Tridents secure playoff spot with last-gasp win

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados (CMC):

Gudakesh Motie smashed two boundaries in the final over to help the Barbados Tridents edge the Jamaica Kingsmen by two wickets off the last ball of the match and march into the Republic Bank Caribbean Premier League playoffs here at Kensington Oval on Saturday night.

With 17 runs required for victory off the last over bowled by pacer Odean Smith, Motie blasted the first delivery through backward point for four and the second legitimate ball over long off for six before scampering a single off the last ball, as the Tridents finished on 151 for eight in pursuit of the Kingsmen’s total of 150 for nine.

The result propelled the Tridents into the playoffs after missing out last year and set up a rematch in the Eliminator against the fourth-placed Kingsmen on Wednesday, who also advanced by the slightest of margins, despite the loss.

Both the Kingsmen and St Lucia Kings ended on eight points, but the Kingsmen had a superior net run rate of -0.085 compared to the Kings’ -0.887.

Having been sent in to bat, the Kingsmen got off to a decent start, thanks mainly to Maaz Sadaqat’s 47 off 34 balls, which carried them to 73 for one at the end of eight overs.

The Tridents’ bowlers, led by fast bowler Jakeem Pollard, got their side back into the contest once Motie had Usman Khan caught at long on for 18.

Sadaqat also perished trying to hit Motie out of the ground and, when Pollard undid skipper Rovman Powell with a short delivery that he could only top edge to fine leg, the Kingsmen were in trouble at 95 for four.

Andre Russell was deceived by a slower delivery from Daniel Sams which he sliced to Zachary Carter at gully, and Pollard dismissed both Keemo Paul and Keacy Carty to get into the tail.

Pollard claimed his best-ever T20 figures of 3-38, Motie took 2-7, and Sams 2-41.

The Tridents got off to a rough start in their chase, losing Carter for three, Brandon King for 18 and Rivaldo Clarke by the run-out route for one to see them flop to 33 for three in the sixth over.

Quinton de Kock and Shadrack Descarte added 30 runs for the fourth wicket before left-arm wrist spinner Vitel Lawes had the former caught for 14 off 16 balls to put the Kingsmen in control of the contest.

The match looked to be over when Sherfane Rutherford was run out for five to make the score 76 for five in the 14th over, but Descarte kept the Tridents in the match with some crucial boundaries.

He hammered Lawes for two sixes in the ensuing over to move into the 40s and brought up his half-century off 36 balls with a single to square leg.

But, just as he was looking to accelerate, Descarte hit Andre Russell into the hands of deep midwicket to be out for 56 off 42 balls, with six fours and two sixes, to make the score 106 for seven.

Captain Chris Green chipped in with 17 runs but, ultimately, the match was decided by Player-of-the-Match Motie’s late heroics.