CPL 2023 Points Table: Updated standings after Trinbago Knight Riders vs St Lucia Kings, Match 24
Match number 23 & 24 of the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) 2023 were held on September 10 at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy. Barbados Royals took on Guyana Amazon Warriors in the first match, whereas Trinbago Knight Riders squared off against St Lucia Kings in the day's second game.
Guyana Amazon Warriors were successful in fending off the aggression from the Royals’ batters and were able to clinch a narrow win. The second game of the day belonged to Trinbago Knight Riders. A late blitzkrieg from Andre Russell brought the St Lucia Kings bowlers down on their knees.
Following the end of the day's fixtures, St Lucia Kings are now in the third position with three wins out of eight games with a NRR of 1.452. Guyana Amazon Warriors are ranked second in the points table with five wins in six games. Their NRR stands at an impressive high of 2.110 and they are nearly through to the playoffs.
Trinbago Knight Riders have jumped to the top with six wins in nine games and have a robust-looking NRR of 1.104. The team is already through to the playoff round.
Jamaica Tallawahs and Barbados Royals rank fifth and fourth, respectively, in the points table. The two teams have a NRR of -0.235 and -1.753, respectively. St Kitts and Nevis Patriots are officially out of the tournament and are the bottom-most ranked team in this competition.
Guyana Warriors restrict Barbados Royals to clinch a narrow victory in a high-octane run-chase
Guyana Warriors piled on 181 runs on the board thanks to the half-centuries from Saim Ayub and Shai Hope. The two built a 98-run partnership for the second wicket, with both of them going on to complete their half-centuries.
From the Royals' point of view, Kyle Mayers finished with miserly figures of 4-0-24-0, with three of the overs coming in the powerplay. Carlos Brathwaite struck thrice in his last over and also took the wicket of Saim Ayub to finish with 4-0-27-4. Obed McCoy and Jason Holder bagged two wickets each.
Arriving for the chase of 182 runs, Barbados Royals failed to get a good start after losing Kyle Mayers and Rahkeem Cornwall at the start. Alick Athanze and Laurie Evans stepped in with a 60-run stand.
Rovman Powell was going well in the middle, and just when he started to switch gears, a run-out cost his wicket. With 18 runs needed off the final couple of overs, two boundaries from Carlos Brathwaite curtailed the equation to a run-a-ball six in the final over. Imran Tahir, the skipper, played a gamble and handed over the ball to Gudakesh Motie for the final over who defended six runs beautifully.
Trinbago Knight Riders continue their dazzling run against St Lucia Kings
St Lucia Kings made a subdued start with the bat in the first innings. Jayden Seales broke through the defenses of Johnson Charles during the fourth over of the innings to push St Lucia back on the backfoot. Colin Munro played an anchoring role and stayed unbeaten right till the end of the innings. He made a well-complied score of 72 off 51, which involved 6 fours and 3 sixes.
Sean Williams altered his gears in the final few overs, plundering 34 runs in just 17 balls at an unbelievable strike rate of 200. He provided St Lucia Kings with a much-needed finish, dragging them over the 165-run mark.
From the Knight Riders’ point of view, Ali Khan and Andre Russell erred on the expensive side, conceding at almost 11 RPO while going wicketless. Akeal Hosein went wicketless but he managed to keep a tight lid on the scoring rate during the middle overs.
Trinbago Knight Riders were cautious in their approach. Alzarri Joseph was wayward in his first over but managed to dismiss Nicholas Pooran to get the Kings temporarily back into the game. However, a handy contribution of 57 off 45 from Mark Deyal kept the Knight Riders afloat during the middle overs. St Lucia Kings kept themselves in the hunt for the most part of the second innings before the arrival of Russell.
After a few deliveries, Russell shifted gears and turned on his beast mode, dispatching the ball to all parts of the ground. Alzarri Joseph and Roston Chase were the only wicket-takers for the Kings. In the end, a robust 32-run stand between Lorcan Tucker and Russell sealed the deal for the Knight Riders in style.