Amla, bowlers set up Knight Riders’ dramatic victory

BY JOHN RAMSINGH

The Trinbago Knight Riders (TKR) playing their first game on the road beat the Guyana Amazon Warriors by seven runs in a very close contest under the night sky at Providence in match 11 of the Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL). The victory was set up firstly by a responsible innings of 64 from Man of the Match Hashim Amla and then by the TKR bowlers.
Guptill won the toss and immediately decided to bowl, a decision made easier since in their two previous matches at Providence the Warriors restricted their opponents to successfully chased 101 and 109 runs to win. The Warriors went in to the match unchanged on a pitch that was expected to play low and slow with assistance for the spinners while the Knight Riders who made three changes going for four spinners. Brendon Mc Cullum and Javon Searles are injured while Darren Bravo is off to West Indies duties and Nikita Miller was dropped making way for left arm spinner Anton Devcich; right arm leg spinner Yannic Cariah, Ramnaresh Sarwan, and Denesh Ramdin. The Knight Riders were desperate for their second victory of their hot and cold campaign and the got it.
Trinbago Knight Riders who lost three of their four home matches including to the Amazon Warriors had a prudent start but maintained a constant run rate and wickets in hand that led to the highest score of the three matches at Providence this year, 151/4.The pitch played the best and it was until the fifth over that the Warriors got the break through.
First to go was the New Zealander Devcich who was caught by Jason Mohammed for 7 (13 Balls) off of Emrit at 28/1. Colin Munro joined Amla and added 42 before he was caught and bowled by Veerasammy Permaul who took the stiff return catch on the third attempt. Munro did not repeat his heroics of a century that was scored when the teams first met this year in Trinidad and Tobago, he went for just 18 (19 balls; 1×4; 1×6) at 70/2 in the 12th over.
Meanwhile, Amla who was stabilizing the innings brought up his third half century this season with a flick to fine leg for this fifth

boundary from the 42nd delivery he faced in over number 14. After featuring in a partnership of 43 runs for the third wicket Amla gave himself room and was bowled by Zampa for 64 (54 balls; 6×4) at 113/3 in the 18th over after TKR Captain Dwayne Bravo cut loose.
Bravo got off the mark by hitting the first ball he faced over midwicket and followed it up with another six the very next ball, this time over long off. His innings gave the innings the late push to score the highest score of teams batting first at Providence. In the final over of the innings he was bowled first ball by fellow Trinidadian Rayad Emrit for a busy 25 (8 balls; 1×4; 3×6). Former Amazon Warriors’ captain Denesh Ramdin hit two fours to end on unbeaten on nine while Akmal was with him at the end on 23 from 22 balls.
TKR who started cautiously and scored 36 runs in the Power Play and started to accelerate towards the end of the innings mainly because of wickets in hand. They scored 85 runs in the second 10 overs after they were at 66/1 at the half way stage. Medium pacer, Emrit was the pick of the Warriors bowlers with 32/2 while left arm spinner Permaul and right arm leggie Zampa claimed one each.
The Warriors run chase got off to the worse start when Dwayne Smith was caught at long off by Akmal in the first over bowled by Devcich before a run was scored. Chris Lynn joined his captain Guptill and blasted four boundaries in a brisk 21 from 18 balls before he was caught at deep midwicket by Kevon Cooper off Devcich with the score on 25/2 in the fifth over. Guptill who was playing a captain’s innings was looking for a partner to build a partnership and get some momentum.
Jason Mohammed came and hit a six in his 18 ball stay at the crease adding 38 with his captain but at 63/3 in the 11th over he nicked a short lifting ball to wicketkeeper Ramdin to be Bravo’s first victim and the Warriors were beginning to crumble under pressure. At this stage the home side needed 89 from 56 balls.
Nothing of substance came from the middle order with Anthony Bramble (4), Tanvir (1), Christopher Barnwell (10) and Emrit (12) got in and quickly got out and they were followed by captain Guptill who was eight out. After reaching 50 from 39 balls (1×4; 4×6) the New Zealander hit Bravo down the throat of Kevon Cooper at long off and at 122/8 with 30 runs still needed from 9 balls it was as good as over for the home team who were well supported by the sold out crowd. However, with the intense battle on the field a sharp shower came and halted the finish with the Warriors on 128/8 in the 19th over still needing 24 runs to win from eight balls. Permaul was on five and Steven Jacobs one.
After the rain break the drama continued with Permaul hitting Bravo to the midwicket fence then crashing the next delivery over long on to end over number 19 at 138/8 with 14 more need from the final over which was bowled by Cooper.
Jacobs got a single from the first ball and the strike was with the aggressive Warrior, Permaul who took two to long on followed by a single to short third man. Jacobs attempted an all mighty shot but only got a single to long on to give the strike to Permaul with nine runs to come from two balls.
The next delivery Permaul got under the deliver from Cooper and made good connection but got height and not distance and was caught on the midwicket boundary for 18 with two fours and a six from seven balls and it was a done deal that the Warriors will suffer their first defeat in their fifth match this season.
The Guyana Amazon Warriors remain on eight points and will now take on the St. Lucia Zouks tomorrow in their final home match and will look to resume their winning ways as they prepare to hit the road again.
The Trinbago Knight Riders move to four points and will now move to Bridgetown for their sixth match when they take on the Barbados Tridents at the Kensington Oval on Saturday July 16 from midday.

BY JOHN RAMSINGH

The Trinbago Knight Riders (TKR) playing their first game on the road beat the Guyana Amazon Warriors by seven runs in a very close contest under the night sky at Providence in match 11 of the Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL). The victory was set up firstly by a responsible innings of 64 from Man of the Match Hashim Amla and then by the TKR bowlers.
Guptill won the toss and immediately decided to bowl, a decision made easier since in their two previous matches at Providence the Warriors restricted their opponents to successfully chased 101 and 109 runs to win. The Warriors went in to the match unchanged on a pitch that was expected to play low and slow with assistance for the spinners while the Knight Riders who made three changes going for four spinners. Brendon Mc Cullum and Javon Searles are injured while Darren Bravo is off to West Indies duties and Nikita Miller was dropped making way for left arm spinner Anton Devcich; right arm leg spinner Yannic Cariah, Ramnaresh Sarwan, and Denesh Ramdin. The Knight Riders were desperate for their second victory of their hot and cold campaign and the got it.
Trinbago Knight Riders who lost three of their four home matches including to the Amazon Warriors had a prudent start but maintained a constant run rate and wickets in hand that led to the highest score of the three matches at Providence this year, 151/4.The pitch played the best and it was until the fifth over that the Warriors got the break through.
First to go was the New Zealander Devcich who was caught by Jason Mohammed for 7 (13 Balls) off of Emrit at 28/1. Colin Munro joined Amla and added 42 before he was caught and bowled by Veerasammy Permaul who took the stiff return catch on the third attempt. Munro did not repeat his heroics of a century that was scored when the teams first met this year in Trinidad and Tobago, he went for just 18 (19 balls; 1×4; 1×6) at 70/2 in the 12th over.
Meanwhile, Amla who was stabilizing the innings brought up his third half century this season with a flick to fine leg for this fifth boundary from the 42nd delivery he faced in over number 14. After featuring in a partnership of 43 runs for the third wicket Amla gave himself room and was bowled by Zampa for 64 (54 balls; 6×4) at 113/3 in the 18th over after TKR Captain Dwayne Bravo cut loose.
Bravo got off the mark by hitting the first ball he faced over midwicket and followed it up with another six the very next ball, this time over long off. His innings gave the innings the late push to score the highest score of teams batting first at Providence. In the final over of the innings he was bowled first ball by fellow Trinidadian Rayad Emrit for a busy 25 (8 balls; 1×4; 3×6). Former Amazon Warriors’ captain Denesh Ramdin hit two fours to end on unbeaten on nine while Akmal was with him at the end on 23 from 22 balls.
TKR who started cautiously and scored 36 runs in the Power Play and started to accelerate towards the end of the innings mainly because of wickets in hand. They scored 85 runs in the second 10 overs after they were at 66/1 at the half way stage. Medium pacer, Emrit was the pick of the Warriors bowlers with 32/2 while left arm spinner Permaul and right arm leggie Zampa claimed one each.
The Warriors run chase got off to the worse start when Dwayne Smith was caught at long off by Akmal in the first over bowled by Devcich before a run was scored. Chris Lynn joined his captain Guptill and blasted four boundaries in a brisk 21 from 18 balls before he was caught at deep midwicket by Kevon Cooper off Devcich with the score on 25/2 in the fifth over. Guptill who was playing a captain’s innings was looking for a partner to build a partnership and get some momentum.
Jason Mohammed came and hit a six in his 18 ball stay at the crease adding 38 with his captain but at 63/3 in the 11th over he nicked a short lifting ball to wicketkeeper Ramdin to be Bravo’s first victim and the Warriors were beginning to crumble under pressure. At this stage the home side needed 89 from 56 balls.
Nothing of substance came from the middle order with Anthony Bramble (4), Tanvir (1), Christopher Barnwell (10) and Emrit (12) got in and quickly got out and they were followed by captain Guptill who was eight out. After reaching 50 from 39 balls (1×4; 4×6) the New Zealander hit Bravo down the throat of Kevon Cooper at long off and at 122/8 with 30 runs still needed from 9 balls it was as good as over for the home team who were well supported by the sold out crowd. However, with the intense battle on the field a sharp shower came and halted the finish with the Warriors on 128/8 in the 19th over still needing 24 runs to win from eight balls. Permaul was on five and Steven Jacobs one.
After the rain break the drama continued with Permaul hitting Bravo to the midwicket fence then crashing the next delivery over long on to end over number 19 at 138/8 with 14 more need from the final over which was bowled by Cooper.
Jacobs got a single from the first ball and the strike was with the aggressive Warrior, Permaul who took two to long on followed by a single to short third man. Jacobs attempted an all mighty shot but only got a single to long on to give the strike to Permaul with nine runs to come from two balls.
The next delivery Permaul got under the deliver from Cooper and made good connection but got height and not distance and was caught on the midwicket boundary for 18 with two fours and a six from seven balls and it was a done deal that the Warriors will suffer their first defeat in their fifth match this season.
The Guyana Amazon Warriors remain on eight points and will now take on the St. Lucia Zouks tomorrow in their final home match and will look to resume their winning ways as they prepare to hit the road again.
The Trinbago Knight Riders move to four points and will now move to Bridgetown for their sixth match when they take on the Barbados Tridents at the Kensington Oval on Saturday July 16 from midday.