The 24th match of CPL 2023 took place between St Lucia Kings and Trinbago Knight Riders on September 10 at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy in Tarouba. The match was highlighted by the outstanding performances of Mark Deyal and Andre Russell, both of whom played pivotal roles in securing a remarkable victory for TKR.
In the early stages of the match, both Martin Guptill and Nicholas Pooran, representing the Knight Riders, fell relatively quickly, leaving the responsibility of anchoring the innings to Mark Deyal and Lorcan Tucker. Deyal, in particular, had a slow start but gradually gained momentum as the innings progressed. Lorcan Tucker remained unbeaten at the end, ensuring that Andre Russell had a solid platform to launch his explosive batting display.
On the other side, the St Lucia Kings would have been disappointed with their inability to make breakthroughs in the middle overs. Although they managed to dismiss Guptill and Pooran during the powerplay, they couldn’t capitalize on that advantage as Khary Pierre and Sikandar Raza leaked 43 runs in just four overs. Alzarri Joseph, despite taking two wickets, also proved to be expensive. With a relatively modest total on the board, the Kings ultimately fell well short of their desired outcome.
Now, let’s delve into the performances of the international stars who featured in this thrilling encounter:
Colin Munro (St Lucia Kings):
Munro played a sensible and composed innings for the St Lucia Kings, remaining unbeaten with a well-constructed 72* from 51 balls. His innings included six fours and three sixes. Munro’s ability to employ innovative switch hits and rotate the strike effectively when needed was crucial. He also formed valuable partnerships with Roston Chase and Sean Williams, guiding the Kings to a total surpassing the 160-run mark.
Johnson Charles (St Lucia Kings):
Unfortunately for Johnson Charles, he couldn’t find his rhythm with the bat and was dismissed early in the match after contributing just 13 runs from 13 balls. Jayden Seals was responsible for breaching his defenses during the fourth over of the innings.
Roston Chase (St Lucia Kings):
Roston Chase played a composed yet impactful cameo, scoring 32 runs from 31 deliveries. He provided valuable support to Colin Munro during their partnership. Chase’s innings featured three fours and one six before he was dismissed by Waqar Salamkheil in the 13th over. He also displayed his bowling prowess by maintaining an economical spell, ending with figures of 1/25 in his three overs.
Martin Guptill (Trinbago Knight Riders):
Martin Guptill displayed promise early in his innings, striking one boundary and one six. However, his stay at the crease came to an end during the fourth over of the second innings as he was caught at long-on after scoring 16 runs from 15 deliveries.
Nicholas Pooran (Trinbago Knight Riders):
Nicholas Pooran exhibited aggressive intent in the early stages of his innings and appeared set for a substantial score. Unfortunately, his stay was cut short as he was dismissed by Alzarri Joseph on the last ball of the powerplay. Pooran contributed 15 runs from 11 balls, featuring two fours and one six.
Andre Russell (Trinbago Knight Riders):
While Andre Russell had a tough outing with the ball, conceding runs at a rate of 12 per over without taking any wickets, he made a significant impact with the bat. Russell, known for his explosive batting, bludgeoned an unbeaten 29 runs from just 13 balls at a scintillating strike rate of 223. His late onslaught ensured victory for the Trinbago Knight Riders.
Overall, the match between St Lucia Kings and Trinbago Knight Riders witnessed standout performances from Colin Munro, Mark Deyal, and Andre Russell. Munro’s composed innings guided the Kings to a competitive total, while Deyal and Russell’s heroics secured a memorable win for the Knight Riders. Despite the individual brilliance of these international stars, the overall result favored the Trinbago Knight Riders as they clinched victory in this exciting CPL 2023 encounter.
