Republic Bank CPL: Warriors maintain top spot after TKR defeat

An all-round performance from the Trinbago Knight Riders at the Guyana National Stadium on Sunday night almost cost the Guyana Amazon Warriors the coveted number one spot on the Republic Bank Caribbean Premier League (CPL) points table, but a late resistance from the home side ensured they would have ‘two bites of the cherry’ when the playoffs begin on Tuesday.
Trinbago Knight Riders Captain Kieron Pollard, playing to his team’s strengths, opted to bat first after winning the toss, a decision that paid off greatly when Nicholas Pooran slammed a century.
GAW Captain Imran Tahir opted for a change of sorts, bowling the first over of the innings rather than his usually introduction outside the powerplay. His was the only quiet over of the powerplay, however, as the remaining pace options that the captain opted for suffered badly against the wrath of Pooran.

Pooran came into the game in the second over, after Tahir removed Shaqkere Parris on the last ball of the first rotation. The Trinidadian raced to a half-century in the blink of an eye, bringing up the achievement in 23 balls to send a deafening hush throughout the Guyana National Stadium.
Jason Roy had, at that point, taken a back seat to Pooran’s fireworks, hitting just 9 from 11 deliveries. However, he was able to flex his muscles with a boundary off the last ball of the sixth over, as he started to keep up with his teammate.
The usually-animated crowd at the National Stadium were enraptured in despair as over after over, Pooran and Roy combined to send the Guyanese bowlers over the boundary ropes, keeping their run-rate ticking at a rapid pace.
Moeen Ali’s first over brought some needed relief for the Warriors, as did Gudakesh Motie’s bowling in the next one, but when the Trinbago duo got accustomed to their ebb and flow, they were able to revert to their boundary hitting.
Eventually, the duo brought up the 100 for TKR and locked in their 100-run partnership by the ninth over. Not too long after, Pooran, who had been entertaining the smattering of Knight Riders fans in the venue, brought up his century in 57 deliveries.
It wasn’t until Baracara’s very own Shamar Joseph came into the attack that the breakthrough came for the home side. Joseph’s family in the green stand, like the rest of the patrons at the National Stadium, broke out in jubilant screams when the fast bowler had Roy caught behind by Shai Hope for 34 runs.

Some more relief went the Warriors’ way as Dwaine Pretorius was able to send Andre Russell back to the dugout early and then absolute scenes followed when Joseph returned for his second over and executed a double strike, removing Pooran for 101 and Tim David for a duck in back-to-back deliveries.
The Amazon Warriors had done an excellent job at bringing down the Knight Riders’ staggering run rate, however, with Pollard still at the crease, there was still much to fear.
Pollard, along with Keacy Carty did as they were expected, trying the big shots in order to get past the 200-run mark. Eventually, the duo got the visitors up to 21-5 in their 20 overs.
Joseph was the standout amongst the Amazon Warriors’ bowlers, claiming three wickets for an expensive 50 runs in his spell, while both Tahir and Pretorius had one scalp each.
The chase certainly did not go the way the defending champions had envisioned, with a slow start and double-wicket strikes from Terrence Hinds and Waqar Salamkheil completely changing the complexion of the game.
After only accumulating 10 runs in the first two overs and losing Kevlon Anderson to a leg-before decision, Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Shai Hope took a liking to Akeal Hosein and Andre Russell’s bowling, pushing the Amazon Warriors up to a healthy 63-1 in six overs.

However, Hosein has his revenge in the seventh, frustrating Hope before trapping him lbw for 28 runs. From there on out, it all fell apart for the defending champions. Both Gurbaz and Shimron Hetmyer fell prey to Salamkheil in the ninth, while Keemo Paul and Romario Shepherd fell to Hinds in the following over to plunge the Warriors into hot water at 76-6.
By then, scores of visibly-disappointed fans began making their way out of the stands, the dwindling crowd only adding to the Amazon Warriors’ woes.
Warriors’ collapse meant that they would need at least 104 runs to still maintain a good enough run- rate to maintain their top spot. As such, at 88-8, trepidation overtook not only the Amazon Warriors but their worrying fans.
Motie and Tahir, the unlikeliest of duos, were the ones to get the Amazon Warriors past their hurdle in what turned out to be a nail-biting 49-run partnership.
There were sighs of relief, loud as a chorus, when Motie got the single that would trickle away to the boundary to get the defending champions past 104. From there on out, it was bonus runs for the home side who were eventually bowled out for 137 in 18.5 overs.
The Warriors will take on the St Lucia Kings in Qualifier 1 on Wednesday, while the Knight Riders battle Barbados Royals in Eliminator 1 on Tuesday.