A decade after their initial defeat in a CPL final in Trinidad, the Guyana Amazon Warriors etched their name into the history books by winning their first title in impressive fashion. This victory held a special significance as they accomplished it against their arch-rivals, the Trinbago Knight Riders, who were the most successful team in CPL history.
Guyana’s journey to this triumph was far from straightforward. They had endured an unprecedented five losses in CPL finals, leading many fans to question if they would ever rise beyond the runner-up status.
On Sunday, at the Providence Stadium in Guyana, the ExxonMobil-sponsored Amazon Warriors finally achieved their long-anticipated victory, marking the end of a ten-year pursuit filled with heartbreak.
Guyana’s captain, Imran Tahir, was overwhelmed with tears of joy following their emphatic nine-wicket win, which came after they dismantled the formidable TKR batting lineup, limiting them to a mere 94 runs.
TKR supporters could only watch in horror as their team struggled on a pitch favoring bowlers, which most of their batsmen failed to adapt to.
When TKR batted first, Mark Deyal and Chadwick Walton opened cautiously, dealing with tight bowling from Guyana. Deyal attempted to break free in the third over, hitting a straight six and a boundary off pacer Dwaine Pretorius. However, in his pursuit of a third boundary in the same over, Deyal got an inside-edge that crashed into his stumps.
Romario Shepherd added to the excitement by dismissing Chadwick Walton for ten, with a delivery that kept unusually low, catching the Jamaican batsman off guard.
Pretorius continued to trouble the TKR batsmen with his precise line and length, combined with significant bounce. He managed to find the edge of Nicholas Pooran’s bat, but a shocking dropped catch by wicketkeeper Azam Khan spared Pooran.
However, Pooran’s relief was short-lived as he attempted a pull shot and top-edged it to Shepherd at mid-off, departing after just scoring one run. Khan’s visible relief was mirrored by his celebrating teammates.
As TKR captain Kieron Pollard walked to the crease with his team in deep trouble at 41 for three after the powerplay, it was evident that Guyana’s bowlers were in control. Left-arm spinner Gudakesh Motie further compounded TKR’s woes by dismissing Pollard for a duck in the seventh over.
Akeal Hosein and Andre Russell fell in a similar fashion, attempting ambitious shots against the spin of Motie and leg-spinner Tahir.
As the Guyana bowlers tightened their grip, Carty and former TKR captain Dwayne Bravo attempted a more cautious approach to reverse the slide. They looked for singles and capitalized on bad deliveries.
The pair managed to add 32 runs and attempted to regain momentum with a 16-run over off pacer Ronsford Beaton in the 14th over. Carty, displaying his class with a six over midwicket, resembled his performance against Guyana in the preliminary game.
However, Tahir ended their partnership by dismissing Bravo in front of the stumps, reducing TKR to 81 for seven.
Pretorius played a key role in finishing off TKR’s innings, dismissing Sunil Narine and Ali Khan in the 16th over.
Carty, running out of batting partners, was the last to be dismissed for 38 off 45 balls, trying to push TKR to a competitive total.
In their chase of the modest target, Guyana did lose opener Keemo Paul, caught by Pollard at mid-off off Akeal Hosein. However, Saim Ayub and Shai Hope, CPL’s most prolific batsman, ensured there were no surprises with their partnership of 84 runs, guiding their team to an inevitable victory.
Ayub, who remained unbeaten at 52, capitalized on two dropped catches by wicketkeeper Pooran, off Narine’s bowling. He continued to attack and delighted the crowd with three sixes off left-arm spinner Waqar Salamkheil and two off pacer Ali Khan. His final six, off Khan in the 14th over, sealed the victory and set off fireworks at the Providence Stadium.
Hope, who played a calm, unbeaten innings of 32 off 32 balls, shared an emotional moment with Tahir as the players celebrated on the field. After years of disappointment and uncertainty, Guyana had finally achieved their long-awaited victory.