KINGSTON, Jamaica, CMC – Captain Kieron Pollard’s responsible half-century and one devastating over from left-arm spinner Robin Peterson helped Barbados Tridents fight their way out of trouble and trounce Jamaica Tallawahs by 17 runs in the Caribbean Premier League here Saturday night.
The right-handed Pollard struck an unbeaten 59 as the reigning champions recovered from 64 for four in the 12th over to reach a competitive 146 for seven off their 20 overs at Sabina Park.
In reply, Tallawahs were 34 for one at one stage but Peterson grabbed three wickets in the fifth over of the innings to break the backbone of the innings, and the hosts drifted to 129 for seven.
The South African finished with three for 13 while West Indies seamer Jason Holder claimed two for 36, including sending down a brilliant last over which ensured there were no late surprises with Tallawahs needing 22 runs for victory.
With the win, Tridents moved one step closer to securing a spot in the final, moving to ten points to remain top of the standings while Tallawahs remained on eight points, missing out on a chance to go level.
Opting to bat first, Tridents also got 27 from opener Dwayne Smith and 26 from Holder, but needed Pollard’s brilliance as only four batsmen made it to double figures.
Smith faced 25 balls and struck a four and a six while opening partner, Sri Lankan Dilshan Munaweera, made 18 from 14 deliveries with two fours and a six, as they added 31 from 25 balls for the first wicket.
Munaweera’s dismissal, off the first ball of paceman Jerome Taylor’s opening spell in the fifth over, sparked a collapse where three more wickets fell for the addition of just 33 runs in the space of 45 deliveries.
Going nowhere at 64 for four, Tridents were pulled around by a steady 58-run, fifth wicket stand of 39 balls between Pollard and Holder.
Pollard hit five fours and three sixes off 37 balls while Holder counted two fours and a six off 22 deliveries.
An hour-long rain-break held up Tridents and on the re-start, seamer Andre Russell grabbed two wickets – Holder off the first ball of the penultimate over and Navin Stewart two balls later without scoring – to leave the innings tentatively placed at 122 for six.
Pollard, though, ensured Tridents had a big final over that went for 22 runs, lashing a four and three sixes.
Tridents struck a vital early blow when pacer Ravi Rampaul knocked over the in-form Chris Gayle cheaply for 14 with the score on 18 in the third over.
The turning point came two overs later when Peterson, in his first over, bowled Australian Chris Lynn (13), had the dangerous Mahela Jayawardene brilliantly caught by Pollard at silly point first ball before also bowling Jermaine Blackwood for two with a straight one.
Opener Chadwick Walton, who struck 46 from 44 balls with two fours and two sixes, steadied in the innings in a 67-run, fifth wicket partnership with Nkrumah Bonner who finished 31 not out, but the task proved beyond the Tallawahs lower order.
