Match 11 of the Caribbean Premier League was a nail-biting affair between 4-time champions Trinbago Knight Riders and 5-time runners up Guyana Amazon Warriors. Romario Shepherd starred for his side as Guyana Amazon Warriors ended their 2-match losing run with a win in the super over.
Nicholas Pooran won the toss and sent the Riders out to bat first. The star-studded outfit lost a wicket early as Lendl Simmons perished for a golden duck. Former world number 1 batsman Colin Munro (32 off 28) top scored, but the lack of genuine contributors among the top order hurt the Kieron Pollard-led side.
An explosive innings by the now-retired Sri Lankan international Isuru Udana (21 off 9) helped Trinbago to put up a decent score of 138 runs. Mohammad Hafeez (3 for 18) and Romario Shepherd (3 for 24) were the two bowlers responsible for ensuring that the reigning champions didn’t put up a high total.
Mohammad Hafeez (16 off 30) wasn’t able to replicate his bowling performance while he was batting as he failed to get his team off to a good start. 36-year-old Ravi Rampaul rolled back the years as he not only picked up a few wickets at the top order but also dismissed the dangerous Pooran. Shimron Hetmyer (27 off 29) and Nicholas Pooran (27 off 15) were the two significant run-scorers in the chase.
The scores were tied after 40 overs, and the match had to be decided by a super over. The left-handed duo of Pooran and Hetmyer were the chosen ones for Guyana. Super over specialist Sunil Narine managed to pick up both their wickets for just 6 runs.
Up stepped Shepherd, who had already taken 3 wickets in the first innings. He bowled exceedingly well and kept the likes of Colin Munro and Tim Seifert quiet. He also got the better of Pollard for a first-ball duck and conceded just 4 runs in the process.
Brief Scores
Trinbago Knight Riders: 138/9 in 20 overs (Colin Munro 32, Isuru Udana 21; Mohammad Hafeez 3/18, Romario Shepherd 3/24) lost to
Guyana Amazon Warriors: 138/9 in 20 overs (Nicholas Pooran 27, Shimron Hetmyer 27; Ravi Rampaul 4/29, Sunil Narine 2/9) after a super over
Man of the Match
Romario Shepherd
