Mujeeb, top-order end Tridents' losing run

Barbados Tridents snapped out of their four-game losing streak to secure a crucial win that inserts them into the playoffs race. Mujeeb Ur Rahman bagged three wickets as Tridents restricted St Lucia Kings to just 138/6 before cantering to an eight-wicket win in chase. Even after the win, Tridents are still still bottom of the points table but have three more games - two of them against fellow playoffs aspirants - to achieve the climbinto the top-four.

After Tridents captain Chris Green chose to bowl first, Gudakesh Motie made early inroads by dismissing Tim Seifert in the second over. Kamil Pooran, the other opener, pushed back by swinging for the fences and connecting - hitting Green for 13 and Motie for 12 in successive Powerplay overs. He also went after Jakeem Pollard to push St. Lucia Kings to 51/1 in 6 overs.

Mujeeb put a stop to that flourish by firing a yorker at the stumps to dismiss Pooran in the seventh over. John Campbell and Roston Chase got together next for a much slower progress until Sams dented it, in the 13th over to dismiss Campbell for a 27-ball 24. Chase attempted an uptick in the scoring rate, but Sams struck at the start of the death overs to dismiss him. Mujeeb then turned the screws with a double-wicket 19th over where he dismissed Charith Asalanka and Matthew Forde to deny the Kings any room to get close to 150. McKenny Clarke managed a six in the final over to drag the Kings to 138/6.

That total proved insufficient as Tridents openers Brandon King and Zachary Carter flew to 41/0 in 5 overs. Chase dismissed King in the sixth, and Joshua Bishop saw the back of Carter in the ninth but Kings couldn't break through any further. Rivaldo Clarke and Quinton de Kock - at No.4 - came together for an unbroken 76-run partnership that saw the chase through.

The pair first navigated past the dismissals and dragged Tridents to 73/2 at the halfway stage, keeping up with the asking rate. They were steady without risking more dismissals before they cut loose in the 15th over from Bishop. De Kock shuffled across and sent one to the fine leg fence while Clarke tonked a six down the ground. They switched up in the following over - De Kock pulled a ball for a six over deep mid-wicket while Clarke hit a four. 29 runs in these two overs put Tridents well on course.

Maheesh Theekshana bowled a quiet 17th over but two fours and a six in the 18th sealed the game for Trident with 13 balls to spare.

Brief Scores: St. Lucia Kings 138/6 in 20 overs (Kamil Pooran 37, Roston Chase 34; Mujeeb Ur Rahman 3-22, Daniel Sams 2-20) lost to Barbados Tridents 139/2 in 17.5 overs (Quinton de Kock 47*, Rivaldo Clarke 36*, Zachary Carters 32) by 8 wickets