Latest update April 18th, 2024 12:59 AM
Oct 12, 2019 Sports
After 33 matches it has come down to the moment of truth as three-times winners and defending Champions Trinbago Knight Riders(TKR) for the time in the last two years are not a part of the Hero CPL final in their own back yard.
Barbados Tridents, with a thrilling win on Thursday night against TKR, nosed their way into their third final and first since 2015. Today from 17:00hrs at the Brian Lara Academy in South Trinidad the Tridents face the most dominant unit in the 2019 season, four times runners-up, Guyana Amazon Warriors.
It was the Tridents who beat the Warriors in the 2014 final before losing to TKR in the 2015 final. TKR, urged on by a capacity of a crowd of 20,000 fans which created a sea of Red in stands, took their third title in last year’s final at the same venue to condemn the Warriors to being the bridesmaids for the fourth time since losing the inaugural tournament the Tallawahs in 2013.
But the Tridents demonstrated in the semi-final that they can beat a team littered with ‘big name’ players, off-spinner Ashley Nurse finally contributing with the ball after a match-winning cameo with the bat.
The Warriors, finalists in 2013, 2014, 2016 and 2018, hunt their first title after beating Tridents on both occasions when the teams met this season. Tridents rebounded from poor performances in their home games sneaking into the second spot jumping ahead of Patriots on a better net run rate while TKR who had a substandard season, finished fourth heading into the playoffs in Guyana.
The Warriors beat Tridents in the Eliminator at Providence. But the Jason Holder led team overcame several hurdles including arriving late for their game against TKR due to traffic congestion on a flooded Highway leading to the Brian Lara Academy and the hamstring injury to their overseas player JP Duminy, to prevent TKR from reaching a hat-trick of finals.
The excellent leadership of Warriors by Shoib Malik who also has two fifties in his 313 runs at an Average of 78.25, has been one of the reasons why the South American Franchise is on an 11-match unbeaten run.
But the rejuvenated Tridents have in the line the most successful wicket taker, leg-spinner Hayden Walsh Jnr. The Antiguan, who plays for the USA, has 21 wickets from just eight matches and the electrifying fielder has been the ‘find’ of the tournament.
Walsh along with left-arm spinner Shakib Al Hasan and Nurse will provide the spin while Holder, Harry Gurney and Ramon Reifer should take of the seam bowling on what a good track and fast outfield.
Tridents batting should centre around Johnson Charles, their leading run scorer with 376 runs including three fifties but only the injured Duminy has more than 200 runs and will be keen to play today while the inclusion of Shai Hope as Keeper also beefs up the batting.
Alex Hales has had a poor season while Shakib has not fired with the bat as yet. Reifer and Jonathon Carter have gotten starts while Holder has batted nine times with a top score of 29 but has still not managed 50 runs. But all this can this can change today.
Malik, 37 and South African leg-spinner Imran Tahir 40, would need to provide the calming effect to the youngest team in the tournament, especially since the Trini crowd will try to give TKR the psychological advantage with their partisan support.
The 24-year-old Jamaica has played some Royal innings, none better than his majestic record-breaking 132. He is the tournament’s leading run scorer, his 453 runs includes three fifties and a hundred.
Chanderpaul Hemraj has two fifties in his 298 run and along with King, has given the Warriors five half-century opening partnerships and will hope for another in a do-or-die match.
Nicholas Pooran and Sherfane Rutherford have played a few cameos to allow the experienced Malik to find gaps and rotate the strike with elegant stroke-play. Shimron Hetmyer, who scored the first century by a Warriors batsman against Tallawahs last year, continues to frustrate his many fans with his reckless shot selection but is well equipped to get a ‘big one’ today.
Chris Green, Romario Shepherd and Kemo Paul can also contribute valuable runs. The start time should ensure that the spinners should not be affected by dew which could work in the Warriors’ favour since despite the track being a ‘good’ one, they could use spinners through the six power-play overs.
Green, Tahir (15 wickets from 8 matches), Malik and Hemraj have bowled frugally while Qais Ahmad is another spin option for Malik. This is the Warriors, who will have the support of most of the fans, best chance of lifting the title due to their domination of everyone throughout their previous matches.
But then, this has usually been the case in previous tournaments without them managing to cross that final hurdle. (Sean Devers)
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