TKR off the mark: Pollard, Udana leave Barbados in 0-2 hole

A FIVE-WICKET haul by fast bowler Isuru Udana in only his second match for Trinbago Knight Riders (TKR) and fireworks from captain Kieron Pollard got the defending champions back on track with a six-wicket win over Barbados Royals at Warner Park in St Kitts, on Friday night.

Royals scored a mediocre 122 all out in 19.2 overs, before TKR posted 125/4 in 16.5 overs.

The win for TKR followed their opening-day defeat to Guyana Amazon Warriors, on Thursday.

Only once had TKR lost their first two matches of the CPL – the inaugural CPL in 2013, when they were called TT Red Steel.

The Royals innings never got going, losing wickets regularly as Udana and the other TKR bowlers stifled their progress.

Royals were kept at bay in the early stages getting to 20 without loss after four overs.

Udana was struck for two fours by Glenn Phillips when he was introduced into the attack, but he got the breakthrough in the same over.

Johnson Charles, attempting to pull a short delivery, was caught by wicket-keeper Denesh Ramdin for 13 to leave Royals 29/1 after 4.5 overs.

In his next over, Udana removed both Royals captain Jason Holder and Glenn Phillips.

Akeal Hosein held on to a tough chance running to his left, fielding at deep mid-wicket, before Phillips was caught by Jayden Seales at long off. Royals were in need of a partnership with the score 42/3 after seven overs.

Shai Hope and Pakistani Azam Khan slowly started to rebuild the innings, but TKR kept the scoring rate down with disciplined bowling.

Hope broke the boundary drought when he struck left-arm spinner Hosein for six over long on.

However, Hosein got the last laugh as he dismissed the Bajan, for 20, attempting a similar shot.

Khan got the scoreboard ticking over as he struck Seales for two sixes and a four in one over to push the score to 95/4 after 13 overs.

Royals could not maintain the flow of runs as when Azam fell for a top score of 30 off 21 balls (two fours, two sixes), the innings quickly folded. The last six wickets fell for just 19 runs.

Azam’s wicket was Udana’s fourth and he completed his five-wicket haul when he sent Thisara Perara back to the pavilion for six.

Royals could not bat the full 20 overs as Oshane Thomas was the last batsman dismissed for duck by fast bowler Ravi Rampaul.

Udana ended with 5/21 in four overs and Rampaul took 2/13 in 3.2 overs.

In response, TKR got off to a dismal start reduced to 18/3 in the fifth over with Sunil Narine (duck), Lendl Simmons (five) and Colin Munro (eight) all falling cheaply. Pakistani left-arm pacer Mohammad Amir was the star grabbing all three wickets.

Tim Seifert and Denesh Ramdin tried to restore the inning, but after putting on 20 runs Seifert was caught at the square leg boundary for 15 to give fast bowler Oshane Thomas the wicket.

At the halfway stage of the innings TKR were in a spot of bother on 50/4 with Pollard and Ramdin in the middle.

Pollard and Ramdin played smartly in mounting a fightback by rotating the strike, before Pollard’s onslaught at the end got TKR to a comfortable win in the end. Pollard ended on 58 not out and Ramdin was unbeaten on 29.

Amir took 3/21 in four overs to end as the chief destroyer.

SUMMARISED SCORES:

BARBADOS ROYALS 122 (19.1 overs) – Azam Khan 30, Glenn Phillips 24; Isuru Udana 5/21, Ravi Rampaul 2/13 vs TKR 125/4 (16.5 overs) - Kieron Pollard 58, Denesh Ramdin 29, Mohammad Amir 3/21. TKR won by six wickets.