Powell hails ‘massive’ victory as Kingsmen conquer Knight Riders

Jamaica Kingsmen captain Rovman Powell has described his team’s dramatic seven-run victory over the Trinbago Knight Riders under the DLS method as a statement win that could prove pivotal in their Caribbean Premier League campaign.

After bowling first at the Queen’s Park Oval on Saturday night, the Kingsmen restricted the formidable Knight Riders to 180 for six, with young St Catherine CC spinner Vitel Lawes (3-29) and Pakistan seamer Hunain Shah, 2-27, leading the charge.

Nicholas Pooran smashed an unbeaten 60 for Knight Riders , while Sunil Narine and Colin Munro contributed 53 and 52, respectively.

In response, the visitors were cruising at 127 for 3 in 14.4 overs when rain intervened.

Keacy Carty’s composed 42 and Kirk McKenzie’s 30 had laid the foundation, leaving Jamaica comfortably ahead of the DLS par score to seal the crucial win.

“This is massive,” Powell declared post-match. “We started out knowing that if we are going to progress far in this competition, we have to beat teams like Trinidad and Guyana. They have been the front-runners for some time in the CPL, so it’s massive, especially to come to Trinidad and get two points.”

The victory moves the Kingsmen into a strong position in second place at the moment, as the tournament reaches its critical phase, with Powell already looking ahead to an even bigger challenge.

“Now we look ahead to the Guyana game, which becomes an even more important fixture for us. It also gives Andre Russell a bit more time to recover and come back,” he added, hinting at the significance of the upcoming clash.

Despite forecasts of rain, Powell insisted the decision to bowl first was driven purely by tactical considerations rather than weather predictions.

“We weren’t preparing for rain, to be honest. We just thought the wicket was a good one, and when you come to Trinidad, you get a bit of dew, so it’s always better to chase. That’s what drove our decision – rain wasn’t really a factor.”

Powell reserved special praise for young club mate Lawes, whose three-wicket haul proved instrumental in keeping the Knight Riders in check. The Kingsmen captain emphasised the importance of patience with emerging talent.

“As a young team, we decided at the start that we’re going to give guys opportunities. It’s not a case of them playing one game, bowling one or two bad overs, and then getting dropped. At the start of my career as a youngster, I was given opportunities; so as a captain, I try my best to do the same for these young players.”

The decision to promote left-handers in the batting order was also a calculated move designed to neutralise the threat of Akeal Hosein and force Sunil Narine into early action.

“I think it’s just down to the match-up against the Trinidadian bowlers. It’s the first time we find ourselves with so many left-handers at the top. We’re trying to mix and match to keep a left-hand, right-hand combination and see how well it works for us. We’re trying our best to keep Akeal Hosein out of the game and force Sunil Narine to come on early to bowl to those left-handers.”

With the victory secured and momentum building, the Kingsmen now turn their attention to the Guyana showdown on Friday, knowing that another triumph could cement their status as genuine title contenders.