Guyana Amazon Warriors completed a comprehensive drubbing of Trinbago Knight Riders to secure the 2023 Republic Bank Caribbean Premier League title in front of a record crowd at the National Stadium, Providence last night.
Amazon Warriors won the toss, inserted the Knight Riders and routed the visitors for a dismal 94 in 18.1 overs. Warriors then secured a nine-wicket win after reaching 99 for one in 14 overs to arguably the loudest cheer of the season from the over 13,000 fans.
Warriors had Knight Riders by the scruff of their neck from the onset with both openers, Mark Deyal (16) and Chadwick Walton (10) back in the dug-out by the fourth over. Knight Riders also lost their most prolific scorer of the season, Nicholas Pooran for one, holding out to Romario Shepherd at mid-off off of man of the Match Dwaine Pretorius despite being dropped the previous delivery behind the stumps as they slipped to 41 for three by the end of the powerplay.
Knight Riders went further into the abyss when Gudakesh Motie removed Kieron Pollard and Akeal Hosein in the seventh over while Imran Tahir accounted for the dangerous Andre Russell for just three.
Keacy Carty played the lone hand in giving the Knight Riders fans a bit of hope of winning their fifth title with a top score of 38 from 45 balls. However, after hitting two fours and a six, it was a mic-drop reaction from a diving Shimron Hetmyer on the boundary that signalled the end of the Knight Riders’ innings.
Pretorius ended as the tournament’s leading bowler with 20 wickets after picking up 4-26 while Motie continued to show why he is regarded as one of the best spinners in the region with an impressive return of 2-7. Tahir bagged 2-8 as the spinners stifled Knight Riders.
The chase was capped off superbly with Saim Ayub scoring 52 not out from 41 balls bring up the winning runs with a six. Ayub shared in an unbroken 84-run stand with leading run scorer and player of the tournament, Shai Hope, who scored a ball-a-run 32 with two boundaries.