AB de Villers’ second half-century in three matches helped Barbados Tridents beat St Kitts and Nevis Patriots by 25 runs at Kensington Oval in Bridgetown and register their second win this season. A superior net run rate meant they moved to second spot in the points table, ahead of Jamaica Tallawahs.
Patriots were a batsman down in the chase because Kieran Powell had to be stretchered off the field and then taken in a wheelchair to hospital after a nasty collision with JJ Smuts in the 19th over of Tridents’ innings. Patriots were restricted to 155 for 8.
The win was set up by de Villiers, who forged two vital partnerships with Nicholas Pooran and Kieron Pollard during his 54-ball 82 to take Tridents to 180 for 6. Tridents had slipped to 29 for 3 in the sixth over, after being sent in, with Sheldon Cottrell, Alzarri Joseph and Samuel Badree doing the early damage.
De Villiers, who walked in at No. 4, found able support from Pooran, who injected momentum into the innings with three sixes off Smuts, the left-arm spinner, in the 11th over.
Although Pooran fell soon after for 38 off 19 balls, de Villiers was complemented by Pollard, who made a 21-ball 27, as Tridents scored 88 off their last eight overs. De Villiers, who was dismissed in the last over, hit nine fours and three sixes, including one that hit the roof of the the grandstand. Sheldon Cottrell, the left-arm pacer who broke the 83-run stand between Pollard and de Villiers, finished with 3 for 25.
“I thought 160 was a good score, we got more than that. I was pleased with the way we controlled the game,” de Villiers said after the game. “I didn’t feel fluent at the wicket, but was happy to pull it through and see the guys bat around me. Nicholas Pooran knocked it around well and took the pressure off me.
The first time I saw him bat, I told Kieron Pollard they’ve got to find a way of including him in the
national side. He’s a special talent.”
Lendl Simmons gave Patriots a trigger upfront by hitting three fours off Akeal Hossain, the left-arm spinner, before being stumped in the same over. By then, Patriots had raced to 35 in three overs. Faf du Plessis, the captain, walked in at No. 3 and saw Smuts and Brad Hodge fall in quick succession as Patriots were reduced to 59 for 3 in the eighth over. Tridents then choked the runs by not conceding a single boundary between overs seven and eleven.
When du Plessis struck David Wiese for a boundary to find some breathing room, Patriots needed 99 off 52 balls. Carter was reprieved on 25, and went on to add 21, but his dismissal two overs after du Plessis had fallen for 42 helped Tridents close out the game. (ESPNCricinfo)
Cover photo caption: AB de Villiers hit nine fours and three sixes in his 54-ball 82 (CPL/Sportsfile)
