Gayle warns Patriots to be wary

Sunil Narine PHOTOS BY ROGER JACOB
Sunil Narine PHOTOS BY ROGER JACOB

A BRILLIANT all round performance from Sunil Narine and a half century from youngster Tion Webster led Trinbago Knight Riders (TKR) to their second consecutive win to start the 2019 Hero Caribbean Premier League T20 Tournament at the Queen's Park Oval in St Clair, on Friday night.

After defeating St Kitts/Nevis Patriots by 11 runs on Wednesday, TKR got past Jamaica Tallawahs by 22 runs.

TKR captain Kieron Pollard said he could not ask for a better start to the tournament. "(The tournament) has been going well. Getting two wins the start of a tournament you take that any day. Obviously not as smooth as we would like, but sometimes in life you have to be contented and I think we are contented as a team to get the W (win). We have areas to work on as you can see in the field, but having said that I think the guys played well to beat a strong Tallawahs line-up."

Tallawahs captain Chris Gayle said is not worried about his team's performance and knows they will bounce back. "It is the first game...I have no fingers to point to be honest with you. I am happy the guys got a bit of a (work) out.

"Preparation has been good, so I am really happy the guys got a feel (for the tournament). The next game coming I am sure you are going to see a total different Tallawahs team, so (the) next team should be a little wary about us." Tallawahs will face Patriots at Warner Park in St Kitts in their next match, on Tuesday.

Batting first, TKR pair Webster and Narine put on 74 for the second wicket in blistering time after losing Lendl Simmons for 11. Narine, who has been struggling for TKR at the top of the order, went on a rampage especially against the Tallawahs pacers. Narine got TKR to 50 after only 3.5 overs when he struck fast bowler Oshane Thomas for a six over cover. Tallawahs bowled eight wides in the innings adding to TKR's lightning start.

Narine fell for 46 off 22 deliveries when he was caught at long on. Jimmy Neesham's stay at the crease was brief as he was caught and bowled by off-spinner Steven Jacobs for six. At drinks TKR were 93/3 after 9.3 overs.

Opener Webster, who was willing to support Narine, entertained the sold-out crowd with a six, followed by back-to-back fours off pace bowler Shamar Springer to push TKR past 100. Jacobs turned from hero to villain when he dropped a fairly simple catch at fine leg to give Denesh Ramdin a chance. After Ramdin was bowled for 21 by Andre Russell, the Tallawahs bowled a few tight overs that brought them back in the match.

Pollard did not have the same fluency he showed on Wednesday night, but he still managed 33 not out off 21 balls with four fours. Webster, 24, closed on a topscore of 66 not out off 49 deliveries that included seven fours and two sixes to help TKR to 191/4 after 20 overs. The youngster grabbed the opportunity to play in the absence of batsmen Colin Munro, Darren Bravo and Dwayne Bravo.

Jacobs was the pick of the bowlers with 1/14 from two overs.

Tallawahs got off to a slow start progressing to 31/1 after five overs when Narine bowled Glenn Phillips for six.

Gayle, returning to the Tallawahs this season, after a few massive sixes fell for 28 caught by substitute fielder Akeal Hosein for 28 on a second attempt at deep midwicket.

Tallawahs sunk to 44/3 in the eighth over when leg-spinner Seekkuge Prasanna got the wicket of Rovman Powell caught at deep midwicket by Khary Pierre.

Spinners Pierre and Prasanna stifled the Tallawahs batsmen bowling in tandem as after nine overs they were 51/3 with the required run rate almost 13 runs an over.

Chadwick Walton gave his team a boost with a six and two fours in one over off Neesham to get Tallawahs to 83/3 after 12 overs. However, Neesham redeemed himself taking a catch at long-on to dismiss Walton for 28 as Narine grabbed another.

Russell, who suffered a leg injury during the TKR innings, tried to propel his team to the target but he could not get the job done. Russell was caught for 44 off 24 balls in the last over and George Worker ended on 46 not out as Tallawahs closed on 169/6. Narine and Neesham snatched 2/23 and 2/27 respectively in their four overs.

Scoreboard

TRINBAGO KNIGHT RIDERS vs JAMAICA TALLAWAHS

TKR inns:

L Simmons b Lamont*11

T Webster not out*66

S Narine c Walton b Springer*46

J Neesham c&b Jacobs*6

D Ramdin b Russell*21

K Pollard not out*33

EXTRAS (W8)*8

Total for four wickets (20 overs)*191

Did not bat: J Searles, S Prasanna, K Pierre, M Hasnain, A Khan.

Fall of wickets: 11; 85; 93; 140.

BOWLING: Thomas 4-0-39-0 (W1); Lamont 3-0-38-1; Taylor 4-0-33-0 (W4); Russell 4-0-37-1 (W2); Springer 3-0-30-1 (W1); Jacobs 2-0-14-1.

Tallawahs inns:

C Gayle c Hosein b Khan*28

G Phillips b Narine*6

C Walton c Neesham b Narine*28

R Powell c Pierre b Prasanna*1

G Worker not out*46

A Russell c Searles b Neesham*44

S Springer b Neesham*2

S Jacobs not out*1

EXTRAS (B1, LB2, W9, NB1)*13

Total for six wickets (20 overs)*169

Did not bat: J Taylor, C Lamont, O Thomas.

Fall of wickets: 15; 39; 44; 93; 160; 162.

BOWLING: Khan 4-0-45-1 (W1, NB1); Hasnain 4-0-33-0 (W2); Narine 4-0-23-2 (W1); Pierre 4-0-29-0 (W1); Prasanna 2-0-9-1; Neesham 2-0-27-2.

Result: TKR won by 22 runs.

Man of the Match: Sunil Narine (TKR).

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"Gayle warns Patriots to be wary"

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