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.

Caribbean Premier League 2018

New Zealand’s Colin Munro smashed an unbeaten 39-ball 68 as defending champions Trinbago Knight Riders thrashed Guyana Amazon Warriors by eight wickets to lift Caribbean Premier League 2018 title for the third time.

Opting to field, Knight Riders restricted Guyana Amazon Warriors to 147 for 9, with Khary Pierre claiming 3 for 29 and Captain Dwayne Bravo picking up two wickets. In reply, Knight Riders chased down the target in just 17.3 overs, thanks to brilliant batting performances from Brendon McCullum (39) and Munro (68).

For Guyana Amazon Warriors, Luke Ronchi scored 44 off 35 balls. Chasing 148 to win, Ramdin played the anchor even as McCullum pulled out the big shots. The two added 52 for the first wicket before McCullum skied Chris Green for Delport to take the catch in the seventh over - the former New Zealand captain hit 39 in 24 balls.

Pierre was adjudged Player of the Match for his brilliant bowling figures of 3/29. Munro was earlier named in the CPL tournament team, alongside Phillips who had a big few weeks for Jamaica Tallawahs. Phillips scored 457 runs from 11 innings at a strike rate of 147 to push a strong case for one of the two available spots for the Black Caps T20 squad to face Pakistan.

Caribbean Premier League 2016

A rematch from first Caribbean Premier League playoff qualifier between the regular season’s top teams quickly turned into an uncontested romp for Jamaica Tallawahs, who rampaged past Guyana Amazon Warriors by nine wickets to claim their second CPL title at Warner Park. For Warriors, it was a flat effort that left them runner-up for the third time in four CPL seasons, twice to Tallawahs.

Warriors were the regular season table toppers and beat Tallawahs in two of their prior three meetings, including four wickets in opening playoff match. In Final, they stumbled badly after being sent in by Chris Gayle at the toss and were bowled out for a franchise record low total of 93 in just 16.1 overs. Warriors never won a game while batting first in 2016, and lost all three games in which they batted first, with two of those losses coming against Tallawahs.

Warriors were under pressure early when Nic Maddinson became the first of three batsmen dismissed first ball, edging Andre Russell behind in first over. A bigger blow came at the start of the third over when Chris Lynn the tournament leading scorer carved Shakib Al Hasan straight to Jonathan Foo at backward point for 7. Kesrick Williams also won a hat-trick in 16^th over.

Russell was named player of the Tournament. Russell struck the fastest century in Caribbean T20 history, off just 42 balls and also broke a three game Tallawahs losing streak lifting them into the Final.