(UPDATED) After Terrance rescues TKR vs Royals, Hosein calls for ‘all hands on deck’

LEFT-ARM orthodox spinner Akeal Hosein has called for “all hands on deck” as Trinbago Knight Riders (TKR) gain momentum ahead of their 2024 Republic Bank Caribbean Premier League (CPL) T20 home leg in Trinidad.

Fresh off a nerve-wracking two-wicket victory over hosts Barbados Royals at Kensington Oval on September 13, TKR seek to maintain their winning formula when the first of five home matches bowl off against table toppers and defending champions Guyana Amazon Warriors on September 18.

Against Royals, all-rounder Terrance Hinds struck a match-winning six off the penultimate ball after Hosein rescued a slow-ticking TKR run rate in the final overs.

This after Royals posted 156/7 batting first, to which TKR replied with a nail-biting but triumphant 159/8 from 19.5 overs.

Hosein’s 20 runs from ten balls was not TKR’s best return with the bat but it paid dividends late on as Hinds finished things off for the visitors after Jason Holder delivered a waist-high full toss, adjudged a no-ball, which provided a free hit off the second to last ball.

Hinds made no mistake striking Holder straight down the ground for a maximum, bringing an end to the Royals’ three-match win streak.

In a post-match interview, Hosein said it was a nervous final few overs and was disappointed he couldn’t stick it out to the end.

“We were just trying to stay calm. Myself and Terrance were in a similar situation against Antigua and could not get over the line. Even today, I was upset to leave him alone (to finish it off). The trophy has eluded us for a couple of years. All hands on deck and good to have these type of finishes from the younger guys to help out the senior guys,” he said.

When Royals batted, they suffered a horror start as Rahkeem Cornwall succumbed to his third consecutive CPL duck — caught behind by Nicholas Pooran off the innings’ second delivery courtesy Hosein — followed by new batsman Alick Athanaze getting trapped in front his stumps two balls later, also without scoring.

On a shabby 2/2, opener Quintin de Kock (39) partnered with Rivaldo Clarke (18) to repair the innings. De Kock plastered fast bowler Hinds for 20 runs (two sixes, two fours) in his first over to push the hosts to 52/2 after the power play.

Two runs later, de Kock was bowled by in-form Afghan spinner Waqar Salamkheil which made way for Sunil Narine’s capture of Holder in the next over, trapped leg before.

Skipper Powell entered the fray and showed early intent but Salamkheil struck again soon after as he had Clarke play into Pollard’s hands.

At 76/5 after ten overs, Powell and South African David Miller (19) buckled down a bit. Miller got off the mark with a reverse sweep for four off Salamkheil, knifed Hinds to the right of backward point for another and then lifted Hosein over extra cover for six.

Powell (59 not out) also struck fast bowler Jayden Seales for a six and four back-to-back to help Royals climb to 108/5 after 14 overs.

However, Salamkheil had other plans and broke the partnership by trapping Miller leg before; the Afghan finished with the match’s best figures of 3/13 from four overs.

South African Keshav Maharaj (14) hit Hinds for four and Hosein for six before Narine sent him packing. In the final two overs, Powell amplified their total by singlehandedly scoring 28 runs from it to take Royals to 156/7.

Only spinners were among the wickets for TKR were as Salamkheil led while Narine (2/16) and Hosein (2/29) also chipped in.

Set at 157 for victory, TKR also had a shabby start as Narine fell for a first-ball duck, caught by Powell off Sri Lankan spinner Maheesh Theekshana.

England’s Jason Roy (nine) shook off the negative start with consecutive fours off Holder’s first over but was trapped leg before by Theekshana in the first ball of the third over. Enter Pooran (35), who met Shaqkere Parris (35) in the middle, and started hot with a boundary and six off the Sri Lankan.

Theeshana returned one over later to give up two more boundaries from Pooran and another off Afghan fast bowler Naveen-ul-Haq. TKR 43/2 after the power play.

Pooran glided fast bowler Obed McCoy for four past third man and then hoisted left-arm orthodox spinner Maharaj for six over long off.

Two balls later, Pooran miscued a big shot which saw Powell latch on to it close to the boundary rope. Before he fell over the rope, the Jamaican quickly threw the ball to an incoming Holder who caught it easily, for a combination catch to remove the big hitter.

In came Keacy Carty (32), who joined his countryman Parris at the crease. At the halfway mark, TKR were 67/3.

Parris opened up with the bat by rifling Maharaj over the sidescreen for six followed by Carty carting Holder through mid-off and extra cover for boundaries.

Theekshana returned to the attack and was instantly rewarded with Parris’ scalp, caught by Miller off the first ball of the 15th over.

Needing 49 runs from the remaining 30 balls, Carty hit McCoy for six and was then smartly caught and bowled by the Vincentian. Skipper Kieron Pollard could not find his form as was swiftly removed for three from seven balls as he chopped ul-Haq’s delivery onto his stumps.

Hosein entered and immediately got off the mark by striking the Afghan for four towards deep backward point.

Needing 32 from 18, Hosein did well to hit back-to-back boundaries off Holder in the 18th over. South African Andries Gous (one) was caught by Powell off McCoy put Hinds in with Hosein, needing 21 from ten balls.

Each batsman hit McCoy for one four before the end of the over, with TKR in the hunt for 11 from final six balls.

Hosein hit one and Hinds hit two off Holder’s first two balls before he bowled a wide. Another single followed but Hosein was then dismissed, caught by substitute Kevin Wickham, with two balls to go and six runs needed.

With fans from both teams on the edge of their seats, Holder delivered a waist-high full toss to new batsman Seales. Seales made one run and the umpire adjudged the delivery a no-ball, forcing a free hit.

Calmly, a heroic Hinds played Holder down the ground for six to notch a crucial victory.

“A total team effort tonight,” Pollard said, “When you look at the guys who contributed to the win, when some guys don’t do the job, the others follow up (and get the win).

“Well played to them (Akeal and Hinds after not being able to get the job done in an earlier match). We were really, really good with our fielding. To restrict them to that total, I would have taken that 10/10 times (before the start of play).

“He (Akeal) has done it fantastically well (in the powerplay). Well done to the bowlers (overall). There is obviously room for improvement always. Shaq and Carty were better tonight in terms of rotating the strike and putting pressure on the bowlers at the right moments, and that was an improvement from the last game.

“We continue to talk in the dressing room (about improving) and winning such games bodes well (moving forward). Well played to the Royals as well and in the end, we were able to come out on top.”

SCORES:

BARBADOS ROYALS 156-7 in 20 overs (Rovman Powell 59 not out, Quinton de Kock 39. Waqar Salamkheil 3-13).

TRINBAGO KNIGHT RIDERS 159-8 in 19.5 overs (Shaqkere Parris 35, Nicholas Pooran 35, Keacy Carty 32. Maheesh Theekshana 3-26 ).

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