By Prior Beharry
THE Trinbago Knight Riders (TKR) are the 2020 Caribbean Premier League (CPL) champions.
They are the first team to win the competition without giving up a point. They ended the season with 12 wins from the same number of games.
TKR beat the St Lucia Zouks by eight wickets at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy in Tarouba, Trinidad on Thursday to win their fourth title.
Player of the match Lendl Simmons with his unbeaten 84 from 49 balls became the most prolific run scorer in the CPL, taking over from Chris Gayle. TKR lost only two wickets in their run chase – Tion Webster (5) and Tim Seifert (4). Darren Bravo was also not out on 58 in a 138-run partnership with Simmons.
The competition played in a Covid-19 bubble due to the pandemic had players and officials in isolation at the Hilton Trinidad with games also played at the Queen’s Park Oval. Spectators were not allowed.
Winning the toss, Pollard sent in the Zouks to bat.
Andre Fletcher top scored with 39 from 27 balls.
Mark Deyal continued his form with a well played 29. He was caught by Dwayne Bravo off the bowling of Fawad Ahmed.
Najibullah Zadran got to 24 and Roston Chase 22, helping the Zouks to a decent total of 154 allout in 19.1 overs.
Pollard led from the front with four wickets in his allotted overs for 30 runs.
Ali Khan and Fawad Ahmed got two wickets apiece.
TKR coach Brendon McCullum said he did not have to do a lot with the squad since the “fire was burning in the guys.”
Pollard was announced at the hero or man of the tournament. Pollard, Simmons and Darren Bravo hit 20 sixes each during the competition.
