CPL 2017 27th Match: Smith’s second CPL hundred keeps Tridents’ campaign alive

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Dwayne Smith century Barbados Tridents CPL cricket

Dwayne Smith scored his second century in the 2017 CPL

Image courtesy of: Zimbio

The Barbados Tridents still have a chance of qualifying for the knockout stage of the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) after opener Dwayne Smith clubbed an unbeaten 103 to lead his side to a 29-run win over the St Lucia Stars.

While their win keeps them at fifth on the points table, the Tridents only trail the Guyana Amazon Warriors by two points. The Stars, meanwhile, continue to remain winless after 10 games.

Heading into the game, the Tridents were looking to bounce back from their disastrous performance against the Amazon Warriors, while the Stars were aiming to secure their first win after coming up short in their game against the Jamaica Tallawahs.

Opting to bat first, Tridents opener Nicholas Pooran came out firing on all cylinders and dominated for the majority of his 44-run partnership with Smith.

Once he was dismissed for a 20-ball 32, Rahkeem Cornwell struck twice in quick succession as he removed Kane Williamson for two runs and Tridents captain Kieron Pollard for 11.

Smith took over from that point and upped the ante during his 48-run stand with Eoin Morgan, who was eventually sent packing for five runs.

Smith and Chris Barnwell ensured the Tridents concluded their innings on a high as they amassed an unbeaten 64-run partnership, during which a floodlight failure halted play for a short while.

Despite the delay, it didn’t stop Smith from bringing up his hundred and finishing on 103 off 65 balls, which included five boundaries and eight sixes.

Barnwell ended up making a 12-ball 26 as the Tridents made 195/4 off their 20 overs.

Cornwall was the pick of the bowlers with two wickets, while Obed McCoy and Kyle Mayers chipped in with one wicket apiece.

Chasing 196 to win, the Stars were dealt a huge blow on the fifth ball of their innings as opener Andre Fletcher was dismissed by Ravi Rampaul for 10 runs.

Stars skipper Shane Watson made a quickfire 22 before he was caught by Imran Khan at midwicket off the bowling of Wahab Riaz.

Cornwall and Johnson Charles stabilised the innings with a 52-run partnership, during which Cornwall brought up his fifty, before Charles was caught by Smith at deep midwicket off the bowling of Pollard for 13.

Cornwall and Marlon Samuels kept the runs flowing before Cornwall, who struck seven boundaries and six sixes during his 44-ball 78, retired due to fatigue in the 18th over.

On the third ball of the over, things went from bad to worse for the Stars as Samuels was caught by Pollard at wide long-on off the bowling of Wayne Parnell for 17.

In the end, the Stars ended up falling well short of their target as they finished on 166/4.

Riaz, Parnell, Pollard and Rampaul claimed one wicket each.

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