Knight Riders topple Amazon Warriors to lift fifth CPL title

PROVIDENCE, Guyana (CMC):

BEHIND A solid all-around performance from Akeal Hosein, the Trinbago Knight Riders romped to their fifth Caribbean Premier League (CPL) title by overcoming the Guyana Amazon Warriors by three wickets in a low-scoring but exciting affair on Sunday.

While the win helped the Knight Riders become the most decorated team in the CPL’s 12-year history, it proved to be yet another heartbreaking defeat for the Amazon Warriors, who lost in the final for a historic seventh occasion.

The visitors used a sterling bowling effort, with Saurabh Netravalkar grabbing three wickets and Hosein two, to limit the home side’s high-powered batting unit to 130 for eight in their 20 overs after they chose to bat first in front of a packed Providence Stadium.

After his side suffered a lower-order collapse in their run chase, which saw them reduced to 116 for seven, Player of the Match Hosein smashed an unbeaten 16 from seven balls to lift them to 133 for seven with two overs to spare.

It was the second time the Knight Riders triumphed over the Amazon Warriors in a CPL final, having defeated them by eight wickets in 2018.

Their victory was set up by left-arm pacer Netravalkar, along with their three-pronged spin attack of Hosein, Sunil Narine and Usman Tariq, which strangled the life out of the Amazon Warriors’ batsmen.

Ironically, it was Andre Russell who struck the first blow when he had the dangerous Quentin Sampson caught for a duck by Kieron Pollard as he attempted to fend off a short delivery in the first over of the match.

Ben McDermott and Shai Hope added 38 runs for the second wicket, but needed five overs to do so, despite the former launching Hosein for a six and two fours in the fourth over that leaked 15 runs.

But from a position of 41 for one, the home side lost four crucial wickets for the addition of just 24 runs to find themselves on the backfoot.

Netravalkar had McDermott caught at deep midwicket for 28 off 17 balls, Hope was bowled by a beauty from Hosein after playing down the wrong line, Moeen Ali was undone by an arm ball from Tariq and Shimron Hetmyer hit Hosein straight into the hands of Pollard, stationed at long on, to see the home side crumble to 65 for five after 12 overs.

Iftikhar Ahmed and Dwaine Pretorius tried their best to revive the innings during a 43-run partnership for the sixth wicket, but they too were restricted by the Knight Riders’ stingy bowling.

Netravalkar got the breakthrough by having the latter caught at long off for 25 to give Pollard his 400th T20 catch, and the same combination was responsible for getting rid of Ahmed for the topscore of 30 off 27 balls with the penultimate ball of the innings.

Netravalkar finished with 3-25, while Hosein took 2-26.

The Knight Riders seemed on track for an easy victory after openers Colin Munro and Alex Hales blasted 33 runs inside the first three overs.

However, Pretorius had Munro caught behind for 23 off 15 balls and he also had skipper Nicholas Pooran caught for one, to leave the score 39 for two in the fifth over.

And even when Darren Bravo was trapped lbw by Imran Tahir and Shamar Joseph accounted for the wicket of Sunil Narine, the Knight Riders were still comfortably placed at 89 for four in the 13th over.

Tahir was then hit for three sixes in the next over by Pollard that costs 20 runs, as the visitors inched closer to victory by reducing the equation to 22 runs from 36 balls.

But Tahir set up a thrilling finish by dismissing Pollard for 21 off 12 balls and Andre Russell with consecutive deliveries in his next over, while Joseph had Hales caught and bowled for 26, to see the Knight Riders slip to 116 for seven in the 17th over.

Hosein, though, came to his side’s rescue, hitting Gudakesh Motie for a six and four to end the contest in spectacular fashion.