CPL 2017, Match 13, TKR v SNP, Review: Heroics from Dinesh Ramdin fetches the Knight Riders with their 5th win of the season

Match 12 of the 5th edition of the Caribbean Premier League saw the Trinbago Knight Riders go head to head against the St Kitts and Nevis Patriots. The Dwayne Bravo led Trinbago side cruised to yet another victory maintaining their dominance in the tournament. The Queens Park Oval saw an electric atmosphere at the stadium and the home team gave them a perfect treat by picking up the win.

Batting first, the Nevis Patriots saw their skipper Chris Gayle fail again with the bat as he lost his wicket cheaply at 4 runs. He fell victim to mystery spinner Sunil Narine giving the Knight Riders their first breakthrough in the match. However, his opening partner Shamrh Brooks made a crucial contribution with the bat as he registered 37 runs for the team up the order. The middle order did not live up to the expectations with experienced batsman Mohammad Hafeez and Brandon King failing to make effective contributions.

While Hafeez fell victim to run out scoring 13 runs, Brandon King gave Sunil Narine his second wicket of the day. Jonathan Carter made an effort to stabilize the Patriots’ innings as he chipped in with 31 runs. However, he was unfortunate to lose his wicket via run out. Big West Indian Carlos Brathwaite earned 19 runs to his name while Afghanistan all-rounder Mohammad Nabi scored 17. Devon Smith and Hasan Ali remained not out at the crease with scores under 10 as the team finished their innings at 158 runs at the loss of 7 wickets in their 20 overs.

Spin wizard Sunil Narine was the pick of the Trinbago bowlers as he picked up 2 wickets conceding 26 runs. Young Shadab Khan, Kevon Cooper and skipper Bravo picked up one wicket each.

The run chase:

The run chase was a bit of a worry for the Shah Rukh Khan owned Trinbago side, but it went down to the last over. The bowling side started with a bang as they managed to send back openers Brendon McCullum and Sunil Narine within the first 5 overs. The dangerous Kiwi departed after scoring a mere 16 runs, while pinch-hitter Sunil Narine scored just 5. Colin Munro took the responsibility on his shoulders to revive the innings but skipper Dwayne Bravo lost his wickets after scoring a single run, which piled the pressure upon the Kiwi.

Munro finally found support in the form of Dinesh Ramdin who played a stellar knock for the team. Munro bagged 36 runs to his name but the highlight of the Tribago run chase was definitely Dinesh Ramdin. Ramdin played a matured innings of 59 from 35 balls remaining not out till the end which saw his team home with three balls to spare. Skipper Dwayne Bravo chipped in with 20, while Javon Searles remained on the crease with Ramdin till the last. The Trinbago score stood at 161/6 as it marked yet another home win for the side.

Samuel Badree and Mohammad Nabi picked up 2 wickets each but that was not enough for the Nevis Patriots to seal the win. Carlos Braithwaite grabbed a wicket for himself but went for a hefty 44 runs in his 4 overs. Wicketkeeper-batsman Dinesh Ramdin of the Trinbago Knight Riders was rewarded with the Man of the Match award for his match winning knock which came when the team needed the most.

The victory marked Trinbago’s 5th win of the season as they continued their stellar form in the tournament. The men in red and black maintained their top spot in the chart with 10 points to their name. On the other hand, the Chris Gayle led Nevis Patriots were handed their first defeat of the season. They now have six points to their name but have played only 4 matches, which is two less than what Trinbago has played.

Brief Scores:

St Kitts and Nevis Patriots 158/7 (Shamarh Brooks 37, Jonathan Carter 31, Sunil Narine 2/26)

Trinbago Knight Riders 161/6 (Dinesh Ramdin 59*, Colin Munro 36, Mohammad Nabi 2/12)