The Independence celebrations at Queen’s Park Oval ended in disappointment for the home crowd as the Trinbago Knight Riders suffered a nine-run DLS defeat against the unbeaten Guyana Amazon Warriors in the Republic Bank Caribbean Premier League.
On a rain-affected night in Port of Spain, Shimron Hetmyer delivered a breathtaking performance to silence the TKR faithful. Playing his 100th CPL match, the explosive left-hander smashed an unbeaten 111 from only 43 deliveries and equalled the record for the fastest century in CPL history.
Guyana eventually posted 185 for five from their reduced 16 overs before TKR were handed an adjusted target of 182. Despite attacking innings from Nicholas Pooran and Alex Hales, the Knight Riders finished short as the Warriors preserved their perfect start to the tournament.
TKR Make an Impressive Start with the Ball
The night initially appeared to be going according to plan for the Knight Riders.
TKR once again demonstrated why their PowerPlay bowling has been among the tournament’s strongest, reducing Guyana to 19 for two. Akeal Hosein removed Glenn Phillips, while CPL debutant Lahiru Kumara accounted for Warriors captain Shai Hope.
The visitors were struggling at 22 for two when rain forced the players from the field and caused a lengthy delay.
When play eventually resumed with the contest reduced to 16 overs per side, the momentum changed dramatically.
Hetmyer Takes Control at Queen’s Park Oval
After taking a few deliveries to settle himself, Hetmyer launched a stunning counterattack.
The Guyanese batter quickly completed his half-century before producing an extraordinary late-innings assault. TKR’s experienced spin attack had been instrumental throughout the season, but the team’s seam-bowling concerns were exposed once again.
Kumara endured a particularly difficult CPL debut when Hetmyer plundered 30 runs from the 13th over.
Romario Shepherd then joined the attack as the pair combined to score an astonishing 85 runs from the final four overs. Their late acceleration transformed Guyana’s innings and left the Knight Riders chasing a daunting target.
Hetmyer reached his century from only 40 balls, equalling the CPL record for the tournament’s fastest hundred. He finished unbeaten on 111 from 43 deliveries as the Warriors powered their way to 185 for five.
Under the DLS calculation, TKR required 182 runs to win.
Spectacular Catch Removes Sunil Narine
The Knight Riders began their chase positively, but Glenn Phillips produced one of the moments of the match to remove Sunil Narine.
Phillips completed a spectacular one-handed catch near the boundary, breaking an opening combination that had become increasingly important to TKR. Colin Munro followed shortly afterwards when he was dismissed by Mohammad Nabi.
Those early wickets placed pressure on the Knight Riders, but Nicholas Pooran responded with an aggressive counterattack.
Pooran Gives TKR Hope
Pooran briefly shifted the momentum back towards the home team with a quick 43.
The TKR captain struck seven boundaries, including four sixes, and forced the Warriors onto the defensive. However, Nabi claimed the crucial breakthrough when Pooran found Quentin Sampson in the field.
His dismissal caused the required scoring rate to rise sharply, leaving the remaining TKR batters with very little margin for error.
Jyd Goolie, Justin Greaves and Akeal Hosein were all dismissed without producing the decisive innings the Knight Riders required.
Hales’ Late Charge Not Enough
Alex Hales kept TKR’s hopes alive with a powerful innings of 55 that included seven sixes.
With wickets falling around him, Hales remained the Knight Riders’ best chance of completing a dramatic chase. His resistance eventually ended when Shamar Joseph rattled his stumps, effectively placing the match beyond the home side.
Romario Shepherd entered the final over with 24 runs to defend and completed the job comfortably as the Amazon Warriors secured a nine-run DLS victory.
TKR Left to Reflect on Another Home Defeat
The result brought a frustrating conclusion to a night that had been expected to produce a celebration for the Trinidad and Tobago crowd.
TKR started impressively with the ball and enjoyed promising periods during the chase, but Hetmyer’s historic century proved decisive. The Knight Riders will also be concerned by the 85 runs conceded during the final four overs of Guyana’s innings.
For the Amazon Warriors, the victory maintained their unbeaten record and demonstrated their ability to recover from a difficult start.
For TKR, it was another missed opportunity at home—and a reminder that strong PowerPlay bowling must be supported by better execution at the end of an innings if they are to challenge the CPL’s leading teams.
Match Summary
Guyana Amazon Warriors: 185/5 from 16 overs
Shimron Hetmyer: 111 not out from 43 balls
Trinbago Knight Riders: 172/7 from 16 overs
Alex Hales: 55
Nicholas Pooran: 43
Result: Guyana Amazon Warriors won by nine runs via DLS
Venue: Queen’s Park Oval, Port of Spain
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