PORT-OF-SPAIN – In a nail-biting contest at Queen’s Park Oval, a fiery 36 not out from Andre Russell and a composed 31 not out from Tim David propelled the Trinbago Knight Riders (TKR) to a thrilling five-wicket win over the Guyana Amazon Warriors in the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) on Wednesday night.
Chasing a tricky 149 on a challenging pitch, TKR found themselves in trouble at 89-5, needing 60 runs from the final 30 deliveries. Enter Russell, back from injury, who immediately went on the offensive, while David, struggling for rhythm, held firm at the other end.
Russell, named Player of the Match, was handed a lifeline when Junior Sinclair dropped him on nought at deep backward square leg. The powerful Jamaican seized the opportunity, taking apart Nathan Sowter’s over with three monstrous sixes, putting TKR back in the hunt.
Disciplined bowling
Even with disciplined bowling from the Warriors, Dwaine Pretorius delivering an impressive penultimate over, TKR still needed 12 off the final six balls. Under pressure, David finally found his touch, smashing consecutive sixes off the first two balls of the last over, sealing the win with four deliveries to spare.
Earlier, the Amazon Warriors also faced struggles despite a promising start. After reaching 32-2, their innings unraveled under the pressure of TKR’s spinners. Tim Robinson’s 34 off 28 gave the Warriors a solid base, but TKR’s spin trio – Waqar Salamkheil (2-19), Sunil Narine (2-24), and Akeal Hosein (1-20) – dismantled the middle order, reducing the Warriors to 76-7.
It was the heroic effort of Romario Shepherd, who scored an unbeaten 51 off 24 balls, and Pretorius (21 off 25) that dragged the Warriors to a competitive total of 148-7 in their 20 overs.
The game’s turning point
The game’s turning point came in the 17th over, as Russell smashed three sixes off Sowter’s bowling to close the gap on the required runs, setting up the finish for David. Reflecting on his mindset, Russell said, “The mindset was that I know I can hit sixes and that Tim David is a six-hitter as well. I told him that we had 24 balls, and we had to hit eight sixes.”
An emotional Russell also paid tribute to Dwayne Bravo, saying, “Who I am today has a lot to do with him. I am just happy to be part of this game. That’s why it was an emotional celebration; he deserved that win… I think he’ll shed a tear tonight. This one is for DJ Bravo.”
The win places TKR in a strong position with eight points from five games, keeping their CPL playoff hopes firmly alive. For the Amazon Warriors, this marked their second consecutive loss, following a defeat to the Barbados Royals, where Quinton de Kock’s century led the Royals to a 32-run win at Kensington Oval.
As the CPL heats up, both teams will be looking to fine-tune their performances with the playoffs looming.
