CPL 2017: STS v TKR, Match 1 Review: Shadab, Munro and McCullum embark the fifth edition in blazing style

The fifth edition of the Caribbean Premier League embarks with a spectacular rendition of power hitting from two explosive Kiwi batters representing the Trinbago Knight Riders. Colin Munro and Brendon McCullum’s T20 extravaganza helped TKR open the account in some style and the home side were with nothing but disappointment.

The Knight Riders won the toss in the opening game of the season and they had no hesitation in bowling first. That decision indeed worked wonders for the Knight Riders as the experienced Johnson Charles was outdone in the very second over of the innings by Khary Pierre.

Kamran Akmal‘s horrendous fate saw him back in the pavilion in the fourth over as an excellent direct hit from Sunil Narine in his own bowling ran the Pakistani out. The explosive Andre Fletcher(26 off 27 balls) who has the ability to clear the longest boundaries in the world with ease, struggled a lot in picking up singles.

Marlon Samuels’ experience too didn’t help Darren Sammy’s side take any leap in the game as the TKR bowlers were spot on with their line and length. Samuels was dismissed by Kevon Cooper and to add more salt on the wound, Fletcher too walked back a couple of overs later. He was caught plumb in front of the stumps off Shadab Khan.

The comeback man Jesse Ryder hit a couple of boundaries but just like any other players, he didn’t get going. He and the big man Rahkeem Cornwall had a bad time in the middle and the run rate just kept dipping. Both these players eventually got dismissed attempting something audacious by Dwayne Bravo and Shadab and St. Lucia were struggling badly at 95 for the loss of six in 16 overs.

With just four overs left, Kyle Mayers provided a solid finish to the innings. He struck a boundary and two sixes on his way to a 15 ball 25 and that ensured the hosts to a respectable total. A six off the penultimate ball from Mayers helped them finish at 132 for the loss of nine wickets. Shadab and Dwayne Bravo picked a brace each with both of them conceding at less than 6 an over.

Kiwi duo dismantle Sammy and company

Sunil Narine fell in the very first over the second innings and things did seem like taking an interesting turn in the context of the match. But nothing like that happened as the former Kiwi captain Brendon McCullum rolled back the years with some mind boggling power hitting and Colin Munro showed why his teammates rate him so highly.

The next few overs in the power-play passed by normally but that was the silence before a thunderous storm. The destruction embarked with a couple of fours from Munro and a six from the bat of McCullum. McCullum towered another couple of sixes and they finished at 57 for the loss of six in the power play.

Skipper Darren Sammy was not treated with any sort respect in his first over as he was absolutely clobbered to all parts by Munro. The southpaw’s exploits yielded 21 off that over. Munro completed his fifty and after collecting 14 runs in the eighth over, Rahkeem Cornwall was taken for 18 runs in the 9th over. The poor man couldn’t do anything but watch the former Kiwi captain deal in sixes. He too completed his fifty and that brought up the team’s hundred inside nine overs.

With a four and a six off Mitchell McClenaghan’s 11th over, Munro finished the opening game of the CPL in style and the home fans were left flabbergasted and humiliated. Munro finished at 66 off 39 balls with 7 fours and 3 sixes, whereas his senior companion finished with 58 off 27 balls, which included 2 fours and 7 gigantic sixes.

Brief Scores

St. Lucia Stars: 132/9 in 20 overs (Kyle Mayers 25; Shadab Khan 2/15, Dwayne Bravo 2/23)

Trinbago Knight Riders: 137/1 in 10.4 overs (Brendon McCullum 58*, Colin Munro 66*)