Strong all-round show gives TKR third successive win

Explosive batting and tight bowling helped Trinbago Knight Riders beat Barbados Tridents by 19 runs in the ninth match of the Caribbean Premier League, and return to the top of the table. It happens to be their third win on the bounce, and they remain unbeaten in the tournament so far.

Central to the victory was an imposing total of 185 on a sluggish track, which is the highest total of the season thus far. It wasn't the quickest of starts for the Knight Riders, who were able to score only 27 runs for the loss of Lendl Simmons in the first five overs. But Colin Munro's 29-ball fifty didn't just redeem the powerplay -- picking 18 runs off Kyle Mayers in the sixth over -- but also imparted much-needed momentum to the innings.

His dismissal in the 13th over, caught by Rashid Khan off Ashley Nurse's bowling, couldn't have come at a better time for the Knight Riders though. Kieron Pollard walked out and scored 41* runs off only 17 balls. He partnered with Darren Bravo for an unbeaten 98-run stand for the fourth wicket.

As many as 69 runs were scored in the last four overs, with the damage starting with Mitchell Santner's 19-run over. Raymon Reifer's 20 and 13-run overs then sandwiched a 17-run over from Jason Holder featuring three wides. Both Pollard and Bravo hit four sixes each.

Tridents's response started with a 33-ball 52 from Johnson Charles (4 fours, 3 sixes) and nearly finished with that, thanks to Fawad Khan who bowled Charles in his first over. It allowed the spinners to take control. Fawad, Sunil Narine and Khary Pierre bowled 10 overs between them for 50 runs and three wickets.

From 68/1 after eight overs, Tridents slipped to 75/3 (10.1 overs) and then 120/5 (15.5 overs) before Nurse (21 off 12) and Holder (34* off 19) led a quick rearguard 45 runs for the sixth wicket. But it all came a bit too late.

Brief Scores: Trinbago Knight Riders 185/3 in 20 overs (Darren Bravo 54*, Colin Munro 50, Kieron Pollard 41*; Ashley Nurse 1-20) beat Barbados Tridents 166/6 in 20 overs (Johnson Charles 52; Sunil Narine 1-17, Khary Pierre 1-19) by 19 runs