridents managed to secure a narrow six-run win.

Asked to bat first, the defending champions started in a disastrous manner. 15 balls into the match and it looked all over for them as they found themselves reeling at 8 for 3.

Sheldon Cottrell struck with his fourth ball, bowling Johnson Charles before sending back Corey Anderson. Sohail Tanvir then accounted for Shai Hope to put the Patriots on top.

But before the Patriots could make further inroads in the game, Kyle Mayers and captain Jason Holder steadied the ship. Mayers launched an impressive counterattack to take the pressure off his side. Just before the end of the powerplay, he smashed two fours and three sixes in the space of eight deliveries with Holder adding one maximum to his name as well as the reigning champions ran away to 51 for 3 in six overs from 14/3 in four overs.

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Holder then got into the act by hitting Ish Sodhi for back-to-back sixes before the game swung back the Patriots’ way once more in the space of two balls. Patriots skipper Rayad Emrit sent back Mayers before Evin Lewis pulled off a direct hit to send back Jonathan Carter. From 69 for 3, the Tridents soon found themselves 69 for 5.

Ten runs later, Raymor Reifer returned back to the hut too while Holder did not last longer as Tridents were reduced to 101 for 7 in the 13th over. But Mitchell Santner and Rashid Khan came to their team’s rescue, scoring 20 and 26 not out to help the Tridents finish on a competitive 153 for 9.

Patriots falter in chase:

Chris Lynn started the chase in fine manner by slamming Mayers for two fours in the first over to collect ten runs. In the second over, the Australia hit another four off Holder before Walsh Jr dropped Evin Lewis on 0 as Patriots remained on course for a win.

But the tide turned soon when Mitchell Santner bowled a maiden and Holder kept things tight too in the fourth over. With the pressure building, Lynn sliced one from Santner straight to point as the Patriots finished the powerplay with 33 for 1.

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In the very first over after the powerplay, Lewis was run out before Ben Dunk took charge of the innings. The hard-hitting batsman looked threatening as he put the chase back on track. He hit Ashley Nurse and Walsh Jr for a boundary each to keep things moving, then sent Reifer to the fence and then over it for the Patriots’ first six to leave the Patriots 81/2 at the drinks breaks.

But before Dunk could inflict further damage on Tridents, he was sent back by Santner. At one stage, the equation was 31 off the last three overs with the Patriots still having seven wickets left in the bag. But in the 18th over, Rashid picked two wickets to all but seal the Patriots’ fate. With 20 runs needed from the final over, Patriots finished on 147 for 5 to lose the game by six runs.

Brief scores:

Barbados Tridents 153/9 in 20 overs (Jason Holder 38, Kyle Mayers 37; Sheldon Cottrell 2-16, Rayad Emrit 2-16) beat St Kitts and Nevis Patriots 147/5 in 20 overs (Joshua Da Silva 41*, Ben Dunk 34; Mitchell Santner 2-18, Rashid Khan 2-27) by 6 runs

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