In a thrilling upset at Kensington Oval in Bridgetown, Barbados, the bottom-ranked Barbados Royals crashed the party for the Trinbago Knight Riders (TKR) on September 13. The Royals, already out of the CPL 2024 playoff race, pulled off a stunning victory that halted TKR’s push for the top spot on the points table. This loss marked TKR’s third straight defeat after a hot streak of five wins, leaving them tied on points with leaders St Lucia Kings—who still have a game in hand—while clinging to second place, according to ESPNcricinfo.
Rain pushed back the start, but once play began, the Royals fired on all cylinders. Their bowlers, led by Chris Green’s fiery spell of 3 wickets for just 9 runs, tore into TKR early. Ramon Simmonds and Daniel Sams chipped in with two wickets each, bundling the Knight Riders to a below-par 166 in 20 overs. Green set the tone by dismissing both openers in the powerplay, while Sams snagged Joshua da Silva with a sharp return catch. Keacy Carty soon followed, caught behind off Green, leaving TKR at 34/3.
Captain Nicholas Pooran and veteran Kieron Pollard tried to steady the ship with some counter-punching—they even smashed three sixes in one over off Zishan Motara. But the momentum fizzled out. Pollard departed for 36 off 25 balls, and Pooran struggled to accelerate, scoring 45 off 43. With TKR wobbling at 142/7 in the final over, Akeal Hosein sparked a late fightback, blasting 4, 6, 6, and 6 off Sherfane Rutherford to push the total to 166. It was a gritty effort, but the Royals smelled blood.
Chasing 167, the Royals exploded out of the blocks thanks to Quinton de Kock’s explosive 31-ball fifty. He and opener Kadeem Alleyne raced to 62 without loss in the powerplay, matching TKR’s early aggression. Hosein broke the stand in the ninth over, but by then, the Royals needed just 70 off the last 10 overs—they were in cruise control.
TKR’s bowlers fought back hard. Sunil Narine, Usman Tariq, and Pollard applied the brakes, sparking a mini-collapse. De Kock fell for a brilliant 55, and Rassie van der Dussen holed out as the Royals went 20 balls without a boundary. Suddenly, 45 runs were needed off 24 balls, giving TKR a flicker of hope. But Rovman Powell turned the tide with a savage assault, smashing 18 off one over from Andre Russell. Then, Sherfane Rutherford stole the show, hammering four sixes in five balls off Pollard to finish the chase with an over to spare.
What a way for the Royals to end their CPL 2024 campaign on a high! This Barbados Royals vs Trinbago Knight Riders clash will be remembered for its twists, star turns, and that unforgettable comeback. TKR now face a must-win scenario to reclaim momentum in the race for the playoffs.
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