In a high-stakes showdown at Bridgetown’s Kensington Oval on Sunday, the Barbados Tridents breathed new life into their Republic Bank Caribbean Premier League postseason aspirations with a dominant eight-wicket victory over the St Lucia Kings, snapping a three-match losing skid and clawing their way back into playoff contention despite still sitting at the foot of the league standings.
Sent in to bat first after losing the toss, the St Lucia Kings got off to a promising start, posting 51 runs for the loss of just one wicket by the end of the mandatory powerplay. However, a string of quick wickets and a lack of sustained batting partnerships derailed their innings, limiting them to a final total of 138 runs for six wickets from their allotted 20 overs. Opener Kamil Pooran led the Kings’ scoring with a quickfire 37 runs off 24 deliveries, while captain Roston Chase chipped in with a useful 34 runs from 28 balls.
The Tridents’ bowling attack delivered when it mattered most, with Player-of-the-Match Mujeeb Ur Rahman turning in a match-defining performance, claiming three key wickets while conceding only 22 runs. Australian paceman Daniel Sams backed him up with two wickets for just 20 runs, putting the Kings’ batting line-up under constant pressure in the middle and late overs.
Chasing a sub-par target, the Tridents mirrored the Kings’ fast start, reaching 46 runs for one wicket by the end of the powerplay. Opener Brandon King fell for 22 runs off 20 deliveries, caught and bowled by Chase in the fifth over, but solid contributions from the middle order carried the Tridents across the finish line with overs to spare. Zachary Carter hit a quick 32 runs from 22 balls, while Rivaldo Clarke recovered from a slow start to finish undefeated on 36 runs off 34 deliveries. Wicketkeeper-batter Quinton de Kock put the game beyond doubt with an unbeaten knock of 47 runs from 31 deliveries, which included three fours and two sixes, sealing the eight-wicket win at 139 for two in the 18th over.
Tridents captain Chris Green hailed the result as his side’s most complete all-round performance of the entire tournament, crediting the team for adapting to tricky on-field conditions. “Fielding was tough out there for both sides. It was very wet with a lot of dew, and a lot of rain had fallen, so really proud of our efforts, and those two batting at the end, seeing us home, was fantastic,” Green said post-match.
The skipper also reserved special praise for his young bowling prospect Jakeem Pollard, who has stepped up in recent matches playing on his home ground. “Jakeem Pollard coming in these for the last two games, has impressed straight away as a youngster in his home conditions. I’ve been really impressed and proud of him, the way he’s gone about it and really stood up to that opportunity and grabbed it with both hands. There’s a lot of senior players around this group, but the youngsters are the ones that are going to win us this tournament,” Green added.
Green also thanked the home crowd for their energetic support, noting that the atmosphere at Kensington Oval has been a huge boost for the side. With three regular-season matches remaining on their schedule, Green laid out the Tridents’ clear path to the postseason: “We’ve got three more games and, depending on results, if we win two of those, we’re qualified. If we win three, obviously we’re definitely in. It’s one game at a time, and we look forward to our next opportunity.”
For the losing side, St Lucia Kings captain Roston Chase admitted his batting unit fell short of the mark needed to secure victory. “I just thought that we were about 15-20 runs short. We were in a good position coming into the last five overs, and then we didn’t get that momentum in the end. They got too many wickets in clumps at the end there, and we didn’t get too many wickets when they batted,” Chase said.