New Delhi: Kieron Pollard took a four-wicket haul and Lendl Simmons played an unbeaten knock of 84 runs, as Trinbago Knight Riders defeated St Lucia Zouks by eight wickets in the final of the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) 2020 on Thursday at the Brian Lara Cricket Stadium. With this TKR became the first team to win every single game in the tournament and lift the trophy in the process. This is the fourth CPL title win for the Knight Riders.
Trinbago Knight Riders have won the toss and opted to field. Chasing 155, Trinbago Knight Riders got off to a bad start as the side lost the wickets of Tion Webster (5) and Tim Seifert (4) by the fourth over and was reduced to 19/2.
Lendl Simmons and Darren Bravo then got together at the crease and the duo retrieved the innings for the Knight Riders. Both batsmen mixed caution with aggression and as a result, Knight Riders became the firm favourites to win the match.
HERO CPL CHAMPIONS 2020! TRINBAGO KNIGHT RIDERS!!! #CPL20 #CricketPlayedLouder #CPLFinal pic.twitter.com/0d5CwkxyBj
— CPL T20 (@CPL) September 10, 2020
In the end, Simmons and Bravo’s unbeaten stand of 138 runs took Trinbago over the line by eight wickets with balls to spare. Simmons and Bravo remained not out at 84 and 58 respectively.
Earlier, Kieron Pollard’s four-wicket haul helped Trinbago Knight Riders to bundle out St Lucia Zouks for 154. Put in to bat first, St Lucia Zouks lost the wicket of Rahkeem Cornwall (8) in the second over as he was clean bowled by Ali Khan. However, Mark Deyal joined Andre Fletcher in the middle and the duo struck runs at a rapid pace to take Zouks score to 60/1 after the conclusion of the first six overs.
Fletcher and Deyal put on a stand of 67 runs for the second wicket but their partnership was finally broken by Fawad Ahmed as he dismissed Deyal (29) in the ninth over. Then Trinbago skipper Kieron Pollard got among the act as he provided Trinbago the key breakthrough of Fletcher (39) in the 12th over, reducing Zouks to 89/3.
Your 2020 CPL champions, the Trinbago Knight Riders ?
(via @CPL) pic.twitter.com/So0ENkmHsb
— ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) September 10, 2020
Pollard continued to bowl in steady lines and as a result, he was rewarded once more in the 14th over as he had Roston Chase (19) caught at the hands of Tion Webster. Mohammad Nabi (2) also failed to leave a mark with bat and as a result, Zouks was reduced to 117/5 in the 15th over.
In the end, Zouks kept on losing wickets at regular intervals in the final overs, and as a result, the side was bowled out for 154. Pollard was the pick of Trinbago’s bowlers as he scalped four wickets.
.@TKRiders are FOUR-TIME @CPL champions! ????
Trinbago make it 1️⃣2️⃣ wins from 1️⃣2️⃣ matches in CPL 2020 as they beat @Zouksonfire by eight wickets in the final #TKRvSLZ ?????
A perfect season for the Knight Riders ?
? Scorecard ? https://t.co/852TYk0sYd pic.twitter.com/qMfX2f4czA
— Sky Sports Cricket (@SkyCricket) September 10, 2020
Brief Scores: Trinbago Knight Riders 157/2 (Lendl Simmons 84*, Darren Bravo 58*, Roston Chase 1-13) defeat St Lucia Zouks 154/10 (Andre Fletcher 39, Mark Deyal 29, Kieron Pollard 4-30) by eight wickets.
