The defending champions show their quality in a low-scoring match
Trinbago Knight Riders 99 for 4 (Munro 41*, Amir 2-19) beat Barbados Royals 93 for 9 (Mayers 24, Pierre 3-16) by six wickets
A disastrous middle-order collapse saw Knight Riders pick up five Royals wickets for 18 runs, with all three spinners making hay. Azam Khan hung around with the tail without really having much of an impact, and the innings spluttered along to the end, by which time the Royals had limped to 93.
Despite a brilliant first couple of overs from Mohammad Amir, including a first-ball wicket, the chase never really threatened to unravel. Knight Riders understood all they need to do was keep wickets in hand and the win was all but assured, and unlike the Royals, negotiated the middle overs expertly. Royals’ spinners had few runs to play with, and thus struggled to build any real pressure, and even though Lendl Simmons and Tion Webster departed early and Darren Bravo struggled for runs, Knight Riders were always in control.
Both sides were going through the motions at the end, with the game drifting and the result not in doubt. The win took Knight Riders to the top of the table, with the defending champions assured a spot in the playoffs. Royals, meanwhile, are staring elimination in the face.
Danyal Rasool is a sub-editor at ESPNcricinfo. @Danny61000
Source: ESPN Crickinfo