Trinbago Knight Riders moved back into the top four of the 2021 Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL) table with a seven-wicket victory over the Jamaica Tallawahs courtesy of a match-winning knock from Lendl Simmons.

TKR’s bowlers also shared the spotlight after their early destruction of the Tallawahs top order.

TKR won the toss and elected to field first and it proved to be an inspired decision as their vaunted bowling attack ran through the Tallawahs top order. However, Carlos Brathwaite and Imad Wasim managed to rebuild the innings to give the Tallawahs a total to try and defend.

In reply, TKR overcame a rain delay to win the game with ease although they had several fielding mishaps to help them on their way. Lendl Simmons returned to form as his 70 lead the way for the Knight Riders.

With several enforced changes as a result of injuries in the camp, the Tallawahs got their innings off to a poor start with five wickets falling in the PowerPlay.

At the half-way stage of the innings, they could only muster 34 runs as the TKR bowling combinations of Akeal Hosein, Ravi Rampaul, Sunil Narine and Khary Pierre offered no freebies.

However, once Imad Wasim, making his first appearance for the Tallawahs in this Hero CPL, and Brathwaite got their eye in they were able to launch a counter-attack.

The pair put on an 83-run partnership from 64 balls to rebuild the innings and that was supplemented by some late Andre Russell sixes to give TKR a tricky total to negotiate.

TKR got their innings off to a watchful start, but Sunil Narine was dismissed just before the heavens opened leading to a rain delay.

Once play resumed TKR easily chased the 145 required as Simmons and Colin Munro put together a 102-run partnership to ensure there would be no drama in the chase.

“It was a better pitch today. It played pretty well and I’m catching it with some confidence,” said Simmons who took three catches in the match.

He said he was pleased to have a turnaround in form with the bat and credited the playing surface and inspiration from Faf Du Plessis and Chandrapaul Hemraj who scored the first hundreds of the season on Saturday.

“The first five games it was a little bit difficult,” he said.

“This surface was much better for batting and watching two guys hit hundreds told me it was a good batting track. I didn’t live up to my reputation for the first five games but I’m glad to come to the party now.

“I like batting with Munro. He rotates the strike and scores boundaries easy. It was good to have a 100-run partnership with Munro and we’ll see how it goes next game.”

He said his team did not lose heart prior to the game even though they had lost three of their previous five games.

“Our spirits have been high all the time. We lost by six and five runs [and the Super Over]. We will pick up momentum when the time is right,” he said.

Scores: Trinbago Knight Riders 145-3 (Simmons 70, Munro 34; Imad 2-19, Pretorius 1-39) beat Jamaica Tallawahs 144-7 (Brathwaite 58, Imad 42; Hosein 2-12, Rampaul 2-26) by seven wickets.