Fans of the Caribbean Premier League and people who generally like to bet on sports keep their attention closely to the CPL 2025 matches and the games of The Barbados Royals, especially. The Barbados Royals, however, are still chasing their first win of CPL 2025, dropping their fourth game in five, as Shai Hope kept his cool and Dwaine Pretorius smashed it in a rain-hit clash.
The Guyana Amazon Warriors bounced back nicely after two losses, snatching their third win of the season with just a couple of balls to spare. In Game 21 of the Republic Bank Caribbean Premier League (CPL), the Guyana Amazon Warriors squeezed past the Barbados Royals by four wickets with just two balls to go.
Both teams really needed a win at September 5’s showdown at Kensington Oval in Bridgetown, with only two playoff spots left. The Royals’ loss leaves them stuck at the bottom, and they need a big turnaround if they want to keep their season alive.
The Warriors won the toss and chose to field first. Their bowlers made an early impact, reducing the Royals to 69-5 by the 12th over. That is when Rovman Powell stepped up, blasting a fiery 50 off 28 balls, smashing six towering sixes, and not a single four, to put the Royals under serious pressure.
A Closer Look at the Latest Game
Shai Hope and Dwaine Pretorius put on a brilliant show for the Guyana Amazon Warriors and handed the Barbados Royals another tough loss at Kensington Oval in the Republic Bank CPL. Both Hope and Pretorius hit solid half-centuries and helped the Warriors chase down the Royals’ 165 for 6 and finish strong at 170 for 6 in just under 20 overs.
The real game-changer was their 89-run stand, which pulled the team back from a shaky 30 for 4 and put them on the path to victory.
The Royals’ pace attack, led by Eathan Bosch (3/35) and Ramon Simmonds (2/27), really put the Amazon Warriors under pressure. Bosch struck early, taking out Ben McDermott and Moeen Ali in just the second over, while Simmonds grabbed Shimron Hetmyer and Hassan Khan.
The game could have gone a completely different way if Kadeem Alleyne had held onto a catch off Pretorius when he was only 12, but the ball slipped through. That moment changed the match, as Pretorius then smashed a series of boundaries to race to 36 off just 27 balls.
He followed that by clobbering Green for two huge sixes in the next over and brought his half-century off 32 balls. Green eventually got him out for 53, which included four sixes and two fours, leaving the Warriors struggling at 119 for five after 14 overs.
Romario Shepherd’s stay at the crease was short-lived, as he was quickly sent back. Meanwhile, Hope hit his half-century in just 39 balls and joined forces with Quentin Sampson, who finished strong, unbeaten on 33 off 20 balls.
The Warriors needed just six runs off the final over, and Sampson wrapped it up in style. He smashed Green over the boundary with two balls to spare. Hope held his nerve too, finishing unbeaten on 62 off 49 balls, with five crisp fours and a big six.
The Royals had their moments earlier, though, collapsing to 69 for five by the 12th over. But captain Rovman Powell and Rassie van der Dussen fought back hard and put on 82 runs in just eight overs to give the home fans a reason to cheer.
Powell ended unbeaten on 50 from 28 balls, hammering six huge sixes, while van der Dussen scored a lively 45 off 37. Gudakesh Motie was also on point for the Warriors, bagging 2/16 from his four overs.
Dwaine Pretorius, who earned player-of-the-match, smashed 53 off 34 balls with four sixes and two fours and chipped away at the Royals’ total. The loss keeps the Royals winless in five games, a rough moment for their home supporters.
As a result, the Warriors now move up to fourth in the CPL standings, with three games still in hand. They stay right on the heels of the Falcons and Patriots above and below them.
