[UPDATED] TKR's unbeaten run ends with loss to Amazon Warriors

THE unbeaten run of the Trinbago Knight Riders (TKR) came to an end on Thursday as the defending champions lost the opening match of the 2021 Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL) T20 tournament by nine runs to Guyana Amazon Warriors at Warner Park in St Kitts.

Chasing a modest 143 for victory, TKR lost wickets regularly and limped to 133/9 in 20 overs. Earlier, Amazon Warriors were limited to 142/7.

The defeat ended TKR's win streak after the franchise played unbeaten in the 2020 tournament on their way to the title. The unbeaten run included ten wins in the preliminary phase. TKR are playing without Dwayne Bravo for the first time in the nine-year history of the CPL. Bravo will play for the St Kitts and Nevis Patriots this year.

In the run chase, TKR lost Lendl Simmons for five in the second over when he was caught at mid off by Naveen-ul-Haq to give fast bowler Romario Shepherd the wicket. Simmons was an integral figure in TKR's championship winning run as he ended the tournament as the highest run scorer with 356 runs.

Sunil Narine, who was joined by Colin Munro, played with his usual aggression early on hitting medium pacer Naveen-ul-Haq for a straight four. Munro struck off spinner Mohammad Hafeez for six over wide long on as soon as the off spinner was introduced, but the next ball Munro pulled a delivery to mid on and was gone for 13.

As soon as Narine and Tim Seifert started to build a partnership the former was caught at long on to give leg spinner Imran Tahir a wicket in his first over. Tahir, the Amazon Warriors top bowler in 2020, continued to spoil TKR's progress as he trapped Darren Bravo leg before for three trying to play a straight delivery on the leg side. TKR were now desperate for a partnership as the score read 62/4 in the ninth over.

The run rate started to climb and when TKR captain Kieron Pollard was caught by wicket-keeper Nicholas Pooran off Shepherd the Amazon Warriors were sensing an opening day victory. TKR were now in danger on 86/6 after 14 overs and needed a special innings to maintain their win streak.

Denesh Ramdin tried to keep TKR in the match with 28 off 25 deliveries, but 54 runs off 30 balls was too much for the defending champions.

Ramdin top scored and Seifert chipped in with 23. Shepherd was the pick of the bowlers with 3/15 in three overs and fast bowler Odean Smith, who had a solid all-round match, took 2/10 in two overs. Tahir proved to be a handful for TKR as the former South African international grabbed 2/12 in four overs.

Amazon Warriors, like TKR, lost wickets at key intervals but Shimron Hetmyer's innings of 54 proved to be a crucial knock. It was not the most fluent innings from Hetmyer, but he found another gear in the closing stages to help Amazon Warriors past 140.

Before Hetmyer's innings, Smith made a key contribution of 24 in 15 balls to give the innings some impetus as many of the more seasoned batsmen failed to deliver including Brandon King (nine), Chandrapaul Hemraj (13), Shoaib Malik (two), Hafeez (eight) and captain Pooran (12).

Smith, sent in higher up the order at three, struck two fours and one six before being bowled by Narine. At one stage, Amazon Warriors seemed set to fall short of 140 when Bravo pulled off a spectacular catch at wide long on.

Bravo caught the ball and threw the ball in the air before going over the boundary. He then returned to the field of play and completed the catch to dismiss Pooran and give TKR debutant Ravi Rampaul the wicket. Amazon Warriors, led by Hetmyer, scored 30 off the final two overs to end with 142/7. The TKR players did not help themselves as Simmons gave Hetmyer a life when he dropped an easy catch on the mid wicket fence in the 19th over.

Hetmyer, who was dismissed off the final delivery, scored 54 off 41 balls with four fours and two sixes.

The spin pair of Akeal Hosein and Narine both finished with 2/17 in four overs.

TKR will aim to bounce back against Barbados Royals at 7 pm, on Friday.