TKR 250/4 in 20 Overs [Nicholas Pooran 97(43), Keacy Carty 73*(35); Anrich Nortje 2/37 in 4 overs] beat SKNP 206/8 [Mikyle Louis 56(38) Tristan Stubbs 39(19); Sunil Narine 2/24 in 4 overs] by 44 runs
The Trinbago Knight Riders collided against the Saint Kitts and Nevis Patriots in their first game of CPL 2024. The excitement in the build up of this game was at an all time high as the TKR fans were eagerly looking forward to having their favourite stars back in action. TKR aimed to start their season by putting on an impressive performance and clinching victory.
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TKR were put into bat first on a pitch which looked a belter for batting. The pair of Jason Roy and Sunil Narine took the field for TKR and aimed to provide a positive start. Narine wasted no time in starting off the way he always does - with blazing boundaries. He took full toll of the powerplay and kept scoring at a high tempo. TKR started off in a tremendous fashion but lost a couple of quick wickets with both openers departing to the pavilion in quick succession. However, Nicholas Pooran came out all guns blazing right from the outset. Nicky P was on a mission to smash boundaries and he wreaked havoc with his spectacular stroke-making. Soon after, he was joined by Keacy Carty, who played the perfect foil for Pooran who kept on smashing it to all parts of the ground. Pooran and Carty stitched together a whopping 122-run partnership as TKR aimed to get a massive score. Pooran fell tantalizingly short of his century as his iconic innings came to end on 97. Carty shifted to full gear soon after Pooran departed and blazed the last few overs with some incredible shots and finished on an excellent innings off 73 off just 35 balls. Pooran and Carty’s fireworks helped TKR reach the third highest total in CPL history as they finished on a massive score of 250 in their 20 overs.
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While defending the huge total, TKR aimed to bowl consistent lengths and keep putting the pressure on the SKNP batters. Josh Little who was on his TKR debut made an impactful start as he picked up 2 wickets in his first over. The bowlers kept on bowling lines which were difficult to hit on this surface and contained the boundaries which were crucial for SKNP in this chase. Narine and Salamkheil kept things quiet in their respective overs to build on the pressure. However, Miklye Louis and Tristan Stubbs paired up for an excellent partnership as they looked to take SKNP closer and closer to the target. The game seemed to be getting away from TKR but Narine brought them back with the crucial wicket of Louis. Soon after that Stubbs departed as well, as TKR grasped a firm hold on the game. The inevitable collapse was triggered for SKNP as TKR clinched the victory by 44 runs. They start off their campaign with a dominant win and a strong statement to one and all. TKR will be aiming to continue this momentum and pick up important away game points. All in all a terrific performance and a game to remember for TKR.
