TKR off to a winning start at home

In what is usually the spiciest contest of the Men's CPL tournament, TKR took on the defending champions The Guyana Amazon Warriors in front of a packed oval full with a sea of red. TKR won the toss and chose to field, a decision that any captain would make given the conditions and wet outfield.

TKR was in a great position, looking very comfortable and set for a very easy victory. They had The Warriors struggling at 76/7 after 12 overs. Anyone in the crowd would not have been delusional in thinking Guyana was not going to post a total above 100. Most of us in the media center were predicting an early night, but sport, as we know, is very funny, and there is always room for drama. TKR, for some reason, started misfielding, bowling bad deliveries, and allowed the Warriors to get back in the game, posting a semi-decent total of 148/7. Romario Shepherd made 51 runs off 21 balls, and Pretorius made 21 off 25 balls.

TKR knew their target and would have fancied their chances at successfully making the required 149. After 10 overs, TKR were on 55/3. The fans were shaken but not stirred as cheers continued to ring out around the Oval. The big hitters and recent heroes of TKR, Pooran and Pollard, were all dismissed early, leaving the mantle for someone else to pick up and take the game by the scruff of the neck.

Andre Russell entered the fray at the end of the 15th over with 60 runs needed in 30 balls and the score at 89/5. In the past, Russell would usually silence the large crowd at the oval, but this time around he was the reason they were excited and loud as he aggressively attacked the bowling, producing multiple maximums and instantly putting TKR in the driving seat. Going into the 19th over, TKR required 12 runs to win. Tim David did the honors, smashing two maximums, giving TKR a 5-wicket victory.

After 5 games, TKR is 2nd on 8 points with 5 games to go. They are now in a very promising position to make the playoffs. This can be determined as early as game number 2 of the home series once they attain victory against Antigua & Barbuda Falcons.

The Guyana Amazon Warriors left many, including myself, very confused as to why Moeen Ali did not bowl at the death. Surely, he would have been able to restrict TKR and possibly get the Warriors over the line, but we will never know what the thought process was. However, it is far from over. Guyana has 5 matches remaining, all at home, providing a much-needed advantage that can contribute to attaining a spot in the playoffs.