The Barbados Tridents players will be glued to their television sets at noon today, when the St Lucia Zouks take on the Jamaica Tallawahs at the Central Broward Regional Park Stadium in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
If the Zouks can get a win, it will almost put Tridents out of the tournament even if they win their clash later in the evening against the Guyana Amazon Warriors. Tallawahs have already qualified for the playoffs in St Kitts with 13 points and two matches in hand. Also joining them are the Warriors with 12 points and one match to go.
The fact that Warriors hammered Tridents on Thursday night at Broward, makes it a lot easier for the Zouks and Trinbago Knight Riders (TKR) to make the playoffs. TKR was scheduled to play St Kitts/Nevis Patriots last night and they play them again tomorrow at noon. One win will take them to the playoffs.
Tridents have their eyes fixed on the Zouks, looking for them to take down Tallawahs today. Tridents will then shift their focus to the TKR and hope they are beaten by the Patriots twice. The Patriots prop up the standings with just one win from eight matches, so this is highly unlikely.
Tridents put themselves in that position after an inept display against the Warriors in their last encounter.
Batting first in the first ever CPL match in America, the Tridents struggled on a sluggish pitch to 142/7 in 20 overs.
They got off to a rollicking start getting 30 runs after three overs, but the experienced Sohail Tanvir and Rayad Emrit pulled them back.
David Wiese sent in to pinch hit made 40 but it took all of 31 balls and included three fours and a six. Shoaib Malik then took up the battle and batted through for the rest of the innings, getting an unbeaten 55. He faced 44 balls, striking three fours and two sixes, one of the very last ball of the innings.
Apart from the duo, everyone else struggled as Tanvir grabbed two wickets to continue at the top with 17 scalps. Emrit collected two wickets as well and leg-spinner Adam Zampa conceded just 11 runs from his three overs and took a wicket.
With the pitch playing two-paced Tridents score of 142/7 looked a fighting one but their bowlers did not read the script. The opening bowlers put pace on the ball which made it easier for stroke play and openers Dwayne Smith and Nic Maddinson rustled up an opening association of 92 which killed off Tridents hopes.
Smith scored 50 of 34 balls with five fours and three sixes and Maddison in his second match of the CPL, scored 50 as well. His came a little slower, as he needed 41 balls, hitting six fours and a six.
After their work the game was effectively over, despite two wickets from Raymond Reifer. (Trinidad Guardian)
