VINODE MAMCHAN
vinode.mamchan@guardian.co.tt
Play, fight, win repeat.
This is exactly what the Trinbago Knight Riders did last evening, as they were crowned 2018 Hero Caribbean Premier League champions with victory over the Guyana Amazon Warriors at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy in Tarouba, San Fernando.
TKR, seeking to earn back-to-back titles and the team’s third overall, ran down a victory target of 148 set by the Warriors to lift their third CPL crown, much to the delight of 18,000 cheering fans who transformed the ground into a sea of red.
Warriors, having been sent in, scored 147 runs for nine wickets off their 20 overs and TKR responded without problems, reaching 150 for 2 with 15 balls to spare.
Chasing 148 could have been a tricky target on a slow pitch but TKR played a wildcard by sending in wicketkeeper Denesh Ramdin to open the batting with Brendan McCullum.
This proved a brilliant move by skipper Dwayne Bravo to play two right-handers at the top of the innings and Ramdin turned the scoring over with singles, while McCullum went after the bowling, making big shots.
The two knocked the stuffing out of the Warriors attack in posting a half-century opening stand.
McCullum was dismissed for a 24-ball 39 that came with five fours and two sixes. Ramdin continued to knock the ball around in partnership with Player of the Tournament Colin Munro, but the rain stopped them in their tracks at 65 for one. After a lengthy delay, the players came back out and the two continued from where they left off.
When Ramdin left his wicket for 24, the score was 87 for 2, and the TKR had gotten a great platform to launch their victory.
Munro then stayed the course, scoring 68 not out and crossing a tournament total of 500 runs in the process. He faced a total off 69 balls, hitting six fours and three sixes. He finished with 567 runs, the most by any player this season.
Earlier, Bravo won the toss and asked the visitors to bat. He threw the ball to his trusted opening soldier Muhammad Ali Khan and after a few seconds, 18,000 fans were on their feet jumping as he castled Cameron Delport’s off stump with the first ball of the innings.
Luke Ronchi and Shimron Hetmyer then recovered well in taking the score to 46 for one after the end of the powerplay. They pushed the score to 52 for 1 before the wheels fell apart.
Fawad Ahmed, the leading wicket-taker in this tournament, was struck for six by Hetmyer but the next delivery he hanged a googly just outside off stump and the left-hander edged to Dwayne Bravo at slip. Hetmyer made 15 and soon after he was joined by a number of Warriors batsmen in the dugout.
Man-of-the-match Khary Pierre of Queen’s Park Cricket Club, the left-arm orthodox spinner who was dropped for the semis, came back like a true champion and removed Ronchi for 44. The Kiwi made his runs off 35 balls with six fours and a six. Pierre then accounted for Chadwick Walton for one and reserved one of the better moments of this tournament. The dangerous Sherfane Rutherford struck a mighty blow right back to him and Pierre completed a blistering reflex catch which sparked a mini celebration. This took the TKR spirit to another level and soon the Warriors were reduced to 109 for eight.
Towards the end, the Warriors got away and posted 147 off their allotted 20 overs. Pierre ended with 3/29 and took two catches which earned him the Man of The Match award, while Bravo took 2/30.
Result: TKR won by 8 wkts.
CPL 2018 HONOUR ROLL
Champions: TKR beat Warriors by 8 wickets.
Man of The Match: Khary Pierre - 3 for 29 & Two catches - TKR
Player of The Tournament: Colin Munro - TKR 567 runs
Moment of The Match: Khary Pierre - TKR
Hero Maximum (Most sixes): Glen Phillips - Tallawahs
Republic Bank Classic Catch: Dwayne Bravo - TKR