BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, CMC – Barbados Tridents assistant coach Vasbert Drakes says the reigning Caribbean Premier League champions can still be proud despite seeing their winning streak halted by St Kitts and Nevis Patriots.
Playing at Kensington Oval last Saturday, Tridents plunged to their first defeat in four game in a thriller, losing to the previously winless Patriots by a single run of the last ball of the game.
“I think it was a fantastic game of cricket. Obviously we’re a little disappointed that we didn’t bring it home at the end there,” Drakes said.
“Like anything else, the margin for error is so small in these T20 games. The minute you’re behind the eight-ball it’s going to be very difficult. At the end of the day, I think we’re very happy that even though we lost the game, we still competed.”
Tridents entered the game on the back of victories over last year’s losing finalists, Guyana Amazon Warriors, 2013 champions Jamaica Tallawahs and Trinidad and Tobago Red Steel.
They limited Patriots to 143 for eight but then slipped to 14 for three after five overs and then struggled to recover despite a brilliant 82 from captain Kieron Pollard.
He put on 93 for the fourth wicket with Shoaib Malik who scored 35, and Drakes said the partnership nearly won Tridents the game.
“I don’t think anything really went wrong. I thought they bowled really well up front and put us under pressure,” the former West Indies player said.
“They took the wickets and we had to consolidate. Pollard played a fantastic innings and got us back into it along with Shoaib, who also got us back into the game.”
Barbados will now go on the road where they face St Lucia Zouks in their first game on Wednesday and Drakes believes the side can extend their success.
“We have momentum so we just need to build on it,” he stressed.
