GROS ISLET, St Lucia (CMC) — St Lucia Stars Captain Kieron Pollard scored his first-ever T20 century to lead his side to its 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.