Caribbean Premier League 2019

Barbados Tridents won their second Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL) title as Guyana Amazon Warriors perfect season unraveled at the worst possible moment. The Warriors had won all 11 matches – including three against the Tridents – before the final, but came off second best in the face of an inspired performance from the Barbados outfit.

After Jonathan Carter’s unbeaten 50 off 27 balls led a recovery from 108/6 in the 15th over to an imposing 171/6 from 20 overs, the Tridents bowled and fielded for their lives to defend the target by 27 runs and break the Warriors’ hearts at the last, Raymon Reifer leading the way with remarkable figures of 4/24 from his four overs.

While the Tridents celebrate a well-deserved and comprehensive victory, the Warriors are left to reflect on a fifth Hero CPL final defeat in seven years. This will perhaps be the toughest to take of all given the flawless season that had preceded it. Chandrapaul Hemraj, apparently struggling with a hamstring injury, could have been run out twice before he was caught at short third-man off Reifer for just a single and things got worse for the Warriors when Shimron Hetmyer holed out to long-on for just 9 to give Reifer a second wicket.

Shoaib Malik then smashed a long-hop from leading 2019 Hero CPL wicket-taker straight to Reifer on the midwicket boundary to leave his side in real trouble at 53/3. When Brandon King yorked himself and was smartly stumped by Shai Hope off Ashley Nurse for 43, the game had swung decisively the Tridents’ way. Nicholas Pooran raced out of the blocks with two fours and a six, but Nurse and death-bowling specialist Harry Gurney strangled the life out of the Warriors’ run-chase.

Just eight runs came from three overs after the loss of King, and it felt like something simply had to give as the required rate spiraled north of 14 per over. Sure enough, Pooran went after Nurse but only managed to pick out Alex Hales at long-on to leave the Warriors needing a miracle. Sherfane Rutherford hit back-to-back boundaries off Gurney but then failed in the daunting task of trying to clear Jason Holder at long-off.

Reifer returned to take his third wicket when Romario Shepherd cue-ended a full, wide delivery through to Hope, and Keemo Paul’s 14-ball 25 was entertaining but futile. He, like Rutherford, fell to the hugely impressive Gurney having failed to get the ball over Holder. Reifer finished things off in the final over, having Chris Green caught behind for his fourth wicket and getting out of the over without any bother as the Tridents’ celebrations began.