TKR ready for big CPL battle against GAW on Saturday

Story and photos by Brandon Corlette

The biggest rivalry in “the biggest party in sport” is the clash between Trinbago Knight Riders (TKR) and Guyana Amazon Warriors (GAW), two heavyweight teams that will suit up on Saturday, September 24, for what is expected to be an epic battle commencing from 19:00h at the Guyana National Stadium at Providence, EBD.
According to TKR Manager Colin Borde, the TKR are hyped and ready for the big match against the Warriors.
“They are always looking forward to that! Curry chicken vs chicken curry! There is a lot of hype behind it, but we have close relations with Guyana on and off the field. Players know each other well, a lot of Guyanese play cricket in Trinidad, and they have mingled over the years and played at the international level,” Borde has said.
“And the fans? Great fun between both (sets of) fans! And it is a big game! I think it was the first league that was sold out early, so we expect a bumper crowd when TKR turns up at Providence! We expect some excitement!
“Guyana needs to do well, TKR needs to do well, so it is a do-or-die! We are not accustomed to being in a position where we have to fight. It is going to be a big game, and a very important one,” Borde said after a training session at Everest on Wednesday morning.
TKR are in unfamiliar territory, fighting for a playoff spot as opposed to sitting pretty on the points table. Borde has described the season as a roller coaster one. “Our season has been a bit up-and-down! Some of the games we lost are close games, particularly the last game in Trinidad. But we also know that T20 cricket is small margins, and it is important that we close gaps and make sure that the three facets of the game are tight. Certainly, we had some areas in which we should have done better running between the wickets,” he has admitted.
“You can always point back to a game and see which ball could have won you a match! It does not work like that; it is about the intent! Like the captain (Keiron Pollard) said in the last post-match (interview), we were not (as) intent as we should have been in the last game, and we paid the price. One run is one run, and ten runs is ten runs! It does not matter, and it is points we are trying to accumulate during the league,” he declared.
“It has been an up-and-down season, and we have not fired the way we expected, but it is sport, and we still have a chance going forward,” Borde added. TKR had a training session at Bourda on Tuesday, and followed that up with another on Wednesday at the Camp Street location of Everest. According to the experienced Borde, the sessions were excellent. “Excellent (practice sessions)! We are familiar with Guyana, so we had two very good, intense sessions! I think the guys got what they wanted out of it!” Borde has said.
Fans from across the globe are certainly anticipating a top-notch match, especially after TKR edged Guyana in the Trinidad leg of the 2022 CPL.