TKR death bowlers seal top two spot

FAST BOWLER Ali Khan has thanked the coaching staff of the Trinbago Knight Riders (TKR) for helping him master the yorker which proved crucial in helping TKR defeat Barbados Tridents in the 2018 Hero Caribbean Premier League, on Friday night.

Playing their last match for the season at the Queen’s Park Oval in St Clair, TKR defended 180 by restricting Tridents to 171 for five in their 20 overs. TKR now lead the standings with 14 points after earning seven wins from nine matches. The Tridents were in with a great chance of winning the match as they were 134/3 after 16 overs, needing 47 runs off 24 balls with Jason Holder and Nicholas Pooran at the crease. Ali and TKR captain Dwayne Bravo bowled two overs each to help limit Tridents and help TKR to a nine-run win as both executed solid death bowling.

A combination of yorkers, slower balls and brilliant fielding helped TKR defend the total. In the 17th over which was bowled by Ali, Bravo superbly ran out Pooran for 44 off 32 balls (two fours and four sixes) with a direct hit in the covers to leave Tridents on 142/4. Bravo only allowed one boundary in the 18th over as Tridents needed 28 off 12 balls. In the 19th over, Ali only conceded four runs and got the wicket of Holder for 21 off 16 balls, caught at long off by Khary Pierre.

Bravo went for a four and a six in the last over, but the run rate was too much for Tridents. After leaking 27 runs in his first two overs, Ali finished with 1/39 in four overs, and Bravo ended with figures of 3-0-37-0 after bowling the 15th, 18th and 20th overs. Leg spinner Fawad Ahmed was the top bowler for TKR, taking 3/28 in four overs to win the player of the match award.

After the match, Khan said bowling yorkers is a delivery he has been trying to develop. “That has been my strength overall, throughout my bowling (career). It is just about practising and executing the plan. Our bowling coach Carl Crowe has been very helpful, and (head coach) Simon Katich. They give me a plan, I came out and bowled and executed it. Yorkers is my strength especially in the death overs in T20 cricket, I still believe yorkers are the best balls so I just come and try to save runs for the team.”

Batting first, wicketkeeper Denesh Ramdin top scored with 51 to lead TKR to 180/5. Ramdin faced 31 balls and cracked five fours and two sixes. Bravo continued his top form with the bat of late, scoring 33 at the end of the innings. Barbados Tridents fast bowler Chemar Holder and leg spinner Imran Khan took 2/42 and 2/25 respectively in their four-over spells.

TKR are now guaranteed a top two finish when the preliminary stage ends tonight, after winning their sixth straight match. If Jamaica Tallawahs defeated Guyana Amazon Warriors last night, TKR would be guaranteed top spot after the preliminaries.

In the CPL, teams have two chances to progress to the final if they finish in the top two after the preliminary stage.

After the preliminaries, the teams finishing first and second will play in qualifier one on Tuesday in Guyana with the winner advancing straight to the final on September 16.

The loser of qualifier one will have a second chance of advancing to the final. The loser of qualifier one will play the winner of the eliminator in qualifier two on Friday at the Brian Lara Academy, with the winner advancing to the final. The eliminator on Wednesday in Guyana, will be a match between the third placed and fourth placed teams after the preliminaries with the loser going home.

TKR will play their final preliminary match against Amazon Warriors in Guyana at 6 pm, tonight.