Final, Tarouba, September 10, 2020, 07:30 PM

Trinbago Knight Riders beat St Lucia Zouks by 8 wickets

Well then, that's it from the Carribean Premier League 2020. It has been one exciting journey, tempered all the way with fun and some great, exhilarating display of cricket. Needless to say that we thoroughly enjoyed the tournament and hope you did as well. Until next time, stay safe and take care of yourselves. See you soon...
The TKR players are shouting "We want Polly, we want Polly". Pollard wraps up his interview and comes jumping towards his boys. He lifts the trophy and the players go gaga and start celebrating. What a team, what a season they have had. Total domination, 12/12, they won! Simply superb! They are the true champions. Well done, Pollard and co.">">The TKR players are shouting "We want Polly, we want Polly". Pollard wraps up his interview and comes jumping towards his boys. He lifts the trophy and the players go gaga and start celebrating. What a team, what a season they have had. Total domination, 12/12, they won! Simply superb! They are the true champions. Well done, Pollard and co.
Kieron Pollard, Trinbago's skipper, says that it is a great, great feeling. He states that they have worked very hard for this, especially given the heartbreak that they had last year. Says that despite the unavailability of a couple of players, the squad did well to pull up their socks and put up a commendable performance. Goes on to say that even though Bravo did not bowl a single ball in the final, just having him on the field was electrifying. Pollard says that the whole team understood the different scenarios at play and praises Simmons for the way he played. States that everyone knows how dangerous a player Simmons can be. Is happy for the way the boys played throughout the tournament. Pollard is also happy to have played cricket during these testing times and is greatly happy that fans could be entertained during these times.
Daren Sammy, the Zouks captain, says that his side was about 15-20 runs short, from the start that they had. When one plays against a side like TKR, he believes that it is always important to be on the mark. He states that they did have TKR on the backfoot, right upto the end of the Powerplay, but adds that Darren Bravo and Lendl Simmons took the game away from them. Sammy says that Zouks have been resilient and that they have played a special brand of cricket. He further goes on to say that the way they played, it tells that one does not need superstars to get this far. Sammy further states proudly that it is in St Lucia's DNA to never quit. He says that everyone from the common man to the Prime Minister backed them. Congratulates Kieron Pollard. Thanks CPL for the opportunity. Ends by thanking everyone for the opportunity.
The captains' quotes coming up shortly...
Kieron Pollard is the PLAYER OF THE TOURNAMENT. Says that the feeling is fantastic. He thanks his team for backing him and making him perform exceptionally. Thanks his family for all the support throughout. States that he took the responsibility upon himself and wanted to step out on the field and perform at his best. Pollard says that across the Carribean and Trinidad, many youngsters come across, wanting to make their mark and he states that it is an important principle of the team to provide the young guns a chance to play.
Lendl Simmons is the PLAYER OF THE FINAL. He says that it was a tough chase but that he and Darren Bravo fought well. Adds that TKR have a strong bench and that all the players did well. Reminiscences that he did well in the last year till the semis but faultered thereafter. He took it upon himself to do well this time around and is happy that he could perform better this time.
Brendon McCullum, TKR's head coach, is up for a chat with Daren Ganga. He says that it is an incredible feeling. Adds that his side has worked extremely hard for this. From a coaching point of view, Brendon states that he himself has learnt a lot. McCullum says that the fire has been burning inside the TKR players since last year for a title. He further adds that Pollard and DJ Bravo worked very hard and inspired everyone around them. Lauds Simmons and Darren Bravo for the way they played today and finished it off in the end. Brendon says that when he took up coaching the TKR, he himself had a players' mentality and that he observed himself closely and slowly moulded himself into a coach. Stay tuned for the Presentations...
DJ Bravo of TKR is up for an interview as well. Says that he wants to thank god for giving TKR another title. Expresses gratitude to fans across the world for backing them throughout. Says strongly that the team backed themselves to win this game. He is off, singing and celebrating in his trademark style.
Sunil Narine of the Knight Riders is down for a chat. Says that he would have loved to play but also states that the team is strong despite him not playing, as well. Narine adds that they needed to go one step better than Guyana last season, go upto the final and win the game as well. He says that the atmosphere today is electrifying.
Earlier in the day, the Trinbago Knight Riders after opting to field started well with the ball sending the giant Rakheem Cornwall cheaply but little did they knew that Andre Fletcher and Mark Denyal would give the taste of their own medicine by stitching a partnership worth 67 runs. Luckily for TKR their skipper took the proceedings in his own hands and that instilled a ray of hope and confidence in them as they staged a comeback with the ball after the first 10 overs of the Zouks innings. Zouks ended up with 154 as they got bowled out in the process just at the start of the 20th over. For the Zouks Fletcher top scored with 39 off 27 balls as only 4 players crossed the double digit mark. For the Knight Riders Kieron Pollard was the pick of the bowlers with 4 wickets to his name as he was given company but Fawad Ahmed and Ali Khan. Do join us for the presentations in a while to know who is the player of the match and what the captains have to say.
Nothing much to say about the Zouks bowling after the drinks break. Lets talk about what they did in the first 10 overs of the chase. Sammy rotated his bowlers to perfection not allowing the opposition batters to settle into the rhytm of one bowler. That gave them their first breakthrough in Tion Webster.  The next one too fell quickly as Tim Seifert too departed in single digits . Nabi and Chase both bowled their hearts out in the middle overs and especially during the Powerplay to restrict TKR. Chase finished his 4 overs with figures of 1/13. But the Introduction of Kesrick Williams and Zahir Khan along with an over for Javelle Glen ruined their plans completely. Apart from Nabi and Chase all the other bowlers were taken on a leather hunt.
This what you get when you have confidence, self belief and determination. TKR have had all of it, not only today but throughout the tournament. Chasing a target of 155, TKR looked a bit under pressure with the score reading 68/2. They were like waiting for the moment to explode and they got it. What we saw after the refreshment break was sheer madness as Darren Bravo and Lendl Simmons went on a six hitting spree. Both of them looked to out number and out power each other with their ability to cross the fence. Bravo though started it by hitting the odd ball to the fence as Simmons rotated the strike efficiently. The Zouks looked in control till the 16 over. What unfolded in the 17th over changed the game on its head.  As Simmons and Bravo clobbered Zahir Khan for 23 runs in his over. That opened the floodgates as the 18th over bowled by Scott Kuggeleijn yielded 16 runs to seal the game in favour of TKR. Both Simmons and Bravo remained unbeaten with half tons.
What a final we have witnessed today, in CPL's history. TKR remain unbeaten through out the tournament with 12 wins. There has been no score, no bowler, no team, simply nothing had the power to stop the Knight Riders juggernaut.
Kesrick Williams is back in the attack. 3-0-39-0 read his figures.
18.1
4
FOUR! And the TKR players rush onto the field. TKR have their third CPL title! On a length outside off, Bravo looks to pull that hard but he gets an inside edge which goes behind the stumps and past the diving Fletcher to the fine leg region for a boundary. The Knight Riders win by 8 wickets and have gone unblemished in the entire season!
In over# 1
4
1
1
4
0
6
Scott Kuggeleijn 30/1(4)
17.6
4
FOUR! 6 required, there's four of them, so now just 2 required! Full and well outside off, Lendl looked to drive at that but he gets a thick outside edge. The ball goes through the carpet well to the left of short third man for a boundary.
17.5
1
Misfield and a single there. Sammy there, at short cover. Full length delivery just outside off, Bravo drives this to Sammy, who misfields to allow it past him for a single.