CPL 2021: Simmons stars as Trinbago outplay Jamaica; St Kitts lose again

Trinbago Knight Riders thrashed Jamaica Tallawahs by seven wickets while St Lucia Kings beat local side St. Kitts & Nevis for the second time in less than 24 hours in the 2021 Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL), here on Monday.

In the first match of the day, Trinbago won the toss and elected to field. It proved perfect as their bowlers ran through the Tallawahs top order. Tallawahs got off to a poor start with five wickets falling in the power play. By the halfway stage of the innings, they had mustered just 34 runs. Once Imad Wasim (42), making his first appearance for the Tallawahs, and Carlos Brathwaite (58) settled, they launched a counter-attack and added 83 from 64 balls. Some late fireworks by Andre Russell (20) gave Jamaica Tallawahs 144 for seven.

While chasing, Trinbago Knight Riders overcame a rain delay. They were also aided by several fielding lapses though Sunil Narine was dismissed just before the rains came.

Lendl Simmons returned to form as his 70 showed the way for the Trinbago Knight Riders. Once play resumed Knight Riders easily chased the 145 required as Simmons and Colin Munro put together a 102-run partnership.


Meanwhile, after being unbeaten in their first five matches, St. Kitts & Nevis have been beaten twice by the same team, the Saint Lucia Kings in a span of 24 hours. Clashing for a second time in succession, St Lucia beat St Kitts & Nevis Patriots by six wickets.

St Kitts & Nevis, led by stand-in captain Chris Gayle, won the toss and chose to bat first. But with spinners Jeavor Royal and Samit Patel in full flow St. Kitts & Nevis fell for 118.

St Kitts & Nevis Patriots lost their two explosive batsmen Evin Lewis and Chris Gayle early. Youngster Jeavor Royal was the stand out bowler with three wickets, while Samit Patel was the most economical. A mix-up saw the dangerous Sherfane Rutherford run out and Fabian Allen was dismissed in the 19th over.


The Kings lost Andre Fletcher to a Fabian Allen delivery off the very first ball of the innings. They rebuilt via Roston Chase to reach their target of 119.

Despite losing Fletcher, Saint Lucia Kings still had the dangerous Faf du Plessis, who raced to 22 off 14 balls. The in-form Roston Chase saw his side home with a superb innings that saw him reach yet another half century, this time in 36 balls, it was his third fifty in a row at this year's CPL.

The Kings chased their target in the 16th over as the powerful Tim David helped take them over the line with a rapid 18 runs off seven balls.


Brief scores:

Jamaica Tallawahs: 144/7 (Brathwaite 58, Imad 42; Hosein 2/12, Rampaul 2/26); Trinbago Knight Riders 145/3 (Simmons 70, Munro 34; Imad 2/19, Pretorius 1/39).

St Kitts & Nevis Patriots: 118 all out (Allen 34, Thomas 28; Royal 3/20, Patel 2/15); Saint Lucia Kings 121/4 (Chase 51*, du Plessis 22; Allen 2/30, Naseem 1/11) - IANS