CPL 2024: Nicholas Pooran's ferocious 97, Keacy Carty's unbeaten 73 leads Knight Riders to commanding 44-run win over St Kitts and Nevis Patriots

Trinbago Knight Riders posted the third-highest total in the history of Caribbean Premier League (CPL) to beat St Kitts and Nevis Patriots by 44 runs at Warner, Park, Basseterre on August 31. Nicholas Pooran and Keacy Carty went berserk as they shared a 112-run partnership from just 59 balls for the fourth wicket. Pooran scored 97 whereas Carty remained unbeaten for a 35-ball 73 as Trinbago Knight Riders posted 250/4.
 

Pooran, Carty punish Patriots’ bowlers

Earlier, Patriots skipper Andre Fletcher won the toss and opted to field first. Jason Roy did not score a single run for the first four overs. Meanwhile Sunil Narine went ballistic. Narine hit Ryan John for three sixes before falling for a 19-ball 38. Then Anrich Nortje knocked over Roy with a perfect yorker. Pooran took on Dominic Drakes early and hit him for a four and two sixes. Tabraiz Shamsi got a wicket from the other end dismissing Shaqkere Parris. Pooran reached his half-century from 21 balls with a six. 

In the 13th over, Carty was dropped by Odean Smith off Nortje's bowling. In the next over, Smith dropped Carty again. Pooran targetted Drakes' next over and hit two fours and as many sixes. He missed his second CPL ton by just three runs. Nortje got a breakthrough in the 18th over. His 43-ball 97 was laced with seven fours and nine sixes. In the penultimate over, Carty reached his fifty from 29 balls. On the next delivery, he was dropped again. Carty hit four fours and a six in the over. Drakes conceded 77 runs in four overs, most expensive spell in CPL history. In the final over, Carty finished the innings with a six taking the score to 250/4.

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No big knock in run chase

Ireland's left-arm pacer Joshua Little struck twice in his first over getting rid of Fletcher for a two-ball duck and Kyle Mayers for a single-digit score. Evin lewis walked out with an intention to attack. Mikyle Louis went after Little and hit him for three fours and a six. In the seventh over, Waqar Salamkheil broke the partnership with Lewis' wicket. The oper scored 39 runs from 23 balls. Tristan Stubbs started playing big shots. He hit Salamkheil for two sixes and a four before getting dropped by Carty. 

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Louis reached his fifty with a six off Narine in the 14th over. In the same over, he lost his wicket as well. Louis scored 56 runs from 38 balls. In the next over, Stubbs lost his wicket to Terrance Hinds. The Proteas batter scored 39 runs from 19 balls. The required run rate kept climbing up. Narine his last over knocked over Sherfane Rutherford. Smith failed to make up for the dropped catches and was dismissed by Salamkheil. In the slog overs. John's unbeaten 12-ball 25 took Patriots' score to 206/8. They lost the match by 44 runs. 
 

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