TKR skipper Pollard not looking far ahead in CPL: One game at a time

TRINBAGO Knight Riders (TKR) captain Kieron Pollard said his team will be taking one match at a time and not concentrating too much on a top-two finish at this point of the 2024 Republic Bank Caribbean Premier League tournament.

TKR have already sealed a spot in the playoffs, with a record of five wins and two losses and three matches remaining in the preliminary phase. TKR are fourth in the standings and are guaranteed a top-four finish in the six-team tournament. The TT franchise defeated St Kitts and Nevis Patriots by seven wickets at Brian Lara Cricket Academy in Tarouba on September 22.

In an interview with local media after the match, Pollard said TKR are not looking too far ahead.

"Yes, we have qualified. We take it one game at a time," he said. "In any tournament, when you start you want to qualify first, and we have done that. The next aim is to finish top two, but if we focus on that we lose the process that we are trying to do each and every game.

"Tonight was the seventh game. We go back, we review and we look to come back again, plan and see what could happen on Tuesday (September 24)."

TKR, St Lucia Kings, Guyana Amazon Warriors and Barbados Royals have all sealed a spot in the playoffs. If a team finishes in the top two they will have two chances to qualify for the final.

Patriots posted a healthy 193/4 on September 22, before TKR responded with 197/3 in 18.3 overs.

In a TV interview, Pollard said, "The conditions were very good for batting, as you can see. They scoring 190-odd, (so) obviousy tonight the guys really came out trumps."

The TKR skipper expected the runs to flow at the Tarouba venue.

"We practised here last night and we saw how the practice wicket played. The ball was coming on to the bat and it goes to show when you give the batters batting-friendly wickets, they sort of express themselves a bit more.

"Having said that, when the wicket is challenging, that is where the skill set of individuals needs to come out. When you get a good wicket you capitalise on it, and when it is not so great, you try to be smart and get a reasonable total."

Jason Roy, who has been short of runs this campaign, cracked 64 off 34 balls. Roy and Nicholas Pooran's 93 not out led the way for TKR.

Pollard said they used the opportunity to reintroduce Roy into the team on a wicket for batting.

"When you look at the Queen's Park Oval track and the three games before that (Roy played), he had not really produced much for us. We would have done him more harm than good if we had played him in the Oval (last week)."

Pollard said waiting to play Roy in Tarouba shows how knowledgeable the TKR staff and team are.

"That is the nature of having experienced guys and individuals who understand the dynamics and where the team wants to go...we always knew that coming down to Brian Lara (Academy) was going to be a better wicket, giving him that opportunity so he could get that confidence going into the back end, because as one of our overseas professionals, we expect him to do well."

As usual in a home match for TKR the crowd was exuberant, making their presence felt.

"Fantastic again. We can't stop thanking them each and every time for coming out to support us. It is really a heartfelt feeling when you walk out on the field and they are cheering every single time, every wicket, every run and they just keep coming – a sea of red. Two more games to go here (at Brian Lara), (we) continue to look for their support and hopefully we can give them some more things to cheer about."

TKR will play Kings at Brian Lara at 10 am on September 24.