TKR wins second straight CPL title

TRINBAGO Knight Riders won their second straight Hero Caribbean Premier League title yesterday to prove what many have known throughout the 2018 season - they are the best team in the tournament. The Knight Riders trounced the Guyana Amazon Warriors by eight wickets in a dominant performance despite a 90-minute rain delay making things a bit tricky in front a capacity crowd at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy in Tarouba.

The rain provided an unlikely outlet for Guyana to get back into the match with Denesh Ramdin’s dismissal via hit wicket and Darren Bravo pulling his hamstring complicating things slightly.

The victory clinched TKR’s third CPL crown overall, with their first coming as Red Steel. For Guyana, their drought continues for another year looking on as bridesmaids as their opponents kissed the trophy in front them. It was the Guyana franchise’s fourth defeat in a CPL final without ever lifting the coveted trophy.

Their demise came after another strangling bowling effort from the TKR who had limited the St Kitts and Nevis Patriots to 145/8 on Friday night to get into yesterday’s final. The hosts improved on that A-class bowling performance with an A+ showing led by a player who did not make the starting XI on Friday and has played just seven matches for the entire tournament.

Left-arm spinner Khary Pierre, who finished the tournament among the top 10 wicket takers with 11 scalps, has played less games than any bowler above him.

The 26-year-old has been a reliable soldier whenever called upon and he saved his best figures of three wickets for 29 runs for last.

“I think it was a good performance. I think the boys came out and showed heart....I back myself and my ability to go out there and perform all the time,” Pierre said after helping restrict the Guyanese squad to 147/9 on a good batting surface.

TKR, despite the 90-minute rain intermission, toppled the Guyana total . Brendon McCullum ignited the chase with a breezy 39 off 24 balls with five fours and two sixes before he fell to Chris Green. Colin Munro, the first batsman to ever score 500 runs in a CPL season, ensured those runs were not in vain with a brisk half-century despite losing his partner Denesh Ramdin (24) in bizarre fashion - hit wicket - after the rain break which began at 7.45pm. With a three-hour grace period for the final, the showers didn’t affect the match, and TKR were ahead of the Duckworth-Lewis-Steyn par score of 56 even if the match had ended there. Munro made sure the showers didn’t rain on their parade with his sixth half-century of a record-breaking season in which he has averaged over 50. Munro’s swashbuckling knock of 68 from 39 balls (five fours, three sixes) had the Guyanese heads quickly drooping as their fate became clearer.

Similarly to Friday, pacer Ali Khan gave TKR the perfect start with a wicket in his first over. This time there was no warming up from the Pakistan-born American who was bang on target first ball of the match with a full swinging delivery that crashed into Cameron’s Delport off-stump.

It did not take long for Hetmyer to join the party, cracking the tournament’s leading wicket taker Fawad Ahmed for a towering straight six to bring up the Amazon Warriors’ 50. Ahmed was unfazed, however, pitching the ball full but wider for Hetmyer to reach and nick it to Dwayne Bravo at first slip as Guyana slipped to 52 for two.

Ronchi was batting confidently though and continued to play his strokes as Guyana reached 78 for two at the halfway stage with Jason Mohammed with him.

Ronchi, driving a wide ball from Pierre only succeeded in picking out the safe hands of Darren Bravo in the deep to be dismissed for 44 from 35 balls (six fours, one six). Pierre then sent back new batsman Chadwick Walton (1) three balls later, beating his defensive prod and taking the edge of his bat for Narine to gleefully accept the catch at slip.

Sherfane Rutherford, who almost broke the CPL record for fastest half-century vs TKR last Sunday, crushed a short ball from Sunil Narine into the stands with sheer power and showed he isn’t all brute force with a tickle down the leg side in the last ball of his over for a boundary. Pierre, however, showed quick reflexes could overcome power with one of the most stunning catches in the tournament.

Rutherford eyes lit up with a full delivery from Pierre which he blasted right back at the bowler. With the umpire and non-striker taking evasive action, Pierre stuck his hand in the firing line and plucked the ball from the sky to the amazement of the entire stadium. With their big hitters gone, Guyana lost the plot. Narine got rid of Sohail Tanvir (3) in the 14th over before a double blow by Dwayne Bravo in the 16th crippled an already limp batting.

Two bouncers from Bravo proved the undoing of Jason Mohammed (24) and Chris Green (5) but the Guyana tail did well to push the score close to 150. Bravo (2/30) should have finished with three wickets but Kevon Cooper spilled an easy catch in the last over.

Summarised Scores: GUYANA AMAZON WARRIORS 147/9 (20 overs) - Luke Ronchi 44, Jason Mohammed 24, Khary Pierre 3/39, Dwayne Bravo 2/30 vs TRINBAGO KNIGHT RIDERS (17.3 overs)- Colin Munro 68 not out, Brendon McCullum 39, Denesh Ramdin 24.