Trinbago Knight Riders ensured a top-two finish and place in the 2023 Republic Bank Caribbean Premier League (CPL) Qualifiers with a seven wicket victory over the Saint Lucia Kings on Sunday.

The home team won the toss and chose to field but it was their former player Colin Munro who was the star of the Saint Lucia Kings innings, scoring an unbeaten 72 runs to take the side to 167-3 after 20 overs.

The Knight Riders’ chase was headlined by a superb half century from Mark Deyal, alongside support from wicket-keeper Lorcan Tucker and Andre Russell, to take the side to a seven-wicket victory in their final game this season in front of their home crowd.

Saint Lucia Kings lost powerful opener Johnson Charles in the PowerPlay, as fast bowler Jayden Seales celebrated with a wicket on his birthday, but the Kings would rebuild as Colin Munro and Roston Chase patiently scored runs in their 76-run partnership, which came off 58 balls.

Chase was dismissed off a Waqar Salamkheil delivery and that was followed shortly afterwards with the big wicket of captain Sikandar Raza, who fell to Sunil Narine.  A late cameo from Sean Williams, who smashed 34 runs off 17 balls would see the Saint Lucia Kings score 58 runs in the last five overs to finish on 167-3.

Trinbago Knight Riders had an early scare as opener Martin Guptill was given out LBW from just the third ball of the innings but the decision was overturned on review.

Guptill eventually lost his wicket in the fourth over, and when Nicholas Pooran, leading run scorer for the franchise this season, lost his wicket in the final ball of the Powerplay to an Alzarri Joseph delivery, the Knight Riders looked in trouble at 45-2.

However, opener Mark Deyal would compose a brilliant half century, reaching 57 before being caught on the boundary by Peter Hatzoglou. Lorcan Tucker would provide invaluable support with 38 runs, before a flurry of boundaries from Andre Russell would ensure the Trinbago Knight Riders would win. 

CPL action now moves on to the final leg in Guyana, with the Guyana Amazon Warriors taking on the Jamaica Tallawahs on Wednesday evening.

Scores: Trinbago Knight Riders 169-3 (Deyal 57, Tucker 38; Joseph 2-42, Chase 1-25) beat Saint Lucia Kings 167-3 (Munro 72*, Williams 34*; Seales 1-23, Salamkheil 1-23) by 7 wickets

Saim Ayub and Shai Hope each scored a half-century as the Guyana Amazon Warriors completed a dominant six-wicket victory over the Trinbago Knight Riders and maintain their unbeaten start to the 2023 Republic Bank Caribbean Premier League (CPL) campaign on Tuesday night.

The Amazon Warriors won the toss and opted to field first. The decision went in their favour when they restricted the Knight Riders to 45-2 at the end of the PowerPlay. However, despite taking regular wickets the Knight Riders had several useful cameos throughout their innings to post a challenging 173 to win.

The Amazon Warriors timed their chase perfectly in reply and had an excellent partnership between Ayub and Hope to thank as the two batters scored half centuries to lay the foundation for the Amazon Warriors power hitters to seal the victory at the death.

In the first innings, the Knight Riders got off to a bad start losing Mark Deyal and Nicholas Pooran in the PowerPlay, the latter falling to a tremendous one-handed catch from wicket keeper Azam Khan.

When Martin Guptil skied one off the bowling of Imran Tahir to leave the Knight Riders on 57-3, the innings needed rebuilding.

Akeal Hosein and Lorcan Tucker stepped up to task the and put the Knight Riders back in the game before Tucker was run out for 38 off 25 balls.

Andre Russell kept the momentum up by hitting a couple of Republic Bank maximums before he departed for a quick-fire 14. His dismissal brought Kieron Pollard to the wicket and the captain responded with a brutal 25 from 12 balls, however, like those before him he failed to kick on.

Ultimately the innings was underpinned by Akeal Hosein. His unbeaten 44 helping to guide the Knight Riders to a competitive score of 172-8.

Much like the Knight Riders, the Amazon Warriors were to get their innings off to an inauspicious start. Chandrapaul Hemraj falling inside the first two overs for 10.

However, Ayub and Hope went on to lay the foundation for the Amazon Warriors chase with a brilliantly constructed partnership of 93 from 67 balls.

Despite Ayub (62) and Hope (51) eventually falling at the back end of the innings. Azam Khan and Shimron Hetmyer hit several Republic Bank maximums to seal the win in style.

The victory means the Amazon Warriors return to the top of the 2023 Republic Bank Caribbean Premier League (CPL) table.

Scores: Guyana Amazon Warriors 175-4 (Ayub 62, Hope 51; Russell 2-29, Khan 2-30) beat Trinbago Knight Riders 172-8 (Hosein 44*, Tucker 38; Smith 3-31, Paul 1-17) by six wickets