Off and running

BASSETERRE, St Kitts – Barbados Tridents crippled St Kitts and Nevis Patriots with spin, bringing them back down to earth with an 18-run defeat, to claim their first win of the Caribbean Premier League last night.

Playing at Warner Park just 24 hours after producing the highest-ever successful run chase in franchise cricket, and the second-highest in the format’s history, the jaded Patriots found Tridents’ target of 187 too much to overcome and subsided to 168 for nine off their 20 overs.

Englishman Laurie Evans stroked 64 off 41 deliveries but no other Patriots top-order batsman passed 13 as leg-spinners Sandeep Lamichhane (3-22) and Hayden Walsh (2-33) scythed through the innings.

Sandeep Lamichhane appeals for a wicket.

Fast bowler captain Jason Holder supported well with two for 37, claiming the wickets of in-form openers Devon Thomas (1) and Evin Lewis (12) cheaply to put the hosts on the back foot from early in the game.

Rookie right-hander Leniko Boucher had earlier top-scored with 62 off 47 balls as Tridents did well to get up to 186 for two off 20 overs after being sent in.

Leniko Boucher on the charge.

Former West Indies opener Johnson Charles gave the innings early impetus with 52 off 43 deliveries while South African star JP Duminy provided the late flourish with an unbeaten 43 off just 18 balls.

Englishman Alex Hales never quite got going and eventually edged seamer Rayad Emrit behind for 18 at 28 for one in the fifth over.

Boucher, who turns 22 tomorrow Friday, then arrived to anchor two key stands, first putting on 85 for the second wicket with Charles before adding a further 73 in an unbroken third-wicket partnership with Duminy.

Boucher smashed four fours and three sixes while Charles, dropped on eight by Shamarh Brooks at point off Emrit in the fifth over, counted four fours and three sixes.

Boucher also survived a chance on 15 in the ninth over to notch his maiden T20 fifty off 39 deliveries and after losing Charles to a catch in the deep, joined forces with Duminy, who hit a pair of fours and four sixes, to ensure Tridents gathered 79 runs from the last five overs.

In reply, Patriots stumbled early when Holder removed Thomas to a catch at the wicket in the second over and then had Lewis caught at cover in the fourth over.

Wobbling on 28 for two, Patriots were steadied by Evans who posted 36 for the third wicket with Jason Mohammed (12) and a further 33 for the fourth with Brooks (13).

But Man-of-the-Match Lamichhane turned the game on its head when he removed both Evans and Brooks in the 13th over, and then trapped captain Carlos Brathwaite lbw for one in his next over. Brathwaite has been having a torrid time with the bat having failed to score in the run-fest against Jamaica Tallawahs.

In between, Walsh bowled the dangerous Fabian Allen without scoring, as Patriots capitulated losing six wickets for 22 runs.

Dominic Drakes, son of former West Indies fast-bowling all-rounder Vasbert Drakes, created some fireworks late on, belting three fours and three sixes in a 14-ball unbeaten 34, the highest score by a number 11 in CPL history, but his effort was too little too late.

Barbados Tridents skipper Jason Holder said after the game that the availability of quality leg spinners could be a critical component for the team if it were to successfully challenge for the Caribbean Premier League title.

“It’s really good to have two quality wicket-taking leg spinners in the middle for us.  I think that is one of the things we really missed last year,” Holder said.

“To have Sandeep coming in and bowling as he did for us was a plus and also Hayden coming back to finish off expertly,” he added.