TKR battle Amazon Warriors in do-or-die battle on Saturday

CELLAR-PLACED, four-time Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL) champions Trinbago Knight Riders (TKR) must win their final preliminary round match against Guyana Amazon Warriors on Saturday if they are to remain in contention for a playoff spot.

TKR’s seven-run loss against defending champions St Kitts/Nevis Patriots on Thursday saw them slip from fourth to fifth on the six-team standings.

Later that day, Amazon Warriors completed their highest Hero CPL run chase and powered to a six-wicket triumph over St Lucia Kings.

This result pushed TKR to the bottom rung and now in dire need of a win against a resurging Amazon Warriors unit. TKR have to also hope the results from other matches on Sunday go in their favour.

Victory in front of a rival crowd at Providence Stadium in East Demerara, Guyana, will be no easy task.

But TKR wicketkeeper/batsman Tim Seifert believes the team has what it takes to get the win on Saturday.

“We have one game to go and it’s kind of a must-win. We’ve got all the confidence in the camp to try and win that game and push on to the top four,” he told News Room Guyana.

Since the tournament shifted to Guyana for the final set of matches, the home team have clicked after an troubled start.

Prior to their victories over Jamaica Tallawahs on Wednesday and then St Lucia Kings, the Warriors’ record this season stood at one win, four losses and one no-result.

They are intent on extending their two-match win streak at home to three, and possibly eliminating the team with the biggest names on paper.

TKR, however, need a comprehensive display to potentially have a chance of reaching the playoff round.

Before Thursday’s loss, TKR’s match record was three wins, four losses and one no-result.

Big-hitters Kieron Pollard (captain), Andre Russell and Nicholas Pooran have all been inconsistent with the bat this season. Shabby bowling, poor fielding and woeful batting have all been blamed by skipper Pollard for their team’s demise.

Seifert said it must be an all-round effort by the team.

“Everyone knows we have a good team but, at the end of the day, it’s individuals stepping up and making sure they are the person to get the job done, and not leaving it for the next person or the person after them.

“It’s definitely taking the responsibility off those individuals whoever is in, bowling or batting, to make sure they are the ones to finish the job,” he added.

TKR must look past these obstacles against the Amazon Warriors in their final preliminary round match.

Currently, Barbados Royals (16 points), who are the only team, thus far, to qualify for the playoffs, lead the standings, followed by Kings, Tallawahs and Patriots, who are all on eight points. Warriors and TKR are fifth and sixth respectively; both on seven points each.

After Saturday’s clash, only two preliminary matches remain – Tallawahs versus Kings (10 am TT time) and Amazon Warriors versus Royals (7 pm) – on Sunday.

The playoffs bowl off at the Providence Stadium on Tuesday.

TKR last won the tournament in 2020 while the Amazon Warriors are yet to taste CPL glory in the competition’s nine-year existence. However, the AGuyana have reached the final on five occasions and lost each time.

Now in its tenth year, Warriors will be hoping to use home advantage as a key tool to possibly go all the way this time around.

Standings

Team*MP*W*L*Pts*NRR

Barbados Royals*9*8*1*16*1.554

St Lucia Kings*9*4*5*8*0.314

Jamaica Tallawahs*9*4*5*8*0.279

St Kitts and Nevis Patriots*10*3*5*8*-1.184

Guyana Amazon Warriors*8*3*4*7*-0.241

Trinbago Knight Riders*9*3*5*7*-0.760