DJ Bravo has Patriots dancing

DWAYNE Bravo’s trade to St Kitts and Nevis Patriots for the 2021 Hero Caribbean Premier League T20 tournament has breathed new life into the franchise.

The Patriots are currently atop the CPLT20 standings on ten points and have won five of their six games played in the group stage thus far. This has been the squad’s best start to the competition since they replaced Antigua Hawksbills as a tournament franchise in 2015.

They’ve never won the regional title but finished as runners-up position in 2018, losing to Trinbago Knight Riders (TKR) – with Bravo at the helm – in the final.

Bravo was however, ruled out of the 2019 edition with a finger injury, in which Pollard took the reins, but he returned to inspire the TKR to a historic fourth title, without losing a match, in 2020.

While TKR fans anticipated his return to the set-up for this year’s tourney, Bravo shocked the world with a trade to the Patriots, as TKR welcomed back wicketkeeper/batsman Denesh Ramdin in place of the ebullient all-rounder.

Bravo’s addition to the Patriots, as well as his appointment as team captain, has had an immense impact on the Patriots' performance. Currently, the St Kitts/Nevis franchise is reaping the benefits of the “champion effect”.

Of the squad’s five victories, Bravo batted twice and scored an unbeaten 47 against Barbados Royals in their opening match on August 26 and then seven against the Royals, once more, two days later.

However, he sustained a groin injury on Saturday while bowling against the St Lucia Kings. So far, he has taken eight wickets at an average of 24.12.

Bravo joining up with the Patriots also saw him reunite with former TKR coach Simon Helmot, who was part of the TKR’s successful campaign in 2015. He also teamed up with the 'Universe Boss' Chris Gayle, pacer Sheldon Cottrell and countrymen Evin Lewis and last year’s captain Rayad Emrit.

Fellow Patriots' players such as Fabian Allen, Devon Thomas, Dominic Drakes and Sherfane Rutherford have all sung high praises of Bravo’s leadership style, which has motivated the young squad to improve in all aspects.

Lewis currently heads this year’s batting leaderboard with 229 runs while Rutherford is third with 187 runs. Bravo is sixth on the bowling chart with his eight wickets while returning CPLT20 player and TKR debutant Ravi Rampaul continues to impress with a tournament-leading 13 scalps.

And just as Bravo has breathed new life into the Patriots, Rampaul had had similar effect within the TKR outfit. Although TKR, fifth on the standings, have won just two of their five games played, Rampaul has served as a key bowling asset to the four-time champions.

Rampaul’s figures over the past five games are as follows: 1/36 (versus Guyana Amazon Warriors); 2/13 (vs Barbados Royals); 3/29 and 3/34 (vs St Lucia Kings) and 4/29 (vs Guyana Amazon Warriors).

Of these performances, the 36-year-old fast bowler has been on the brink of a hat-trick three times. His presence has greatly bolstered the TKR’s bowling line-up and seems to have seamlessly replaced Bravo in their attack.

The only other pacers for TKR are Isuru Udana, Jayden Seales and Pollard, while the pair of Ali Khan and Anderson Phillip are yet to be featured.

From 2014 to 2017, he represented the then Barbados Tridents (now Barbados Royals) and was part of the team which lifted the trophy in his first year there. In 2015, the Bajan franchise also finished as runners-up.

After a four-year hiatus from the CPL, the former West Indies fast bowler joined his nation’s franchise and is causing havoc among opposing batsmen.

There are other WI players who have also shone with the bat and ball at this year’s tournament.

Like some of the Caribbean veterans, the younger players are also vying for possible selection to the WI team which will begin defence of its T20 World Cup title in October in Oman and the United Arab Emirates.

WI won the title in 2016 and seasoned players such as Bravo, Gayle, Cottrell, Lewis, Nicholas Pooran, Jason Holder, Andre Russell and Lendl Simmons are intent on solidifying claims for spots on the Phil Simmons-coached team for the 2021 edition. Simmons was the coach for the 2016 edition in India.

However, with good performances coming from TKR pacer Seales and spinner Akeal Hosein alongside Amazon Warriors’ Shimron Hetmyer, Romario Shepherd, Odean Smith and Chandrapaul Hemraj, the race for a place on the WI team is thickening.

Barbados Royals’ Kyle Mayers, Shai Hope and Hayden Walsh Jnr are yet to show their worth at the CPL but Oshane Thomas' pace have been impressive. The Patriots' Dominic Drakes and the Royals' Nyeem Young are offering hope for the future, as pace-bowling all-rounders.

For the St Lucia Kings, Roston Chase and Andre Fletcher are also looking good while, for the Jamaica Tallawahs, Shamarh Brooks, Chadwick Walton, Rovman Powell and Kennar Lewis are using this tourney to showcase their talents to catch the eyes of WI selectors.