The 23rd game of the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) proved to be a one-sided contest. Table-toppers Trinbago Knight Riders (TKR) bulldozed over bottom-placed St Kitts and Nevis Patriots (SKP) on Wednesday at the Brian Lara Stadium in Tarouba.
SKP skipper Rayad Emrit opted to bowl first after winning the toss. The spectators were treated with ‘the Lendl Simmons show’ upfront.
96 fro 63 balls! Lendl Simmons was on Fire today and helped get Trinbago Knight Riders reach a match winning score #CPL20 #CricketPlayedLouder #TKRvSKP pic.twitter.com/Y7lnOl8Uf8
— CPL T20 (@CPL) September 2, 2020
The flamboyant strokemaker announced his return to form in style with a majestic 96, which came off 63 deliveries. Simmons smacked seven boundaries and six maximums in the process and boasted a strike-rate of 152.3.
He was well supported by Darren Bravo at the other end, who registered a run-a-ball 36. The Knight Riders cruised towards a score of 174 on the back of a 144-run partnership between Bravo and Simmons.
Coming out to bat, the Patriots was never really in the run-chase, with the early wicket of Evin Lewis. Chris Lynn (34) and Joshua da Silva (29) consumed way too many deliveries upfront and could not take the game deep.
After Lynn’s dismissal, the Patriots fell like a pack of cards and handed a whopping 59-run-win to the Knight Riders.
The Trinbago Knight Riders are still UNDEFEATED! Congrats and cheers going out TKR 🎉🎊. #CPL20 #CricketPlayedLouder #TKRvSKP pic.twitter.com/IJVidMq41F
— CPL T20 (@CPL) September 2, 2020
Akeal Hosein (1/15), Pravin Tambe (1/12) and Sikander Raza (3/15) were the pick of the bowlers for the Knight Riders.
48 and flying! Pravin Tambe takes a screamer to take the Googly Magic Moment of the game! What a catch! #CPL20 #CricketPlayedLouder #TKRvSKP pic.twitter.com/xsJC49T2Zi
— CPL T20 (@CPL) September 2, 2020
TKR proved to be the team to beat in the tournament yet again as they created history by becoming the second side in the CPL to win eight matches in a row. They dismantled the opposition even without the presence of Kieron Pollard and Sunil Narine.
Simmons was adjudged as the ‘Player of the Match’ for setting up the victory for the Knight Riders.
