TKR lift fifth CPL title

PROVIDENCE, Guyana:

Behind a solid all-around performance from Akeal Hosein, the Trinbago Knight Riders (TKR) romped to their fifth Caribbean Premier League (CPL) title by overcoming the Guyana Amazon Warriors by three wickets in a low-scoring, but exciting affair on Sunday night.

SCORES:

Guyana Amazon Warriors - 130-8 in 2o overs (Iftikhar Ahmed 30, Ben McDermott 28, Dwaine Pretorius 25; Saurabh Netravalkar 3-25, Akeal Hosein 2-26).

Trinbago Knight Riders - 133-7 in 18 overs (Alex Hales 26, Colin Munro 23, Sunil Narine 22, Kieron Pollard 21, Akeal Hosein 16 not out; Imran Tahir 3-34, Shamar Joseph 2-9, Dwaine Pretorius 2-21).

While the win helped the Knight Riders become the most decorated team in the CPL's 12-year-history, it proved to be yet another heartbreaking defeat for the Amazon Warriors, who lost in the final for a historic seventh occasion.

The visitors used a sterling bowling effort, with Saurabh Netravalkar grabbing three wickets and Hosein two, to limit the home side's high powered batting unit to 130 for eight in their 20 overs, after they chose to bat first in front of a packed Providence Stadium.

After his side suffered a lower order collapse in their run chase, which saw them reduced to 116 for seven, Player of the Match Hosein smashed an unbeaten 16 from seven balls to lift them to 133 for seven, with two overs to spare.

It was the second time the Knight Riders triumphed over the Amazon Warriors in a CPL final, having defeated them by eight wickets in 2018.

Their victory was set up by left-arm pacer Netravalkar, along with their three-pronged spin attack of Hosein, Sunil Narine and Usman Tariq, which strangled the life out of the Amazon Warriors' batsmen.

- CMC