CPL 2014: Last ball six by Darren Bravo stuns Guyana Amazon Warriors as Bravo brothers script unlikely win for Red Steel
Cricket, oh you insane leveller of a sport!
Last week, Sunil Narine of Guyana Amazon Warriors bowled an unbelievable Super Over, a wicket-maiden against Trinidad and Tobago Red Steel, leaving them stunned after they had the match in their pocket with 3 balls to go. But then chaos took over, and T&T were left red-faced.
But there’s always a chance to bounce back in cricket. And T&T showed the steel in them with an equally unbelievable finish against the Amazon Warriors today.
With that huge backlift and clean striking of the ball, they called him the next Brian Lara. But he did a Chanderpaul today.
Last week, he was stranded at the non-striker’s end when Narine weaved his magic in the Super Over. With six runs needed off the last ball of the match today, Darren Bravo hit a massive, massive six over deep mid-wicket, murdering the ball and the hopes of the Warriors. He watched the ball soar over the ropes, up and above, and let out a cry.
The revenge was complete.
But it took two Bravos to complete the win, a completely unlikely scenario when in a chase of 180, Red Steel slipped to 13/3 in the 4th over.
The Bravo brothers took over then. Needing more than 10 runs per over from the 5th over onwards, they paced their innings beautifully. Captain Dwayne Bravo and his half-brother Darren (69* off 49) put up a 131-run partnership for fourth wicket in just 12.5 overs.
The magician Sunil Narine was sorely missed by the Warriors. Unable to take field due to an injury, he was replaced by spinner Steven Jacobs, who conceded 28 runs in two overs. Bowling the 9th over of the innings, and his last of the match, he conceded 20, which proved to be a turnaround for the Bravo brothers, who hit 71 runs between 9th and 13th over.
Dwayne was dismissed for 67 off 42 deliveries, but 18-year-old Nicholas Pooran, the villain last week for Red Steel, hit two crucial sixes in the 19th over.
9 runs were needed in the last over, but the first 5 deliveries brought just 3. Right-arm pacer Ronsford Beaton bowled a length delivery outside off, and Bravo emphatically hit it for a six, leaving the red shirts wild in celebrations.
It was a hard loss for Warriors’ skipper Denesh Ramdin, who hit a brilliant 84 off 45 balls, studded with 6 sixes and equal number of fours. Jimmy Neesham (33 off 32) and Christopher Barnwell (23 off 8) played their hands to post 179 on board, after they themselves were struggling at 27/3 in the 6th over.
However, just like their previous match last week, the twists and turns did not stop coming.