TKR remain unbeaten after Amazon Warriors meltdown
PORT OF SPAIN, TRINIDAD (CMC):
A DIFFICULT pitch made batting a chore and hosts Trinbago Knight Riders (TKR) capitalised in an uncomplicated run chase to brush aside Guyana Amazon Warriors and remain unbeaten in the Caribbean Premier League here Thursday night.
Sent in, Amazon Warriors laboured to 112 for seven off their 20 overs with left-arm spinner Khary Pierre exploiting conditions to finish with three for 18 from four wily overs.
In reply, New Zealander Tim Seifert stroked an unbeaten 39 off 30 balls as he guided TKR to a comfortable seven-wicket win with 10 balls remaining and extend their winning streak to four straight.
Last year’s losing finalists after playing unbeaten throughout the preliminaries, Amazon Warriors have now lost four of six and are fourth on four points in the six-team standings.
TKR are alongside St Lucia Zouks on eight points but ahead on net run rate.
Batting first on a Queen’s Park Oval pitch with unpredictable bounce and pace, Amazon Warriors quickly slumped to 12 for three in the third over, and the shaky start set the tone for the remainder of the innings.
Brandon King’s (six) poor run of form continued when he missed a prod at one from off-spinner Sikandar Raza and had his off stump clipped in the second over before Pierre bowled left-handers Chandrapaul Hemraj (two) and Nicholas Pooran (one) within four balls of the next over to leave the innings in tatters.
Shimron Hetmyer and New Zealander Ross Taylor, both of whom made 26, tried to dig Amazon Warriors out of their hole in a 32-run fourth-wicket stand.
While Hetmyer buckled down in a 30-ball knock and struck a single six, Taylor attacked, belting three fours and a six off 23 balls.
When wicketkeeper Seifert ran Taylor out in the eighth over trying to pinch a single, Amazon Warriors lost three wickets for 30 runs, with Hetmyer eventually driving seamer
Dwayne Bravo to cover to be sixth out in the 16th over.
All-rounder Keemo Paul then belted two sixes in 28 not out off 26 balls to get Amazon Warriors past triple figures.
In reply, Tion Webster struck two fours and sixes in 27 off 32 balls as he put on 34 with Lendl Simmons (19) for the first wicket to give TKR a proper start.
There was a ray of hope when South African leg-spinner Imran Tahir (2-25) bowled both Simmons and Colin Munro (0) with successive deliveries in the sixth over and Webster holed out in the deep off off-spinning captain Chris Green at 52 in the 11th over.
But Seifert stroked four fours and a six in an unbroken 63-run fourth-wicket stand with Darren Bravo (27 not out) to see TKR home.