By Clifton Ross

IT WILL be a tussle at Tarouba part two for Barbados Tridents, who will look to go two up when they battle the St Lucia Zouks in today’s first of two headliners in the Hero CPL.

The defending champs pulled off a daring heist against St Kitts & Nevis Patriots after posting 153-9 batting first. It was a dismal first outing in the bubble for the champs, compliments of some skilful bowling by the veteran seamers.

Pakistani Sohail Tanvir (2-22) along with the Windies pair of Sheldon Cottrell (2-12) and skipper Rayad Emrit (2-16) strangled the Tridents batsmen. Tridents captain Jason Holder launched a counterpunch along with Kyle Mayers. Holder smashed 38 off 22 balls with 2 fours and 3 massive sixes.

Mayers, who continued from the Regional 4-Day Tournament where he ended as the second leading run-scorer, also smacked a pair of fours along with three thumping blows which sailed over the ropes; ending with 37 off 20.

Man-of the-Match, New Zealand all-rounder and Tridents overseas import, Mitchell Santner hit 20 off 18 with two fours and bagged 2-18 to set up a good win for his team later.

St Kitts’ batting was the total opposite to that of the Tridents, with their top 4 batsmen all reaching double figures. Opener Chris Lynn, the Aussie T20 specialist, blasted 3 fours in his 19 while his partner Evin Lewis made 12.

Another Australian and T20 gun-for-hire, Ben Dunk thumped a few deliveries around as he too scored with 34 off 21 balls – three fours and 1 maximum.

Joshua DaSilva, who made his name really known recently after stroking a ton on tour against England in the warm-ups, prior to the Test series; switched to T20 mode against Tridents.

The West Indies Emerging Player (WIEP) hit a run-a-ball 41 with 3 fours and remained not out, almost taking his team over the line. Afghanistan star spinner Rashid Khan bagged 2-20, lending ideal support to Santner as the champs wrapped up their first test by 6 runs.

Today’s match against Zouks will be another opportunity for Tridents talented top-order – Johnson Charles, Shai Hope, New Zealander Corey Anderson, Johnathan Carter and Raymon Reifer – to all make amends for failing in the first attempt.

Their frontline spinners, West Indies’ Hayden Walsh Jr. and Ashley Nurse went wicket-less in the first game but could have a better assessment of the conditions ahead of today’s match.

Action between Tridents and Zouks bowls off at 10:00hrs; followed by the highly-anticipated battle between former respective champions Trinbago Knight Riders and Jamaica Tallawahs, which gets underway from 17:30hrs.