PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, CMC – Opener Colin Munro played superbly but fell just short of a hundred as Trinbago Knight Riders crushed Guyana Amazon Warriors by 67 runs, to return to the top of the Caribbean Premier League standings here Wednesday night.
Sent in at Queen’s Park Oval, the hosts rallied to 170 for seven off their 20 overs with the left-handed Munro stroking 90 off 56 balls and Denesh Ramdin getting a measured 39.
Though seemingly short of a competitive total, TKR then made light work of Amazon Warriors, bundling them out for a paltry 103 in the 18th over, to post their sixth win in eight outings this season.
Roshon Primus top-scored with 36 not out batting at number eight while Jason Mohammed gathered 26 but Amazon Warriors never recovered from the damage of being 48 for six in the 10th over.
Trinbago Knight Riders celebrate another wicket en route to their 67-run victory over Guyana Amazon Warriors on Wednesday night. TKR now have 12 points with two games left and will be heavy favourites for automatic qualification for the September 16 final at home.
The defeat was the third in eight games for Amazon Warriors who lie third on 10 points with two games remaining.
TKR’s innings was the tale of one partnership – a 135-run second wicket stand between Munro and Ramdin – and a sudden collapse, which left the reigning champions about 30 runs short of what they would have envisioned.
They lost Chris Lynn without scoring to the fifth ball of the innings, caught at the wicket off left-arm pacer Sohail Tanvir (3-27) for his fifth single digit score in six innings but Munro and Ramdin combined to take the advantage away from the visitors.
Munro, already with four half-centuries in the tournament, hammered 10 fours and four sixes while Ramdin supported with four fours and a six in a 36-ball knock.
But Ramdin’s demise in the 16th over – holing out to long on off off-spinner Chris Green – triggered a collapse as TKR lost six wickets for 34 runs in quick time, to lose their way.
Munro was third out in the 17th over, lofting pacer Romario Shepherd (3-29) to long on running in.
Amazon Warriors started poorly, New Zealander Luke Ronchi swinging across to a full length delivery from speedster Ali Khan and falling lbw without scoring to the fourth ball of the innings.
Left-arm spinner Khary Pierre bowled Chadwick Walton for four at 17 for two in the third over and Ali Khan struck again in the next over when he had the dangerous left-hander Shimron Hetmyer caught at deep square for 11 at 21 for three.
Cameron Delport (2), Green (2) and Tanvir (0) fell in quick succession leaving Amazon Warriors six down and facing a required run rate of 12 at the half-way stage.
Barrel-chested Primus attempted a rescue mission which saw him belt three fours and a couple of sixes off 30 balls while Mohammed stroked three fours in a run-a-ball knock.
However, once Mohammed picked out point at the end of the 12th over off captain Dwayne Bravo’s medium pace, there was virtually no way back for Amazon Warriors.