5 highest team totals in CPL history ft. Guyana Amazon Warriors
The 2024 edition of the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) saw an exciting game on Wednesday, September 4, when Guyana Amazon Warriors beat St Kitts and Nevis Patriots by 40 runs in Basseterre, St Kitts and Nevis.
While the difference between the two teams may not seem symbolic of what the game was like, the spectators who watched it in the stadium or on their television sets must have been thoroughly entertained.
Guyana batted first to put up a gigantic total of 266/7 on the board. St Kitts and Nevis put up a tough fight while chasing, but spinners Imran Tahir and Gudakesh Motie had other plans as they bowled them out for 226 in 18 overs.
Had the game gone till the end, maybe the Patriots could have chased the target down and won a historic game. However, Guyana deserve full credit for the way they performed in this game both with bat and ball.
In this listicle, we take a look at the five highest team totals in the history of the CPL:
5 highest team totals in CPL history
#5 St Kitts and Nevis Patriots: 242/6
St Kitts and Nevis Patriots come fifth on this list, thanks to the massive 242/6 that they put up against Jamaica Tallawahs in Basseterre in the 2019 CPL. They beat Jamaica by four wickets in this game.
What made this game extremely special for the Patriots was that they were set an impossible-looking target of 242 by the Tallawahs, who batted first and put up 241/4 on the board.
The Patriots, however, were in the chase from ball one and stole Chris Gayle's thunder (who scored 116) by winning this game with seven balls to spare. Devon Thomas (71) and Evin Lewis (53) starred with the bat for the hosts.
#4 Trinbago Knight Riders: 250/4
Trinbago Knight Riders, who are one of the teams to watch out for in CPL 2024, come fourth on this list, owing to the 250/4 they set up against St Kitts and Nevis Patriots in Basseterre on Saturday, 31 August.
The ongoing season of the CPL has seen a lot of big totals, and this one from the Knight Riders merely touched the roof. Nicholas Pooran (97) and Keacy Carty (73 not out) were responsible for them reaching this total.
In reply, Test batter Mikyle Louis put up a spirited fight for the Patriots with a 38-ball 56, but it was not enough to see his side home. In the end, the home team lost by 44 runs.
#3 Jamaica Tallawahs: 255/5
Jamaica Tallawahs, who seem to always be on the wrong side when we speak of big totals, have something to be proud of — the 255/5 they scored against St Lucia Kings in Basseterre in the 2021 season of the CPL.
Andre Russell top-scored with 50 off just fourteen deliveries for Jamaica in this game, and all the other batters in the top order contributed with starts of their own to help their team set this massive total on the board.
St Lucia did not even put up a fight when they walked out to bat in the second innings, and were bowled out for a paltry 135 in 17.3 overs. Migael Pretorius and Imran Khan shared seven wickets between themselves to wreak havoc.
#2 Guyana Amazon Warriors: 266/7
Guyana Amazon Warriors are the latest franchise to enter this list, and even the gargantuan-looking 266/7 they put up against St Kitts and Nevis Patriots in Basseterre on Wednesday, September 4, could only get them to number two on it.
Guyana batted first and were helped to get to this total by contributions from Shimron Hetmyer (91) and Rahmanullah Gurbaz (69). In reply, the Patriots came close, but were bowled out for 226 in18 overs.
There is no saying how this game would have turned out had the Patriots batted their full 20 overs. Skipper Andre Fletcher was the highest scorer for them with a 33-ball 81 at the top of the batting order.
#1 Trinbago Knight Riders: 267/2
Trinbago Knight Riders hold the record for the highest total ever scored in the CPL with the 267/2 they amassed against Jamaica Tallawahs in Kingston, Jamaica, in the 2019 season of the tournament.
Trinbago batted first and were helped towards this total by Lendl Simmons and Colin Munro, who scored 86 and 96 not out, respectively. Skipper Kieron Pollard chipped in with an unbeaten 46 in the end as well.
In response, Jamaica did not fare too badly and seemed to be mounting a serious challenge for Trinbago at one point. However, despite Glenn Phillips scoring a 32-ball 62, they could only end up with 226-5.