Trinbago Knight Riders triumph in thriller over Guyana Amazon Warriors in CPL clash
By Sports Desk
September 19, 2024
CPL via Getty Images
The Trinbago Knight Riders pulled off a thrilling five-wicket victory over the Guyana Amazon Warriors on Wednesday night in a pulsating Republic Bank Caribbean Premier League (CPL) encounter at Queen's Park Oval. A pair of back-to-back sixes from Tim David at the start of the final over sealed the win for the Knight Riders, capping off a match that was filled with drama and shifts in momentum.
The match began with a touch of sentimentality as Knight Riders' captain Kieron Pollard won the toss and elected to field first. Before the action got underway, the team gave Dwayne Bravo a touching guard of honor, recognizing what could be the veteran all-rounder's final game at the iconic venue following his earlier announcement of retirement from the CPL. However, once play began, the Knight Riders showed no mercy, reducing the Warriors to 76-7 with a disciplined bowling performance.
Romario Shepherd, however, staged a crucial lower-order fightback for the Warriors. Shepherd's gritty half-century helped his team recover from their precarious position, steering them to a competitive total of 148-7. His innings injected life back into the contest and set the stage for a tense chase under the lights at Queen's Park Oval.
The Knight Riders' response was anything but straightforward. Struggling to find the boundary during the middle overs, they found themselves precariously placed at 89/5. With the game hanging in the balance, the 17th over proved to be the turning point. Andre Russell, who was named Player of the Match, took charge by smashing three sixes off Nathan Sowter's bowling. This onslaught not only revived the Knight Riders' chase but also shifted the momentum firmly in their favor, reducing the required runs to a manageable figure.
Speaking after the game, Russell revealed his mindset during the tense chase. "The mindset was that I know I can hit sixes and that Tim David is a six-hitter as well. I told him that we had 24 balls, and we had to hit eight sixes," Russell said.
The final over began with Tim David on strike, and he wasted no time in sealing the victory. With consecutive sixes, David secured the five-wicket win for the Knight Riders, sending the home crowd into raptures and ensuring a fairytale finish was still possible for Dwayne Bravo in this year's CPL.
An emotional Russell paid tribute to his teammate Bravo after the match. "Who I am today has a lot to do with him. I am just happy to be part of this game. That's why it was an emotional celebration; he deserved that win... I think he'll shed a tear tonight. This one is for DJ Bravo," he said, highlighting the bond between the two cricketing stalwarts.
The match was a high-class affair, played with intensity and sportsmanship as both teams fought to secure a spot in the latter stages of the competition. With this victory, the Knight Riders move up to eight points from five games, positioning themselves well for a deep run in the tournament. For the Warriors, the loss was a setback, but their spirited performance ensured they remain in contention as the competition progresses.
As the CPL season heats up, the Knight Riders' victory has added to the excitement, and with Bravo's retirement storyline still in play, the 2024 CPL promises more drama and memorable moments in the matches to come.
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Windies women eye vital win against Bangladesh to keep semi-final hopes alive at T20 World Cup
After an impressive six-wicket win over Scotland, West Indies women will seek to build on that momentum when they take on Bangladesh in a crucial encounter that could define their campaign at the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup in the United Arab Emirates.
The Caribbean side will enter Thursday’s contest knowing that another win would keep their semi-final hopes alive, as they currently sit in third position on two points, two behind leaders South Africa and England on four points each.
The first ball is 9:00am Jamaica time.
West Indies’ victory over Scotland was a much-needed confidence boost for the team, especially after a crushing 10-wicket loss to South Africa in their opening match. The win not only lifted their spirits but also boosted their net run rate, a key factor in determining the semi-final spots should multiple teams finish level on points.
Assistant coach Ryan Austin emphasized the Hayley Matthews-led team’s readiness to handle what promises to be a tricky challenge, as Bangladesh bowlers, particularly their spinners, have proven to be formidable opponents.
“The team is pretty prepared. We obviously know that Bangladesh is basically a spin-based unit, but with our philosophies, we are more focused on what we can control. Having said that, we still have that element of power within our batting that could counter the spin as well,” Austin said in a pre-game press conference.
“If you look at the wicket, they are playing pretty slow at the moment. South Africa today (Wednesday) actually had a good total on the wicket, and if you watch how they batted, they actually used their feet a lot to the spin. So we are looking to obviously go into the game with that sort of temperament mindset with respect to their spin bowling attack as well. Sharjah has almost kind of a two-paced kind of wicket because during the day it's very low and slow, but in the evenings it kind of changes and comes alive,” he added.
Austin exuded confidence in his team’s batting prowess, with the likes of Matthews, Stafanie Taylor, Deandra Dottin, and Shemaine Campbelle expected to play pivotal roles, especially with the group being poised for a tight finish.
Though those proverbial big guns are yet to really fire, Austin believes their true potential should come to the fore in Thursday’s game, as well as the decisive fixture against England. West Indies currently have a positive net run rate of 1.154, only bettered by leaders South Africa, who have 1.527.
“If you look at how our group is set up, net run-rate is really going to be a big factor later down, especially, if we win both games against Bangladesh and England. So one of the things that we really have to look at is how we go about executing, especially in this game against Bangladesh. So our game plan is to at least probably both first and then try to get to our target as fast as possible,” Austin reasoned.