CPL 2020: Lendl Simmons blitzkrieg helps Trinbago Knight Riders crush St Kitts & Nevis Patriots by 59 runs

In a one-sided encounter, the Trinbago Knight Riders defeated St Kitts & Nevis Patriots by 59 runs in their Caribbean Premier League (CPL) 2020 clash on Wednesday (September 2). With this defeat, Patriots are all but out of the race to book a place in the semi-final of the CPL 2020.

Riders skipper Kieron Pollard rested both himself and Sunil Narine but they the Riders sqaud proved too strong for the Patriots, thanks to good performance by Lendl Simmons, Sikandar Raza and Pravin Tambe.

The Patriots used Sheldon Cottrell and Alzarri Joseph as their opening bowlers but they failed to keep Simmons and Amir Jangoo as they both scored freely. 

"Joseph hit Colin Munro on the hand, and when play resumed after a short shower Munro was unable to continue. Simmons took 11 off Rayad Emrit including a Hero Maximum, and then lofted Jon-Russ Jaggesar over midwicket. He followed up with a cut for four, and the Knight Riders were well set at 52/1 off the Powerplay. Jaggesar and Dominic Drakes kept the Knight Riders boundary-less between the Powerplay and drinks, and Darren Bravo edged just short of Chris Lynn at short third man. At halfway the Knight Riders had only progressed to 68/1," said CPL in a press release.

"Simmons and Darren Bravo managed only singles off Emrit. Joseph hit Darren Bravo in the head, but all was well, and Bravo ended a 35 ball streak without a boundary with a pull for four. Simmons too broke free, pulling Emrit for another Hero Maximum, before bringing up 50 off 42 balls with a single. Simmons hitting Jaggesar straight over his head for his fourth Hero Maximum to bring up the Knight Riders hundred, then cut for four as the Knight Riders took 15 off the over. Emrit went to Cottrell, but he went for 17 as Darren Bravo lofted a Hero Maximum and Simmons picked up two fours. After 15 overs, the Knight Riders were 125/1," added the press release.

Darren Bravo scored a huge six of Drakes to bring up the 100 partnership off just 66 balls. Joseph started the 18th well, but Simmons bludgeoned two sixes to take the Knight Riders total past 150.

"A Patriots bowler finally got a wicket, Cottrell getting Darren Bravo strangled down the leg-side in a good 19th over that went for just 3. Drakes got two wickets in two balls, as Simmons pulled to Cottrell to fall short of a century and Tim Seifert leading-edged and was well caught by Lynn. Raza survived the hat-trick ball, and stand-in captain DJ Bravo smashed the last ball of the innings for a Hero Maximum. Akeal Hosein and Khary Pierre took the new ball for the Knight Riders, and the latter picked up the dangerous Lewis, Tambe, belying his 48 years, took an athletic catch. Lynn and Joshua da Silva broke free off Pierre, each hitting a Hero Maximum with Da Silva also sweeping for four, but even an over of 18 only took the Patriots to 34/1 after six," said the press release.

"Tambe and Anderson Phillip put the squeeze back on, with only one boundary between the Powerplay and drinks, and at halfway the Patriots needed almost 12 an over. A Tambe maiden pushed that above 13, and with Da Silva going at barely a run a ball and Lynn going at well under four an over there had to be an acceleration soon. It didn’t come off DJ Bravo, and while Da Silva drove Tambe for four, he was deceived by the Indian leg-spinner and drove a catch back to the bowler. At the end of Tambe’s outstanding spell, the Patriots were 67/2 off 13 and needed well over 15 an over," it added.

Brief scores: Trinbago Knight Riders 174/4 (Simmons 96, DM Bravo 36; Drakes 2/35, Cottrell 1/32) beat St Kitts & Nevis Patriots 115/7 (Lynn 34, da Silva 29; Raza 3/15, Tambe 1/12, Hosein 1/15, DJ Bravo 1/17) by 59 runs.