TRINBAGO Knight Riders (TKR), the most successful team in the history of the Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL), with four titles under their belt, suffered the ignominy of failing to reach the CPL playoffs for the first time ever, in the tenth year of the competition.
Against a resurgent Guyana Amazon Warriors on Saturday night, at the Providence Stadium in Guyana, the TKR were soundly beaten by 37 runs to finish last in the six-team competition with seven points, from ten matches. It was a miserable Republic Day for the TT franchise, who were a shadow of themselves throughout the tournament.
St Kitts/Nevis Patriots, who are fifth with eight points; the same amount of both St Lucia Kings and Jamaica Tallawahs, but with an inferior net run-rate.
The Barbados Royals have sealed the top spot and will face Amazon Warriors (nine points) in the final preliminary match tonight. St Lucia Kings face Jamaica Tallawahs in the early match. Both will be keen to avoid a huge defeat to not slip to fifth but eager to take second spot and get two chances to qualify for the final.
In front of a packed and noisy sea of yellow Amazon Warriors fans, which included Guyana President Mohamed Irfaan Ali, who spend his time seated amongst the supporters, the Amazon Warriors (who entered the match on a two-game win streak) tallied a score of 173 runs for six wickets.
Opener Rahmanullah Gurbaz (60) notched his second straight half-century, which featured six sixes off 42 balls. He got crucial support from Man of the Match Shakib Al Hasan (35 off 25 balls with four fours and a six), captain Shimron Hetmyer (23 off 14 balls with five fours) and Odean Smith (22 not out off seven balls with three sixes).
Veteran off-spinner Sunil Narine took two wickets for 23 runs for TKR, including his 100th CPL scalp.
It was no surprise that the TKR featured a new opening pair – New Zealanders Colin Munro and Tim Seifert. The duo had a partnership of 32 before Seifert was trapped leg-before by left-arm spinner Al Hasan, for 13.
Munro survived two chances before he was caught in the deep by Keemo Paul off leg-spinner Imran Tahir for 30 (26 balls, two sixes and a four).
West Indies white-ball captain Nicholas Pooran's miserable tournament ended when he was sent back to the pavilion for one, via the run-out route, as he failed to dive to beat Al Hasan's bulls-eye throw to the bowler's end.
Recent addition Samit Patel, who topscored with 34 (27 balls, three fours and a six), was caught behind by Gurbaz off pacer Odean Smith, and the rest of the batting line-up flattered to deceive.
Captain Kieron Pollard, who remained as TKR captain despite Pooran's addition to the team, was stumped off Gudakesh Motie for 13, the injury-prone Andre Russell (who failed miserably with the bat) was caught behind off Al Hasan for 12, while the left-handed trio of Akeal Hosein (one), Narine (19) and Ravi Rampaul (one) were all bowled, attempting big shots.
And the final nail in the coffin came off the final ball (with the TKR on 136), when Shaaron Lewis (one) skied one from off-spinner Junior Sinclair to Hetmyer at long-on.
During the post-game presentation, Pollard said, "The way we have played throughout the entire tournament, we deserve to be in the position we are in right now. As a batting unit, to not cross 160, that's disappointing. From a bowling perspective, having teams (on) the back foot and giving it away (in the last few overs), we deserve to be be (bottom of the standings)."