Tallawahs vs Trinbago, 22nd Match at Tarouba, CPL 2023, Sep 09 2023 - Match Result

11:52pm Right. That will be that from us for tonight. Hope you enjoyed our coverage as much as we loved bringing it to you. Until next time, this is me (Shashwat) signing off on behalf of Binoy George and everyone else at ESPNcricinfo. Goodbye and take care!

Kieron Pollard, Trinbago Knight Riders captain: (Most pleasing aspect) The way the guys went about it, especially in the first half. To bowl that many overs of spin was a job well done. (On bowling spin throughout the powerplay) It was more about the conditions and how our team is structured. I know they wanted pace on the ball and tried to keep them away from it. To bowl 14 overs of spin (and still get penalized)…the logic of this rule (the over-rate penalty) makes me wonder how we are going to move forward. Last game, it took just less than two hours and there were no penalties. Maybe we will have to go with 20 overs of spin.

Brandon King, Jamaica Tallawahs captain: Disappointed with the performance on the whole. We were 20-30 runs short. We did not apply enough pressure in the first ten overs (with the bat). (On his team's over-reliance on him) I have a responsibility to contribute to the team. If I don't get the runs, I would want someone else to step up and hopefully that happens moving forward. (On holding Imad back because of the match-up against Pooran) That is part of it. The ball was very wet and I did not want to introduce him at the time. After the change of ball, he came into the game. (On how they can turn things around) It comes down to mindset. A little more intensity. We are looking forward to the next game.

Sunil Narine, Player of the Match: (On what he enjoyed most) The way we started, the way the spinners bowled in the powerplay, that set the tone. (On how much the conditions changed) There was less dew bowling first. I want to commend the bowlers and the batters then did their job. You cannot ask for anything more (from the crowd). We have one more game and we can hopefully end on a high.

11:35pm A fairly comfortable victory for the Knight Riders, led by two vastly different but equally effective half-centuries. Pooran was his usual self, finding the fence often and putting the bowlers under pressure just when the situation demanded. Guptill, on the other hand, was composed, kept things ticking and flexed his muscles towards the end. Russell played his part too, as did Narine at the top of the order and this game has just proved by the Knight Riders now find themselves perched atop the points table.

Plenty to ponder for the Tallawahs, though. They did not have a huge score on the board and to compound matters, they held Imad back, perhaps because Pooran was at the crease. As fate would have it, Imad dismissed Pooran in his first over and also accounted for Pollard. There was not much penetration elsewhere, though, and the Tallawahs, unsurprisingly, could not make a fist of their defence.

They have now lost four on the bounce and while they are not yet out of the qualification race, they need to turn things around soon to have a chance of making the playoffs.

Pitman to bowl what could be the final over of this game

fred: "Why did the captain give imad the ball so late?" -- The only explanation is that he did not want to match Imad up with Pooran. The Tallawahs got too caught up with the match-up and by the time Imad came in (and dismissed Pooran), it was already too late...

Just three needed now....

That two-ball sequence might just prove to be the final nail in the Tallawahs' coffin. 21 needed off 24 now. Imad is back

Free hit coming up, and Guptill has the perfect chance to get to his fifty here

Allen, fresh from taking that spectacular grab, is into the attack now

Leg slip for Guptill

The cavalry keeps on coming. Here is Russell. Slip in place