GROS ISLET, St Lucia (CMC) – St Lucia Stars captain Kieron Pollard scored his first ever T20 century to lead his side to their first victory in the Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL) since 2016 by defeating the Barbados Tridents by 38 runs here Friday night.

Pollard smashed 104 from only 54 balls to guide the Stars to 226 for six in their 20 overs – the highest ever total in the CPL’s history.

Qais Ahmed (2-29) and Obed McCoy (3-28) then produced brilliant bowling spells to limit the Tridents to 188 for six.

The win snapped the Stars’ 15-game losing streak and was their first since July 31, 2016, when the-then St Lucia Zouks defeated the Jamaica Tallawahs by 17 runs in Florida.

One night earlier, the Stars had failed to defend 212 against the Trinbago Knight Riders, but this time around Pollard, Andre Fletcher and Rahkeem Cornwall ensured they went one better.

Fletcher set the tone from the very first over, dispatching Mohammad Irfan over the ropes twice and to the boundary two more times in an over that cost 20 runs.

After David Warner was dismissed for a duck, Fletcher and Cornwall added 37 quick runs in three overs to keep the Stars’ run rate at over 10 an over.

Cornwall’s quick-fire 30 from just 11 balls inclusive of two boundaries and three sixes ended soon after, but not before he had given the Stars the perfect launching pad.

Lendl Simmons’ first-ball dismissal immediately after proved to be a blessing in disguise, as it brought Pollard to the crease with the score 57-3 in the fifth over.

For the next 14 overs and 148 runs, Pollard and Fletcher carted the Tridents bowlers to all parts of the ground.

Fletcher brought up his 50 in the 12th over off 34 balls and looked well set to become the sixth batsman to cross three figures in the CPL

However, after progressing to 80, he attempted to scoop Wahab Riaz over fine leg, but could only pick out Irfan.

His 52-ball knock contained six boundaries and six sixes.

From thereon it was the Pollard show, as he took a particular liking to pacer Raymon Reifer, whose four overs went for 67 runs.

He eventually brought up his 100 in the final over with his eighth six driven flat over long-on, before departing one ball later. His knock also contained six boundaries.

Tridents opener Dwayne Smith blazed his way to a half-century in pursuit of a historic chase, as the Tridents marched to 75-1 at the end of 10 overs.

But once he was dismissed by Qais Ahmad for a 45-ball 58 after top-edging to deep square leg, the chase fell flat.

Ahmad then struck two balls into his next over, having Hashim Amla stumped.

Steven Smith and Shai Hope kept the Tridents’ slim chances alive as they scored 46 runs combined from the 16th and 17th overs.

But it was all too little too late, as the run rate required ballooned to more than 20 runs in the final overs – a requirement which proved too much for the Tridents.

STARS innings

1. Fletcher  c Irfan b Riaz 80
2. Warner c Pooran b Holder 0
3. Cornwall c Holder b Riaz 30
4. Simmons lbw Riaz 0
5. Pollard  c Smith b Reifer 104
6. Sammy c Nurse b Reifer 0
7. Kamawal not out 0
8. Hodge not out 0

Extras: (lb-3, w-7, nb-2) 12

Total: (6 wickets, 20 overs) 226

Fall of wickets : 1-20, 2-57, 3-57, 4-205, 5-226, 6-226.

Bowling: Irfan 4-0-50-0, Holder 4-0-42-1, Reifer 4-0-67-2, Riaz 4-0-35-3, Nurse 4-0-29-0.

TRIDENTS innings

1. Smith c Simmons b Kamawal 58
2. Guptill b McClenaghan 7
3. Amla stp. Fletcher b Kamawal 14
4. Pooran  c Warner b McCoy 23
5. Smith c Hodge b McCoy 28
6. Hope not out 25
7. Holder c Simmons b McCoy 14
8. Reifer not out 1

Extras: (lb-2, w-15, nb-1) 18

Total: (6 wickets, 20 overs) 188

Fall of wickets: 1-44, 2-84, 3-92, 4-108, 5-166, 6-185.

Bowling: McClenaghan 4-0-44-1, Hodge 4-0-41-0, Smith 3-0-33-0, Kamawal 4-0-29-2, Cornwall 1-0-11-0, McCoy 4-0-28-3.

Man-of-the-Match: Kieron Pollard