TKR record 5th straight win as Warriors continue downhill
By Brandon Corlette
Kieron Pollard and his Trinbago Knight Riders (TKR) team continue their dream season, registering five wins in as many matches. The Guyana Amazon Warriors (GAW) suffered a seven-wicket defeat against the arch-rival TKR, who displayed an all-round effort at the Queen’s Park Oval in match 16 of the 2020 Hero Caribbean Premier League.
Khary and co celebrates a Warriors wicket (Photos CPL T20)
TKR restricted the Warriors to 112-7 in 20 overs, and closed off the match in 18.2 overs on 115-3.
Relapse into collapse
TKR Captain Kieron Pollard asked the Warriors to bat first. His option reaped dividends for his slower bowlers, who reduced the Warriors to 12-3.
Sikandar Raza sent the rusty Brandon King back in the hut when his off-spinner clipped the bails after King had scored just six. Chandrapaul Hemraj, looking ordinary, was bowled by the impressive Khary Pierre.
This left-arm spinner continued to impress. He cleaned up his countryman Nicholas Pooran, who played forward and was beaten all ends up.
Shimron Hetmyer and Ross Taylor came and attempted to rebuild the innings, but Taylor was removed with the score on 44-4. Taylor, who had played some sweet shots earlier on, departed for 26.
Shimron Hetmyer goes big into the leg-side
Hetmyer continued to play cautiously as TKR kept the bowling tight. Sherfane Rutherford continued to fail, like many of the Warriors’ batsmen. Rutherford’s was the fifth wicket to fall, with the score on 57-5 in 12.1 overs.
Tion Webster pulled off a good catch to remove Rutherford on the boundary after his 15-ball six.
Hetmyer had looked strong combating some good TKR bowling, but he departed for 26 as the Warriors slumped further. Keemo Paul hit some big shots in the latter part of the innings, scoring an unbeaten 28 from 26 balls along with Romario Shepherd, who scored 11 not out. They took Warriors past 100, which laboriously crept to 112-7 in 20 overs.
Imran Tahir continued to be the star for Warriors
Pierre ended with 3-18 in four top overs; while Pollard, Bravo and Raza each had one wicket.
Tahir strikes gold, but Bravo, Seifert control
As TKR began their chase, that target of 113 had that proverbial “teeth in it.”
Lendl Simmons, who freed his arms along with Tion Webster, took the score to 34-1, but the magical Imran Tahir removed Simmons and Colin Munro in consecutive balls.
Tahir produced a googly, and followed it up with a classical leg-break, and TKR were reduced to 34-2 in the sixth over.
Webster looked promising before he was undone by a brilliant Hetmyer catch off Captain Green at 52-3 in 10.2 overs.
Keemo Paul on the charge during his unbeaten innings
Darren Bravo and Tim Seifert took control of the innings and combated the challenge Warriors posted with ball in hand. Bravo played some elegant shots, ending with an unbeaten 26 while Seifert sealed the match with two fours, ending on 39 from 30 balls as TKR ended on the winning side on 115-3 in 18.2 overs.
Warriors will play the St Kitts and Nevis Patriots on Sunday, August 30, from 14:15 hours as they seek momentum.
