CPL 2018: Darren Bravo guides Knight Riders to thrilling victory over Lucia Stars

Aug.17 (CRICKETNMORE) - An outrageous 94 not out off 36 balls from Darren Bravo, ably supported by Brendon McCullum (68 from 42), propelled Trinbago Knight Riders to an extraordinary victory over St Lucia Stars as the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) produced

Having had such success promoting Cornwall up the batting order, the Stars repeated the trick with the ball. Handed the responsibility of bowling the second over of the innings, Cornwall promptly had the dangerous Sunil Narine caught – by Pollard, naturally – for nine. In his next over he won an lbw verdict against Chris Lynn as wickets continued to fall. 

 

McCullum and Colin Munro kept things moving, but when Munro was smartly held by debutant Chandrapaul Hemraj at deep square-leg off Pollard the required rate had ballooned to 14 an over and the game appeared to be over.

Darren Bravo walked to the middle with other ideas. Initially he kept the ball along the carpet, with three fours off Hemraj in over 11 an early indicator that he wasn’t giving up, and two more fours to follow off Pollard in the 12th. In truth, he was only warming up.

The first of Bravo’s 10 sixes didn’t come until the penultimate ball of the 15th over, and even then it seemed like little more than an exercise in damage limitation. It was the 16th over that would really change everything. The first four balls were all struck clean and pure over the ropes as Pollard found himself unable to serve up anything but length and full-tosses. Thoughts of six sixes in the over were shelved when a miscue off ball five brought only two runs, but it was a temporary reprieve before normal service was resumed with another huge six to finish the over.

The Knight Riders suddenly had belief. The Stars, who must wonder just what they have to do to end what is now a 15-match run without victory, suddenly had none.

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CPL Media Release