Pollard: TKR have a lot of work to do

AFTER his Trinbago Knight Riders (TKR) team were dealt a heavy 80-run loss by 2024 Republic Bank Caribbean Premier League (CPL) table-toppers St Lucia Kings at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy (BLCA), Tarouba on September 24, captain Kieron Pollard said there is much more work to be done by his team in the bowling department as they approach the business end of the tourney.

In their previous game against the cellar-placed St Kitts and Nevis Patriots, TKR chased down a 194-run target to complete a record chase for CPL matches at the Tarouba venue. TKR's victory on September 22 was powered by an unbeaten knock of 93 from star batsman Nicholas Pooran, who was dropped four times by the sloppy Patriots team.

Against the Kings on Republic Day, the TKR bowlers were again off the mark as the St Lucian franchise posted a daunting score of 218 for six before restricting the hosts to just 138.

In the process, the visitors grabbed their fifth straight win and jumped to 14 points, four clear of the trio of TKR, Barbados Royals and defending champs Guyana Amazon Warriors.

With ace spinner Sunil Narine sidelined by an undisclosed injury and allrounder Andre Russell not operating at 100 per cent, Pollard's job in the field got trickier when veteran allrounder Dwayne Bravo pulled up lame with an injury during the seventh over of the Kings innings.

Pollard stepped up with the ball and grabbed figures of four for 38 – accounting for the wickets of opposing skipper Faf du Plessis (59 off 43 balls), David Wiese (six), Roston Chase (four) and Man of the Match Johnson Charles who blazed 89 from 40 balls.

Pollard's input at the back end did little to impact his team's fortunes, as Afghanistan spinner Noor Ahmad (three for 39) struck early and often to dent the hosts' chase to help Kings to the 80-run win.

"I think from a bowling perspective when you look at the last couple of games, we have a lot of work to do," Pollard said, at the post-match presentation.

The four playoff spots have already been decided, and the race is now on for the top two places which guarantees a spot in the first qualifier. The winner of the qualifier goes straight to the October 6 final.

Antigua and Barbuda Falcons and the Patriots have already been eliminated from the tourney.

"You want to finish in the top two and you end up in a situation where you have to look around and see who can do the job for you going into the back end of the tournament," he said.

Narine and fellow spinner Waqar Salamkheil are TKR's leading wicket-takers so far this season with 11 wickets apiece. In the last three outings, though, Salamkheil has gone wicketless in 11 overs – conceding 130 runs in the process.

Against the Kings, Salamkheil found the going tough against a belligerent Charles who struck him for five sixes and two fours in the first two overs he bowled.

With both Narine and Russell battling niggles, and a limping Bravo leaving the field in tears as he retired hurt at the end of the TKR innings, Pollard was asked if he was concerned about the fitness of Bravo and his team's star allrounders.

"Obviously, (Bravo) coming out to bat wasn't to win the game. It was just to know the extent of the (injury). We're not sure if it's going to be the end for him (for the tournament).

"We have to win and do a lot of things. But at the end of the day, I think life is more important than everything else," he said. "I think we have got to a stage where it's just about enjoying life and seeing what's left in the tank."

Fourth on the table with a negative net run rate, TKR will hope to find back their winning form when they host Windies T20 captain Rovman Powell and the Royals from 8 pm at the BLCA on September 27.

In the previous meeting between the teams on September 13, TKR got a dramatic win with a ball to spare when Terrance Hinds hit Jason Holder for a six straight back over his head to clinch a tight two-wicket win.

In what will be the team's final home game before going to Guyana for the final leg of the tourney, Pollard and TKR will hope to make up for their heavy Republic Day loss.

CPL Standings after Kings/TKR match on September 24

Team*GP*W*L*Pts*NRR

1.Kings*9*7*2*14*0.959

2.Amazon Warriors*7*5*2*10*1.071

3.Royals*8*5*3*10*0.629

4.TKR*8*5*3*10*-0.087

5.Falcons*10*3*7*6*-0.592

6.Patriots*10*1*9*2*-1.479