CPL 2020, Day 1: TKR , Barbados Tridents seal victories
A number of marquee players returned to action as the eighth edition of the Caribbean Premier League kicked off on August 18. The tournament favorites Trinbago Knight Riders beat Guyana Amazon Warriors by four wickets in a rain-curtailed opening fixture. Meanwhile, the second fixture saw defending champions Barbados Tridents handing St Kitts and Nevis Patriots a six-run defeat. Here are the key moments.
How did the two games pan out?
Guyana Amazon Warriors compiled 144/5 after the tournament opener was reduced to 17 overs due to rain. Sunil Narine's all-round effort helped Knight Riders chase the total comfortably with two balls to spare. In the following game, Barbados Tridents restricted St Kitts and Nevis Patriots to 147/5 after giving them a 154-run target. Mitchell Santner and Rashid Khan claimed two scalps each.
Hetmyer's 63-run knock helps GAW
Top-order batsman Shimron Hetmyer stepped up when Guyana Amazon Warriors lost early wickets initially. He took over after Brandon King departed in the first over. The left-hander stitched several stands with the middle-order batsman in order to secure a fighting total for his team. Eventually, Hetmyer settled for an unbeaten 63 (44), a knock that was laced with two fours and as many sixes.
Narine hogs the limelight with his all-round display
All-rounder Sunil Narine was named the Player of the Match for his all-rounder contribution. He was the pick of the bowlers, having returned with bowling figures of 19/2. Furthermore, his exploits with the bat provided them the required start in the second innings. Opening the innings, Narine smashed 50 off 28 balls. The blistering knock was studded with four sixes and two fours.
Mayers and Holder shared a 61-run stand
The St Kitts bowlers removed the top-three batsmen of Barbados Tridents for mere eight runs. However, middle-order batsman Kyle Mayers and captain Jason Holder added 61 runs together to steady their ship. While Mayers fired an aggressive 37 (20), the latter followed the suit by smashing a 22-ball 38. Notably, the emphatic partnership made the difference as Tridents later won by six runs.
All-round show of Mitchell Santner and Rashid Khan
In the bowling segment, New Zealand all-rounder Mitchell Santner rose to the occasion for Barbados Tridents. He racked up a handy 18-ball 20 as Tridents reached 153 after 20 overs. In the bowling segment, he claimed two scalps for 18 runs. Similarly, his team-mate Rashid Khan knocked an unbeaten 26 with the bat and later returned with bowling figures of 27/2.
