TAROUBA, Trinidad (CMC):
OPENERS JOHNSON Charles and Faf du Plessis tore the Trinbago Knight Riders’ bowlers to shreds to help set up an emphatic 80-run victory for the St Lucia Kings in the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) yesterday.
Charles and du Plessis shared an opening stand of 145 runs, which helped set the foundation for the Kings’ mammoth total of 218 for six in 20 overs after they were sent in to bat at the Brian Lara Stadium.
Needing a big effort from their batsmen, the Knight Riders lost wickets at regular intervals and never looked like getting close before being eventually dismissed for 138 in 17.5 overs.
It was the Kings’ seventh win in nine games and extended their lead at the top of the CPL to four points over the second-place Guyana Amazon Warriors.
The victory was set up by Charles, who smashed 89 from 40 balls, and du Plessis, who served as the perfect foil with 59 from 43.
The pair didn’t take long to get into the groove, hitting pacer Jayden Seales for three boundaries in the first over of the innings.
Du Plessis took a liking to Akeal Hosein, striking him for a six and a four in the fifth over and in the ensuing over, pacer Chris Jordan was clobbered for a six and two fours by Charles to lift the Kings to 54 without loss after six overs.
Dwayne Bravo then pulled up in the field after attempting to make a catch to dismiss du Plessis to make matters worse for the Knight Riders.
Charles brought up his 50 in spectacular fashion off 23 balls in the eighth over by hoisting spinner Waqar Salamkheil for three sixes and a four.
The two brought up the 100 for the Kings in the 10th over before Charles again took advantage of Salamkheil, whose three overs cost 51 runs, hitting him for two more sixes and a four to end the 12th.
Du Plessis eventually brought up his 50 off 36 balls by hoisting Seales for two consecutive sixes in the 13th over, but Seales got satisfaction when he had Charles caught at long off two balls later.
In all, Charles struck eight sixes and seven fours in his innings.
His dismissal brought Tim Seifert to the crease, and he wasted little time in keeping the runs flowing in a 30-run cameo from 17 balls.
Knight Riders captain Kieron Pollard had du Plessis caught on the deep square leg boundary attempting another big hit after the South African slammed three sixes and four fours in his innings, to leave the score 178 for two at the end of the 16th over.
Pollard, who ended with four wickets, then produced an excellent spell at the back of the innings to limit the Kings, who had looked on par to score close to 240.
Despite the Knight Riders’ heavy firepower, they never mustered a serious challenge with all six of the Kings’ bowlers contributing to their demise.
Pacer Alzarri Joseph removed Keacy Carty for just two, Roston Chase accounted for the dangerous Nicholas Pooran for 10 and spinner Noor Ahmad bowled Tim David for 14 and trapped Akeal Hosein lbw for a duck, to leave the Knight Riders in tatters at 42 for four.
When Pollard was dismissed without scoring one run later, the run chase effectively came to an end, and it took a fighting 41 from opener Jason Roy and 27 from Jordan to add some level of respectability to the Knight Riders’ total.
Ahmad was the pick of the Kings’ bowlers with 3-29, while David Wiese took 2-27.