Article by David Harris
Trinibago Knight Riders defeated Barbados Royals in a keenly contested match when the Barbados leg continued at Kensington Oval on Friday night.
Chasing a target of 157 runs for victory, the Knight Riders scored 159 for eight wickets in 19.5 overs; they needed 11 runs off the final over and seemed to be heading to defeat when Akeal Hosein was dismissed off the third ball with six runs required for victory, but Jason Holder bowled a waist high no ball and Terrance Hinds smacked the free hit over long off for a massive six
The Knight Riders were in trouble at 11 runs for two wickets after off-spinner Maheesh Theekshana took the wickets of openers Sunil Narine and Jason Roy.
Nicholas Pooran blasted 35 off 23 balls to give the Trinidad and Tobago franchise the advantage before he was out to a spectacular double from Rovman Powell and Holder.
The left-handed batsman miscued a ball from left-arm spinner Keshav Maharaj that was heading over long-off for six, but Powell caught the ball and flicked it to Holder to complete one of T20 cricket’s finest tag team relay catches.
Shaqkere Parris made 35 from 40 balls and shared a vital fourth-wicket partnership of 44 with Keacy Carty who contributed a brisk 32 off 21 balls, at that stage the Knight Riders appeared to be well on track needing 51 runs for victory off 36 balls.
The reintroduction of Theekshana in the 15 th over lured Parris into a false shot triggering a collapse from the Knight Riders. It set up a grandstand finish until Hinds’ late heroics stunned the local fans. Theekshana picked up three wickets for 26 runs, medium pacer Obed McCoy took two for 30.
Earlier, the Royals scored 156 for seven, after the Knight Riders won the toss and opted to field Powell made 59, and Quinton de Kock got 39. Left-arm spinner Waqar Salamkeil captured three wickets for 13 runs, and Narine grabbled two for 16.
