CPL 2023 Points Table: Updated standings after Trinbago Knight Riders vs Barbados Royals, Match 13

The 13th match of the 2023 CPL got underway between Trinbago Knight Riders and Barbados Royals on August 31 at Bridgetown, Barbados. The game kicked off at 4:30 AM IST. Martin Guptill dazzled with the bat scoring a scintillating century (100 off 58) which virtually broke the back of the Barbados Royals in a rather one-sided affair.

Barbados Royals won the toss and chose to bowl. The Knights had a good start and put on 41 runs in 5.4 overs. Despite losing two quick wickets, they managed to reach a total of 194 runs in 20 overs, thanks to a century by Martin Guptill and a partnership of 108 runs with Kieron Pollard.

In response, Barbados Royals turned out to be a no-show with the bat as they merely surrendered for just 61 runs in 12.1 overs. Wickets started tumbling right from ball one which severely put the Barbados batters under the pump. With the required rate continuing to soar, Barbados batters had no option but to go for the counter-offensive option. But that never worked out for them as they lost too many wickets in heaps and eventually fell 134 runs short of their required target.

Following the end of today’s fixture, Saint Lucia Kings are at the top with 2 wins out of 5 games. They are comfortably situated with a decent-looking NRR of +1.617. Guyana Amazon Warriors are ranked second in the points table with 2 wins in 3 games. Their NRR stands at 2.475. Trinbago Knight Riders have surged to the third spot after achieving a massive victory in today’s fixture. They now have 2 wins in 4 games and have a robust-looking NRR of 1.752.

Jamaica Tallawahs and Barbados Royals rank 4th and 5th respectively in the points table.

St Kitts and Nevis Patriots are currently winless at the moment and are situated at the bottom of the points table with a shambolic-looking NRR of -1.833.

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Trinbago Knight Riders skittle Barbados Royals cheaply for 61 to leap forward to the third spot

The Barbados Royals won the toss and made a decent start as they bowled a good line and length. The Trinbago Knight Riders were also moving on steadily as their openers Martin Guptill and Mark Deyal stitched a steady partnership of 41 runs between them.

From there on, they lost Nicholas Pooran quickly but then Martin Guptill (100* off 58) and Kieron Pollard (46 off 32) set the stage on fire. The duo put together 108 runs off 59 balls to virtually bat the Royals out of the game.

It was a remarkable recovery by the Trinbago Knight Riders after a slow start in the powerplay overs. They stepped on the gas paddle after the 10th over with Guptill being on top of his game tonight. Pollard took his time before finding his timing and got a few maximums out of the park. This ensured that the Knights would reach a good total. Guptill batted till the end and helped TKR reach a total of 194 runs in 20 overs.

The chase for the Royals started with a wicket of the very first delivery. Russell bowled a lethal first over and picked up Kyle Mayers and Rahkeem Cornwall at the cost of just one run. This gave the Royals a shock from which they never recovered. Pollard attacked with spin after the third over and Barbados capitulated. Narine trapped Evans lbw in his opening over to reduce the hosts to 20/4.

Rovman Powell came out with a positive intent but he didn't last long as he holed out to long-off with Waqar Salamkheil striking with his very first ball. While Akeal Hosein picked a couple of wickets, debutant Salamkheil finished with his best T20 bowling figures of 4/14.

As the match progressed, the team kept losing wickets one after the other, and eventually, they were all out for a meager score of just 61 runs in only 12.1 overs. The Trinbago Knight Riders (TKR) won the match by an enormous 133 runs, which is the highest win margin in the history of the Caribbean Premier League (CPL). This win significantly boosted TKR's net run rate (NRR), allowing them to surpass some of the top-ranked teams.