Narine magic powers Knight Riders to commanding victory

Sunil Narine delivered a masterclass in all-round cricket as the Trinbago Knight Riders secured a comprehensive seven-wicket victory over the Barbados Tridents in the Republic Bank Caribbean Premier League at the Queen’s Park Oval in St Clair, Port-of-Spain on Friday night.

The defending champions produced a ruthless performance, first restricting the Tridents to a modest 127 for 9 before chasing down the target with ease, thanks largely to a spectacular 96-run opening partnership between Narine and Colin Munro.

Opting to field first after winning the toss, Knight Riders captain Nicholas Pooran made the bold decision to rely heavily on his spinners during the PowerPlay.

The strategy paid immediate dividends as the Tridents managed just 31 for 1 in the first six overs.

Pooran’s attacking field placements, including silly-point and short-leg positions for Kieron Pollard, created constant pressure on the Barbados batters.

The pitch offered significant turn from the outset, making run-scoring a challenging proposition.

Usman Tariq produced a magnificent spell, conceding only 11 runs while claiming the wicket of Zachary Carter, who had looked promising before falling for 28.

The 38-year-old Narine rolled back the years with a stunning bowling performance, finishing with figures of 2 for 14 from his four overs. The Knight Riders maintained their stranglehold throughout the middle overs, with wickets falling at regular intervals.

Barbados captain Chris Green provided the only real resistance, fighting his way to 27 before falling to a slower delivery from Pollard.

A late cameo from Rivaldo Clarke helped push the Tridents past the 120-mark, but 127 for 9 always looked below par on a challenging surface.

Any doubts about the target’s competitiveness were quickly erased as Narine and Munro launched a blistering assault on the Tridents’ bowlers.

The opening pair raced to 60 without loss during the PowerPlay, with Narine in particularly destructive form.

The veteran all-rounder, who had already starred with the ball, produced a pinch-hitting masterclass at the top of the order, sending the home crowd into raptures with a series of big hits around the Queen’s Park Oval.

Munro and Narine’s 96-run opening stand represented the highest first-wicket partnership of the tournament so far. Green eventually broke through to dismiss Munro for 37, but the damage had already been done.

While the Tridents claimed late consolation wickets of Narine and Pooran for 12, Kieron Pollard and Jyd Goolie guided the Knight Riders home with time to spare.

The victory provides a much-needed boost for the Knight Riders, who face the Kingsmen in another fixture Saturday evening.

CMC

Summarised scores

BARBADOS TRIDENTS 127-9 in 20 overs (Zachary Carter 28, Chris Green 27; Sunil Narine 2-14, Keiron Pollard 2-19)

TRINBAGO KNIGHT RIDERS 128-3 in 14.5 overs ( Sunil Narine 55, Colin Munro 37; Chris Green 1-20)

Trinbago Knight Riders won by seven wickets