Knight Riders limp out on losing note as Amazon Warriors keep rolling

GEORGETOWN – The Trinbago Knight Riders’ forgettable outing in this year’s Republic Bank Caribbean Premier League ended in disappointing fashion when they went down by six wickets to the Guyana Amazon Warriors at Providence Stadium in Guyana on Friday.

Asked to bat first in their final match, the five-time champions were undone by spinner Mehidy Hasan Miraz’s four-wicket haul and could only muster 126 for eight in their 20 overs.

Despite losing a couple wickets early on, the Amazon Warriors never looked in danger, eventually breezing to 127 for four in 18.4 overs to extend their lead at the top of the points table.

With the defeat, their seventh in 10 games, the Knight Riders – the winningest franchise in the CPL – recorded their worst-ever performance in the tournament, finishing bottom of the table for the first time in its 13-year history.

The visitors actually got a solid start, with openers Colin Munro and Alex Hales putting on 41 runs inside five overs.

However, once Miraz broke the partnership by having Munro caught for 26 off 16 balls and then bowling the dangerous Nicholas Pooran the next delivery for a first-ball duck, the Knight Riders’ top order crumbled.

Imran Tahir brought Hales’ miserable knock of 22 from 26 balls to an end and Miraz returned to dismiss both Jyd Goolie and Sunil Narine to leave the Amazon Warriors 84 for five in the 15th over.

Justin Greaves propped the lower order up with his patient 35 off 37 balls, until speedster Shamar Joseph cleaned him up and also accounted for Joshua Da Silva for four to see them limp to their subpar total.

Miraz finished with 4-23, while Joseph claimed 2-27.

The Amazon Warriors lost openers Glenn Phillips and Mavendra Dindyal cheaply to see them slip to 36 for two in the seventh over.

However, a 49-run partnership in six overs between Shai Hope and Shimron Hetmyer effectively sealed the deal.

Hetmyer was dismissed by Sunil Narine after scoring 28 off 19 balls, and Miraz faced 14 balls for his two runs before losing his wicket to Lahiru Kumara, but Hope along with Quentin Sampson, carried the Amazon Warriors to victory with eight balls to spare.

Hope finished unbeaten on 42 off 35 balls, while Sampson scored 12 not out in their unbroken partnership of 34.

CMC

Summarised scores

TRINBAGO KNIGHT RIDERS 126-8 in 20 overs (Justin Greaves 35, Colin Munro 26, Alex Hales 22, Akeal Hosein 12 not out, Kieron Pollard 10; Mehidy Hasan Miraz 4-23, Shamar Joseph 2-27).

GUYANA AMAZON WARRIORS 127-4 in 18.4 overs (Shai Hope 42 not out, Shimron Hetmyer 28, Mavendra Dindyal 19, Quentin Sampson 12 not out, Glenn Phillips 11).

Guyana Amazon Warriors won by six wickets.