END OF OVER:20 | 15 Runs | STKNP: 206/8 (45 runs required, RR: 10.30)
- Ryan John25 (12b)
- Anrich Nortje4 (2b)
- Josh Little3-0-40-2
- Nathan Edward3-0-37-1
11:08pm That brings us to the end of our coverage for this game. We hope you enjoyed it as much as we loved bringing it to you. Until next time, this is goodbye from me and Vairavan. Take care, folks!
ICYMI: Dwayne Bravo to retire from CPL after 2024 season
Kieron Pollard, Trinbago Knight Riders captain: (On Pooran) Fantastic. He is a world-class player and can do it all around the world. Not surprised. Main thing is not the runs he scored but how he shepherded Carty and continues to encourage everyone in the dressing room. It was a good batting wicket and they had a long batting line-up. Conversations were something like…we knew they could get off to a flier in the powerplay but we knew that when the field would open up, we have two world-class spinners who can contain. He (Parris) was impressive, he hit a good shot through cover against a world-class bowler like Nortje. The way he (Edward) held his nerve, coming back at the end, giving him the opportunity - that is something we need to do, to give them exposure and happy we could do that.
Andre Fletcher, St Kitts and Nevis Patriots captain: (On what they could have done differently) Execution with the ball. We had a plan and I did not think we executed well. We were trying our best to make the batters hit into the wind but we did not do that consistently enough. He (Pooran) is a class act and he took the game away from us. We were looking to find ways to keep him off strike. Keacy played a good supporting role. We had a few dropped chances and we have to do better in the field. Hopefully in the next game, we can do better. (Chat at the half-way stage) When we went out, I told the guys that they did it and we could do it too. Unfortunately it did not happen but that is how it goes sometimes. We all know what he (Louis) can do. He was a bit nervous at the start, and was sensing the crowd had come for him. But I asked him to look at the positive side and to entertain them because they had come to see him.
Nicholas Pooran, Player of the Match: It was definitely a good innings. Good pitch, small boundaries, it was important for us to get to that sort of total. St Kitts have a dangerous batting line-up and as we crossed that 200-mark, it was important to get as many more (as possible). As a batter, coming here, it is favourable and all about being clear. Sunil gave us the perfect start. Really happy that Keacy and I got to form a partnership and take it as deep as we did. I have been playing T20 cricket for a long time and have gained a lot of experience. I am growing nicely, understanding who I want to be as a player. Comes with a lot of responsibility and sacrifice. At the end of the day, I want to win matches and tournaments. I want to win the CPL and if I want to do that, I need to keep doing my job.
10:45pm A fairly convincing victory for last year's finalists. The Knight Riders took the game well beyond the Patriots with the bat, and the hosts could not muster enough of an effort in the second innings. There were brief patches of promise, most notably when Lewis and Louis were blazing away in the powerplay but the dawn of the middle overs and the introduction of Narine, put paid to their hopes of a remarkable run-chase.
Speaking of Narine, he was sensational as usual, going at six runs per over in a game where more than 450 runs were scored. He also bagged a couple of wickets. Salamkheil also did his bit in the middle overs, with Bravo also bowling tidily. Hinds and Edward also gave good accounts of themselves, although the former might want to cut down on the wides he bowls moving forward.