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

He couldn’t do it. Two wides to start the over betrayed his nerves, before Bravo thrashed three of the next four deliveries for six. Miraculously, from the Knight Riders needing 85 off 30 balls, the required rate was now below a run a ball. Bravo launched a fourth Hero Maximum of the over and his 10th of the night to leave the Knight Riders needing just five runs from the last 12 deliveries. In just three overs, the Bravo-inspired Knight Riders had plundered 80 runs and turned certain defeat into certain victory.

McCullum was unable to see the job through, edging behind off Mitchell McClenaghan with Javon Searles falling the same way three balls later, but Darren Bravo was there at the end to see his side cross the unlikeliest of finish lines when Denesh Ramdin smashed the fifth ball of the final over for the 34th and final six of the night.

Things had all seemed so very different in the first half of the night. Records were sent tumbling as the Stars became the first Hero CPL side to produce three half-centurions in the same innings and recorded their own highest Hero CPL total for good measure. That was due in no small part to a blistering unbeaten 65 from 23 balls by Kieron Pollard; the Stars’ skipper reached his half-century in a Hero CPL record-equalling 18 balls, with seven balls sent over the ropes.

Pollard himself was merely continuing the good work of Cornwall, whose promotion to number three in the order at the fall of Andre Fletcher’s wicket for 17 proved an inspired decision from the Stars brains trust as the big all-rounder helped himself to a half-century.

There was also a welcome return to form for David Warner, who batted through the innings for his 72 not out from 55 balls.

Warner and Fletcher took 50 from the PowerPlay before Cornwall arrived to really get things going. After a couple of sighters he smoked Fawad Ahmed’s leg-spin over the ropes. The next over from Shannon Gabriel brought two more Hero Maximums and a one-bounce four over midwicket.

In all Cornwall smashed five sixes in his 29-ball 50, dominating a 79-run partnership with Warner before edging Searles to Ramdin.

There was no respite for the Knight Riders, though, as Cornwall’s demise only brought Pollard to the crease. His 18-ball 50 matched Sohail Tanvir’s Hero CPL record for St Lucia against Barbados Tridents back in 2014.

Pollard dominated the strike in the latter stages, facing 17 of the last 18 balls as Warner frequently scampered second runs to get his captain back on strike. Those last three overs added 61 runs to the total – a scarcely believable amount at the time, but one put firmly in the shade just a couple of hours later.