TKR look to Jordan for lift

THE Trinbago Knight Riders (TKR)will look to England's Chris Jordan for a lift after a comprehensive defeat against the Barbados Tridents on Thursday at the Kensington Oval, Barbados.

The 63-run loss saw TKR extend their winless streak to three after starting the tournament red-hot with four straight victories. Facing the unbeaten league leaders, Guyana Amazon Warriors, on Monday at the Queen's Park Oval, TKR are desperate for a win to stay in the top two of the standings.

Jordan, the Bajan-born pacer, was in Barbados to see his team lose badly but was not cleared to play. He travelled to Trinidad yesterday evening and will have two days training before making his debut.

Jordan replaces Pakistan pacer Mohammad Hasnain, who started the tournament impressively but was recalled for international duty.

At the Kensington Oval on Thursday, TKR were dented by the late-order hitting of left-hander Jean-Paul Duminy.Man of the Match Duminy hit the fastest-ever CPL half-century (15 balls), as he lashed 65 off 20 balls, inclusive of seven sixes and four fours, as the Tridents posted a score of 192/5.Duminy returned with his off-spin to take two wickets for 24, with leg-spinner Hayden Walsh jnr taking a T20 career-best 5/19 as the two-time champions TKR were bowled out for 129 in 17.4 overs.During the post-game media conference, Tridents skipper Jason Holder said, “(Duminy came in) and the momentum changed towards the end."

Johnson Charles and Jonathan Carter gave Tridents an opening partnership of 110 before the Tridents lost three wickets in the space of eight balls.“They hadn’t lost many wickets but a couple of wickets and we were back in it,” said TKR captain Kieron Pollard.He also touched on Walsh’s performance, as the leg-spinner justified his recall, in place of Nepalese leg-spinner Sandeep Lamichhane, who left the CPL on Tuesday to join his Nepalese counterparts at the Singapore T20 Tri Series.“Losing wickets in the middle overs really cost us a lot, and we found ourselves in a bit of a hole,” he said.Walsh, who was born in St Croix, United States Virgin Islands, was a Leeward Islands representative before moving to the US, where he plays along with TKR fast bowler Ali Khan.However, the Pakistan-born Khan came in for harsh treatment by a rampaging Duminy.Khan was hit for 23, out of the 24 runs conceded, in his third and final over by Duminy.“I don't know how to put that into words,” said Duminy, who retired from international cricket after the 2019 ICC Cricket World Cup in England and Wales. “It's an unbelievable spectacle, the CPL.”Duminy pointed out that he favoured Walsh for the Man of the Match award.And Tridents’ skipper Jason Holder spoke in glowing terms of the 27-year-old Walsh, who removed Denesh Ramdin (11), Pollard (three), James Neesham (duck), Seekkuge Prasanna (duck) and top-scorer Darren Bravo (28).Walsh turned the game totally in the Tridents’ favour after dismissing Pollard, Neesham and Prasanna in the 11th over.“I’m proud of Hayden,” said Holder. “He’s had a difficult time in West Indies cricket, he’s been in and out of a few franchises and he hasn’t had a chance to really get a good run of games.

“I spoke to him before the tournament and I backed him and gave him all the confidence. I’m just happy to see him come in and deliver. I'm just really proud of him.”