Trinidad And Tobago

The 35-year-old Bulli was one of the standout bowlers for the tournament and claimed an impressive 14 wickets in 6 matches, with an economy rate of 4.76.  Despite playing two fewer matches, the spinner was just one wicket off the top spot occupied by Shannon Gabriel (15), Odean Smith (15), and Nicholas Gordon (15).

In Saturday’s final, the left-arm spinner's mesmerizing skills were on full display when he left Trinidad and Tobago Red Force batsman Darren Bravo bamboozled all ends up, to take the crucial wicket of the dangerous batsman and end with figures of 1 for 44.

With a tournament best of 4 for 32, against the West Indies Academy, Bulli, who has not always managed to find consistency, was one of the key reasons the team was able to win the first Super50 title in 10 years.

“I’ve had times but I never got a good enough chance to express myself but this has been one of those times,” Bulli said of his performances this season.

“The first time I really got a chance to express myself was in 2019 and I did well.  I got called up for the President’s XI team and got injured, got picked for the CPL, and got covid.  So this is another opportunity and a good time for me to show what I can do.”

The Red Force entered the day 98-3, trailing the Scorpions first innings score of 141 by 43 runs with Joshua Da Silva and Yannic Cariah at the crease on 32 and 11 respectively.

Da Silva added 5 to his overnight score before he was dismissed for 37 by Derval Green to leave the hosts 104-4.

Jyd Goolie was next to go for just six to leave the Red Force in a spot of bother at 118-5 before a magnificent 116-run partnership between Cariah and Isaiah Rajah put them in a comfortable position leading up to the end of play.

Cariah, who brought up his 10^th first class half-century off 181 balls in the 80^th over, eventually fell near the close of play for a patient 72 off 222 balls.

Rajah batted fluently to end the day, making 58 not out off 268 balls, including seven fours.

The Red Force ended Day 2 on 234-6 off 98 overs, leading the Scorpions by 93 runs.

Nicholson Gordon has so far led the way for the Jamaican bowlers with 3-51 off 21 overs while opening bowling partner Marquino Mindley has taken 2-52 off 20 overs.

Whilst the tournament was held behind closed doors in Trinidad & Tobago, the Hero CPL worked closely with all six host countries to ensure that the Caribbean was promoted as a must-visit destination. Both the live broadcast and the league’s digital channels carried bespoke tourism content for each of its partners.

The total exposure of US$258million is an increase of 381 per cent on the 2019 figure with the tourist boards in Barbados, Guyana, Jamaica, St Kitts & Nevis, Saint Lucia and Trinidad & Tobago benefiting from the Hero CPL promoting the unique attributes of each of the countries.

These figures were generated from an independent report compiled by YouGov Sport – one of the most respected research firms in the world.

The increase in exposure was driven by the Hero CPL’s record broadcast and digital audience of 523.5million in 2020.

“Our host countries are the heart and soul of the Hero CPL and every year we work very hard to get them as much coverage as possible. That was made more difficult this year, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic meaning the games could only be played in one country, but we are delighted that we have still been able to deliver these stunning results,” said CPL COO Pete Russell.

“We would like to thank all our host countries for their support and we look forward to building on our successful partnerships in the coming years.” 

The six Afghan players taking part in the Hero CPL this season are Rashid Khan, Mohammad Nabi, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Naveen-ul-Haq, Najibullah Zadran and Zahir Khan, all of whom were due to take part in the Shpageeza Cricket League, their domestic T20 competition.

However, following discussions between the CWI President Ricky Skerritt and the ACB Chairman Farhan Yusefzai, an agreement was reached to allow the players to stay on until CPL has finished.

“We understand the importance of the Shpageeza Cricket League to the ACB and the reasons why it had to be scheduled during the CPL after the NOCs were all issued.  We truly appreciate the Chairman of the ACB allowing these six Afghan players to stay at the Hero CPL until its conclusion,” said Pete Russell, Hero CPL’s COO.

“Afghan players have had a huge impact on our competition, both this season and in previous years, and we are very grateful to have them with us until the final on September 10.

“I would also like to put on record our thanks to CWI’s President and CEO for taking the time to resolve this situation, which has shone a light on the issues leagues such as CPL face with the current NOC policy and system.”Mo

The Harpy Eagles won the toss and elected to field, quickly regretting that decision as Windward Islands openers Athanaze and Johnson Charles put on 119 before Charles became Gudakesh Motie’s first wicket for a 63-ball 64 in the 23^rd over.

Athanaze then belted the bowling all over the Queens Park Oval, putting on a further 127 for the second wicket with Kavem Hodge. In the process, Athanaze brought up his maiden List A hundred, eventually being dismissed for 133 in the 43^rd over with the score on 246. His century included 12 fours and four sixes and came off 140 deliveries.

Hodge (42) and captain Andre Fletcher (8) were the other batsmen dismissed as the Windwards were able to post an excellent 296-4 off their 50 overs. Motie took 2-57 for Guyana.

In their reply, Guyana got contributions from most of their batsmen but it wasn’t enough in the end. Opener Tagenarine Chanderpaul, recently called up to the West Indies Test squad for the first time, was the chief scorer with a 47-ball 48 including six fours.

Contributions from Anthony Bramble (18), Leon Johnson (22), Sherfane Rutherford (28) and Kevin Sinclair (33) meant that after 40.1 overs, Guyana found themselves 220-9 needing 77 runs from 59 balls for victory.

The final pair of Gudakesh Motie and Veerasammy Permaul put up a valiant effort with a partnership of 48 before Permaul’s dismissal for 28 meant the Harpy Eagles were bowled out for 268 in 46.4 overs, giving the Windwards the 28-run win. Motie finished 31 not out off 27 balls. Shadrack Descarte took 3-41 off eight overs while Ryan John and Kenneth Dember took 2-54 and 2-46, respectively.

Fresh off representing the regional side in all three formats for the first time, West Indies fast bowler Jayden Seales is eager to build on his 2024 performances and establish himself as a mainstay in the team.

Reflecting on his 2024 outing, Seales, 23, expressed pride in his achievements, particularly his return to Test cricket after a lengthy layoff due to a knee injury. He believes his strong comeback proved that he was more than just a promising talent who burst onto the scene in 2021.

The Hero CPL is being streamed on Sportsmax. Download the app.

According to a statement from the CPL, all those who travelled into Trinidad for the tournament have now returned four negative tests and local residents, who have entered the Hero CPL bubble have tested negative for the second time.

“We are very pleased that the plans we put in place in order to make this tournament happen under the most testing of circumstances have meant that we have cricket taking place on the field,” said Hero CPL’s Tournament Operations Director Michael Hall.

“As everyone around the world knows, the key now is remaining vigilant and making sure the protocols that we put in place are followed. We are delighted to have got the cricket underway.”

The tournament organisers will carry out further tests throughout the event while also maintaining stringent social distancing protocols to ensure that both they and the wider public in Trinidad & Tobago remain safe and healthy.

During the two-Test series, the impressive young batsman scored 174 runs at an average of 43.5 and featured in several key partnerships that were ultimately crucial to the success of the West Indies.

In the first Test at Chattogram, Da Silva added 99 for the sixth wicket with Jermaine Blackwood which helped his side get past the follow-on score after Bangladesh has scored 430 in their first innings and then had the West Indies struggling at 154 for 5.

Then in the second Test after Kyle Mayers and Nkrumah Bonner put together 216 runs, he and Mayers added another 100 for the sixth wicket that took the West Indies within sight of victory while chasing a challenging 395.

He and Bonner also put on 88 in the second Test match that rescued the visitors from 178 for 5.

In those crucial knocks, Da Silva said there was a common important factor.

“Batting time. With Mayers, I just wanted to stay there with him. I was basically a spectator, but that was the job necessary to achieve the team goal,” he said. “Bonner and I bat well together, just because we fully back each other’s ability.”

Da Silva also featured in a 118-run seventh-wicket stand with Alzarri Joseph in the second Test that swung the pendulum towards the West Indies.

 Joseph scored 71 runs in the partnership but it was Da Silva’s presence at the other end that provided that sense of security that the West Indies relied so heavily on. It was only part of the reason why he said he enjoyed that partnership with the West Indies No. 9 batsman the most.

“I have to say that my favourite partnership was with Alzarri,” he said. “The way he came out and took it to the bowlers without fear was great to be a part of.”

Joseph belted eight fours and five sixes in his knock of 82 that took the West Indies to 409 all out, laying the platform for their eventual 17-run victory.

 McCarthy, 33, and 21-year-old Jeavor Royal, a slow, left-arm spinner will both miss this season after they were exposed to someone who had tested positive for the COVID-19 virus just days before they were to depart for Trinidad on Monday.

According to Miller, who was in his first day of a 14-day quarantine period at his hotel in Trinidad, said he was disappointed that the players will not be in the squad but the health and safety of the other players had to be protected.

He explained McCarthy and Royal had tested negative for the virus and would have to take another test in seven days. However, by then it would be too late as there are no commercial flights going into Trinidad.

Consequently, they have been permanently replaced by Jermaine Blackwood and Romel Lewis, who Miller said were already on the Tallawahs’ radar. They were on their way to Trinidad on a charter flight Monday night.

“This is a devastating blow to McCarthy,” Miller said. “He wanted to prove a lot of his critics wrong.”

The Tallawahs had already lost the services of Tabraiz Shamsi, who was unable to travel to the Caribbean because of flight restrictions in South Africa. Mujeed Rahman, the 19-year-old sensation from Afghanistan, has replaced Shamsi on the team roster.

Rahman has 17 wickets from 16 matches in the IPL and has 25 wickets in 19 T20 international matches for his country.

Shimron Hetmyer, who has not played for the West Indies since November 2021, has been training with the squad but according to the Windies' white-ball captain, the Guyanese middle-order batsman, still has a lot of work to do on his fitness before he can suit up once again.

“He is here doing a lot of work on his fitness and that is really nice to see, the effort that he has been putting in,” Pooran said during a media session on Thursday.

“He wants to play for the West Indies and trainers and coaches working with him, so expect to see him sooner than later.

“I have full confidence that he will be putting on the maroon colours again. He has a fitness test to pass shortly, so he is preparing himself for that.”

Rakheem Cornwall battered Oshane Thomas for two fours in the game’s first over, and Andre Russell dropped Andre Fletcher on just 4, but captain Rovman Powell made no mistake when Cornwall it to him at cover when the batsman was on 9. 

Mark Deyal cut Mujeeb-ur-Rahman for four and lofted Permaul for consecutive Hero Maximums, but Permaul had his revenge, keeper Chadwick Walton taking a neat catch. Fletcher struggled against Mujeeb but sent Permaul into the stands over long-on, and the Zouks closed the GuardianLife Powerplay at 52/2.

Thomas sent down four wides and was pulled for four by Chase, and while Russell’s bouncer was too hot for Fletcher to handle, Chase was quickly onto a hook for his first six. Najibullah Zadran launched Sandeep Lamichhane onto the grass bank, and another boundary from Chase off Russell took the Zouks to 86/3 at halfway.

Lamichhane kept Najibullah quiet with a series of googlies, and while Chase relieved the pressure with a pull off Carlos Brathwaite and a cover drive off Lamichhane, the Nepalese spinner came back beautifully to almost have Chase out twice in two balls.

Big hitters Daren Sammy and Mohammad Nabi were kept waiting as Chase and Najibullah were forced to run hard to keep the scoreboard ticking. Four twos in a row might have taken it out of Najibullah as a flat-bat found only Powell at long-off, the catch held despite a collision with Permaul.

Nabi took Mujeeb for a huge Hero Maximum and a deft four, but his countryman took revenge with a simple return catch. Chase brought up his first-ever T20 fifty off 39 balls, but Mujeeb beat him in the flight to give Thomas a simple catch at point. 

With Russell accurate at the death, Sammy was forced to risk a tight second run and Powell’s hard throw found him short. Despite the slow finish, the Zouks’ 158/7 was the highest total of Hero CPL 2020 so far.

The Tallawahs struggled early, and a frustrated Walton skied Obed McCoy to Sammy at mid-off. The Zouks used a different bowler for each of the first four overs, and none of them went for even a single boundary.

Nicholas Kirton tried to break free, but Deyal pulled off the Republic Bank Classic Catch of the tournament so far, leaping almost behind him to pluck a pull shot from the sky and reduce the Tallawahs to 13/2 in the 5th over.

Powell began the rescue mission off his first two balls, hitting Scott Kuggeleijn for four and then a powerful flat Hero Maximum. Phillips lofted Zahir Khan or a four-and-six pair of his own, but at 36/2 the Tallawahs were behind the game after the Powerplay.

But it was a different story in the middle overs. Phillips meted out brutal treatment to Kesrick Williams, and Powell clubbed a pull followed by a straight six off Zahir. All of a sudden, the Tallawahs were ahead of the required run rate.

Sammy sensed the danger and brought back McCoy, and Phillips had to wait till the last ball of the over for a boundary. Powell tried to take on Cornwall but found only deep midwicket, and at the Angostura LLB drinks break, the Tallawahs were 78/3 needing a further 83, and the game was finely balanced.

But Asif Ali blasted his third ball over the ropes and was unfazed by the loss of Phillips. A four off Nabi kept things ticking, and a free hit and a brutal Russell cut shot meant the 13th over went for double figures. Russell pulled the last ball of the fourth for four and the Tallwahs entered the last six overs needing 50.

The 15th over went boundary-less and Russell and Asif had to take a chance off Zahir’s last. They responded in style, with Asif dancing down the track for a Hero Maximum and Russell easing a short ball for four.

The Zouks had a chance when a Williams slower ball drew a thin edge from Russell, and thus Brathwaite joined Asif with the required run rate above 9. But an Asif dink and two Brathwaite bludgeons, plus a dropped catch by Sammy, meant Kuggeleijn’s last over went for 16 and the game was as good as won.

The Zouks will feel they left a few runs out there, and Sammy underused himself and Nabi, but today belonged to the Tallawahs’ power-hitters.  A good measure of how comfortable they were, in the end, was, despite Andre Russell scoring at under a run a ball, the game was won with an over to spare. 

Summary: Jamaica Tallawahs 160/5 (Asif Ali 47*, Phillips 44, Powell 26, Brathwaite 18*; Williams 2/32, Cornwall 1/9, McCoy 1/28, Nabi 0/13) beat St Lucia Zouks 158/7 (Chase 52, Najibullah 25, Fletcher 22, Deyal 17; Mujeeb 2/25, Permaul 2/34, Lamichhane 1/23, Russell 1/32) by 5 wickets

 Coming up later today: Guyana Amazon Warriors v St Kitts & Nevis Patriots (5:30 pm), Brian Lara Cricket Academy

Kyshona Knight was the star of the day at Conaree Sports Club as Barbados hammered Jamaica by 205 runs.

The Bajans posted an imposing 318-8 from their 50 overs batting first, with Knight making a spectacular 144 off just 119 balls including 19 fours and a six.

She was well supported by West Indies Under-19 representative Trishan Holder (36) and captain Hayley Matthews (31) while Neisha-Ann Wasome led the way with the ball for Jamaica with 3-65 from her 10 overs.

Jamaica was forced to bat with 10 as captain Stafanie Taylor suffered an injury in the field.

Their reply never really got out of first gear, eventually folding at 113-9 in the 29^th over.

West Indies representative Chedean Nation (32) and Natasha McLean (27) were the only batters to provide any resistance against Keila Elliot’s 4-19 off 5.4 overs. Shamilia Connell and Aaliyah Williams also took two wickets each for Barbados who now have three wins in as many games.

At Warner Park, Guyana secured a nail-biting one run win over the Leeward Islands.

Shabika Gajnabi led the way with 49 and Kaysia Schultz added 25 as Guyana posted 167-9 off their 50 overs. Tonya Martin took 4-36 from 10 overs for the Leewards.

Then, despite a top-score of 74 off 124 balls from Amanda Edwards, the Leewards reply ended agonizingly short at 166-9 from 50 overs.

Shenetta Grimmond took 3-26 from her 10 overs while Plaffiana Millington (2-26) and Gajnabi (2-31) also provided good spells.

At St. Paul’s Sports Complex, Trinidad & Tobago squeezed out a narrow two-wicket win over the Windward Islands.

Afy Fletcher (50) and Qiana Joseph (29) led the way as the Windwards were first bowled out for 150 in 44.3 overs.

Karishma Ramharack took 3-24 off 9.3 overs for T&T.

Trinidad & Tobago’s successful chase was led by 53 from Reniece Boyce, 24 from Shalini Samaroo and 23* from Ramharack as they limped across the line at 152-8 in 38.3 overs.

Qiana Joseph completed an excellent all-round performance with 6-20 from her 10 overs for the Windwards.

Winning the toss and electing to bat first, the Red Force Divas innings never got going despite a valiant effort with the bat from debutant Shunelle Sawh who top-scored with 68 from 113 balls.

Sawh, a member of the West Indies Rising Stars Under 19 team, hit six boundaries as she shared a 60-run stand with Britney Cooper who made a quick 32 off 48, as the Red Force Divas posted 161 all out. 

Barbados debutant, right-arm medium pacer Allison Gordon, and experienced leg-spinner Keila Elliott ran riot on the Red Force batting line-up.

Gordon bagged the wickets of Shania Abdool (2), Reneice Boyce (0), Djenaba Joseph (6) and Anisa Mohammed (16), to finish with figures of 10-1-36-4 and Elliot 9-0-40-4.

When Barbados batted, twins Kyshona and Kycia Knight posted a 74-run partnership as the defending champs reached 162-4 to win by six wickets. Kycia made 37 off 66 balls and Kyshona was run-out soon after for a 61-ball 35.

Then, the experienced pair of Shakera Selman and Aaliyah Alleyne had a 72-run partnership as Barbados secured victory in 38.4 overs. Alleyne finished unbeaten on 48 from 51 balls while Selman was with her on 21 from 43 balls. Bowling for the Red Force Divas, Steffie Soogrim finished with figures of 9-0-36-2. 

At Conaree, captain Afy Fletcher steered the Windward Islands to an easy nine-wicket victory over Guyana to take early points. Winning the toss and batting first, Guyana mustered 79 all out in 27.1 overs.

They were undone by left-arm spinner Qiana Joseph who finished with figures of 10-3-18-4. Realeanna Grimmond 20 and Mandy Magru 18 were the only Guyanese batters to reach double figures. Fletcher was also lethal with her leg-spin with figures of 5.1-2-10-2.

Fletcher then returned with the bat to finish unbeaten on 44 from 52 balls while Namiah Marcellin (29*) was with her when victory came in 21.2 overs.

At St. Paul’s Ground, Celina Whyte’s medium pace was too much for the Leeward Islands as Jamaica secured a six-wicket victory.

Winning the toss and batting first, Terez Parker (32) and Divya Saxena (30) took the Leeward Islands to 120 all out in 28.4 overs.

Whyte’s pace proved too much for the home team, as she finished with figures of 8.4-1-31-5 followed by Vanessa Watts with 8-0-23-4.

Natasha McLean then led the Jamaica run-chase with the bat finishing 33* with Rashada Williams providing good support with 31 as Jamaica reached victory in 24.1 overs. Amanda Edwards was the best of the Leewards bowlers with figures of 5-0-17-2.

Since the killing of George Floyd, a black man by a white policeman in Minneapolis in the United States on May 25, protests have exploded across the globe by hundreds of thousands of people calling for an end to systemic racism.

There have been protests in all 50 US states and in more than 20 countries across the globe. Then, in the past few days, former West Indies captain Darren Sammy has lashed out for being given a racist nickname while playing in the Indian Premier League, actions supported by T20 legend Chris Gayle.

Bravo, during an Instagram Live session with Zimbabwean cricket commentator Pommie Mbangwa, said he has been saddened by what has been happening across the globe.

“As a black man, we know the history of what black people have been through. We never ask for revenge, we ask for equality and respect. That’s it,” Bravo said.

“We give respect to others. Why is it that we are facing this over and over? I just want our brothers and sisters to know that we are powerful and beautiful.

“And at the end of the day, you look at some of the greats of the world, whether it is Nelson Mandela, Mohammad Ali, Michael Jordan we have had leaders who paved the way for us. Now enough is enough. We just want equality. Don’t want revenge, war. We just want respect.”

The Zouks started aggressively - Andre Fletcher lofted Ali Khan for a Hero Maximum but fell next ball, Pierre taking a fine catch at third man. The fit-again Rakheem Cornwall was unfazed and hit the ball after Fletcher’s dismissal for six, and the Zouks flew to 32/1 after three overs.

But then Cornwall drove aerially, Munro took a good catch, and on his home ground, Bravo became the founding member of T20 cricket’s 500 Club. He soon made it 501 - a portentous number on a ground with a pavilion named for Brian Lara - by yorking Roston Chase, and after a strong start, the Zouks had stuttered to 43/3 off the Powerplay.

Pollard went with Fawad Ahmed and himself after the Powerplay to keep the pressure on. They did so with aplomb, conceding only 15 runs in four overs and not giving up a single boundary. At halfway, the Zouks were 58/3 and hadn’t found the fence for 32 balls.

48-year-old Pravin Tambe, the first Indian to play the Hero CPL, only got one over, but it was an eventful one. Najibullah Zadran hit a Hero Maximum and a four, but Tambe had the last laugh. Najibullah misread the googly and gave Pollard a simple catch at cover, and Tambe had his own little moment of history.

Mohammad Nabi was busy, cutting Pollard for four, but with Mark Deyal scratchy, Fawad’s over went for just four and Pollard finished his spell tightly, leaving the Zouks searching for rhythm at 93/4 off 14 overs.

Nabi tried to provide it, sweeping Fawad for four and launching him for a Hero Maximum, but Fawad finished strong by ending Deyal’s struggles. Zouks captain Daren Sammy decided the situation called for himself, but Pierre returned with another good over and the Zouks entered the last four overs at 109/5.

Sammy had a few lusty swings but missed them all, and was eventually trapped LBW by Pierre. That was the last action before the rain came, and one wonders how many runs Nabi being starved of the strike took off the Knight Riders’ adjusted target.

Nabi sparked hope with the ball, trapping Lendl Simmons LBW for a second-ball duck. Munro though was positive, sweeping for four then a Hero Maximum to get the Knight Riders up and running. Scott Kuggeleijn didn’t help matters for the Zouks, firing down five wides in an over that went for 11.

Kesrick Williams was on the money, as both Munro and emergency opener Tion Webster found long-on to leave the Knight Riders three down and with Pollard and Darren Bravo yet to face a ball.

Pollard though didn’t last long - he got off the mark with a classy flick for four off Chemar Holder, but the young Bajan responded with one that jagged back off the seam to take an inside edge that was very well caught by Fletcher. After four overs, the Knight Riders needed 35 off 30 balls but were four down.

Nabi returned, but Bravo and Tim Seifert managed five singles off him to keep the Knight Riders ahead of the DLS par. Seifert had only faced three balls in the whole tournament before today but was busy and inventive. A flick over his shoulder off Kuggeleijn raced for four, and the Knight Riders needed 22 off the last three overs.

Darren Bravo brought up a milestone of his own off Williams, his 100th Hero CPL six, to reduce the equation to a run a ball. Holder was excellent at the death in the Zouks’ own DLS victory against the Guyana Amazon Warriors and was trusted with the penultimate over here, but Bravo hammered Hero Maximum no.101 to make victory a formality. Seifert drove for four to finish it with an over to spare and send the Knight Riders clear at the top of the table.

Summary: (Trinbago Knight Riders 75/4 (DM Bravo 23*, Seifert 18*, Munro 17; Williams 2/17, Nabi 1/15, C Holder 1/24) beat St Lucia Zouks 111/6 (Nabi 30*, Najibullah 21, Cornwall 18; DJ Bravo 2/7, Tambe 1/15, Pierre 1/19, Fawad 1/21) by 6 wickets (DLS target 72 off 9 overs)

 Upcoming Fixture: Wednesday 26 August - Match 14: Barbados Tridents v Jamaica Tallawahs (5:30 pm), Queen’s Park Oval

The 38-year-old Trinidadian all-rounder retired from international cricket after the ICC World Cup but still has an appetite for T20 league cricket.

"When Moeen (Ali) mentioned the possibility of me coming over for the Blast whilst we were both at BPL, it was an opportunity I wanted to seriously look at," Bravo said. “It’s great that it has all come together. The Vitality Blast is one of the domestic T20 titles that I am yet to win and I will be working hard to help the team achieve success.”

Moeen is the captain of Worcestershire Rapids and will play alongside Bravo for the Chennai Super Kings in the IPL before heading to England for the Vitality Blast in the summer.

It is expected that Bravo will play at least 10 group matches, quarter-finals and finals for the Rapids but that is dependent on how far CSK advances in the IPL this coming season. 

Worcestershire Cricket Steering Group Chairman, Paul Pridgeon expressed his joy at having Bravo join the team along with their other overseas signing Colin Munro.

“To put Dwayne Bravo and Colin Munro in the mix with the players we already have in the squad is excellent news. Dwayne is a superb ‘death’ bowler and hard-hitting middle-order batsman and has enormous experience from playing for his country and in T20 cricket worldwide,” Pridgeon said.

“Moeen (Ali) has been playing in the Bangladesh Premier League with Dwayne Bravo this winter, has been talking to him and said ‘come and play for us’ – and he agreed.”

Bravo is the leading wicket-taker in T20 cricket globally and is the first bowler to take over 500 wickets in T20 cricket.

The Trinidadians made 235-8 off their 50 overs batting first. Boodoo was supported by contributions from Christian Lall (25) and Dimitri Ramjattan (22). R’Jai Gittens was the best bowler on the day for Barbados with 2-61 off eight overs.

Then, despite 65 from Gadson Bowens and 61 from Raphael Lovell, the defending champions were restricted to 218 all out off 49 overs.

Boodoo, Yasir Deen and Darrius Batoosingh all took two wickets apiece to lead the charge.

At Coolidge, the Windward Islands secured a 29-run win over Guyana. Tyler Venner top-scored with 45 as the Windwards were dismissed for 174 off 50 overs. Guyana captain Dave Mohabir led the way with 3-19 from his 10 overs while Shane Price and Adrian Hetmyer took 2-49 and 2-36 from 10 overs and five overs, respectively.

In reply, Guyana was then restricted to 145 off 40.3 overs with Razam Koobir (39) and Navin Boodwah (35) leading the way.

Jorden Charles took 4-31 off 8.3 overs and Theo Edward took 3-19 from seven for the Windwards.

The Leeward Islands beat Jamaica by six wickets at the Liberta Sports Club in the day’s other game.

Jamaica was bowled out for 117 in 26.2 overs batting first. Amoree Jones took 4-20 off five overs while Krishna Girdhari and Lythe Brown took two wickets, each.

The Leewards then needed only 33.1 overs to reach 119-4 thanks to 31* from Lawshorn Bergan and 23 from Matthew Miller.

Ryan Lyttleton finished with 3-36 off 9.1 overs for the Jamaicans.

The fourth round of matches take place on Monday with Jamaica facing Trinidad & Tobago at Coolidge, the Leeward Islands battling Guyana at the Liberta Sports Club and the Windward Islands facing Barbados at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium.

The LOC, in a media conference at the Queen’s Park Oval in St Clair on Tuesday, provided an update on their preparations ahead of the June 1-29 tournament, which is being co-hosted by the Caribbean and the United States. The Brian Lara Cricket Academy, in Tarouba, will host five matches in the tournament, including four group matches and the first semifinal.

Haresh Ragoonath, venue and facilities manager for the T20 World Cup, said the refurbishing of the venue should be wrapped up within the next three weeks.

“The needs for the tournament are so great, when the facility was built it was not designed for T20 cricket as it is modernised so much right now. The commercial aspect of cricket has grown so much," Ragoonath told T&T Newsday.

Ragoonath pointed out that the adjustments are being made at the North media tower at the venue, with the installation of eastern and western wings set to see the venue comfortably accommodating over 120 media personnel.

“It’s about 95 per cent completed already. It should be completed in the next ten to 12 days in time for the tournament," he shared.

Perhaps, more importantly, to add to the atmosphere and ambience in the stadium, Ragoonath said there will be more seating to accommodate approximately 2,400 more spectators, thus turning the already 15,000-seater into a 17,000-plus capacity venue.

“There were a couple of areas we identified that had no seats, so we are going to increase the seating capacity of the stadium – all the sections," he explained.

“This has already started and will be completed in the next 20 days as well. The additional capacity will be increasing by about 2,400," Ragoonath noted.

Directed by award-nominated director Sam Lockyer, the film titled ‘501 Not Out’, focuses on Lara’s record-breaking innings for Warwickshire in 1994.

 “I am truly honoured that 501 Not Out will be opening the TT Film Festival this year,” Lockyer said in a statement. “I have fulfilled a long-held dream in making the film and I hope that it is a fitting tribute to the genius of Brian Lara, my childhood hero and the greatest cricketer to ever live.”

The film will feature interviews with iconic names from the world of cricket, including some of his former international and county teammates from the historic treble-winning season, his friends and coaches in TT and the Caribbean, fans who witnessed the marathon knock first-hand and those inspired by his heroics.

The Lara documentary runs for one hour and 48 minutes.

The TTFF will run from Wednesday until September 15

In the opening match on the day, 2019 runners up Guyana Amazon Warriors will take on three-time champions Trinbago Knight Riders.

All 33 matches will be played in Trinidad & Tobago, with all matches taking place across two stadia and behind closed doors. The Brian Lara Cricket Academy in Tarouba will host 23 games, including the semi-finals and final, while the Queen’s Park Oval in Port-of-Spain will host the other 10 matches.

The tournament will take place behind closed doors in a bio-secure environment with a series of stringent protocols in place to protect those involved in the tournament and the wider population from the spread of the COVID-19 virus.

“This year will be a different CPL, but the standard will be higher than ever,” said Damien O’Donohoe, the Hero CPL’s CEO.

“We have seen the appetite for live sport since it has returned after a prolonged absence, and the interest in CPL will be higher than ever with it being the first franchise T20 tournament to return.”

Meanwhile, fans will have to wait until game 22 for a repeat of last year’s final with the Tridents taking on the Amazon Warriors.

CPL’s COO, Pete Russell expressed gratitude to the government of Trinidad and Tobago for hosting the tournament that had faced the possibility of postponement because of the pandemic.

“We would like to express our gratitude to the government of Trinidad & Tobago for helping us to put on this tournament in such difficult circumstances,” he said.

“We are delighted that we are able to deliver a tournament that is ensuring the safety of the public and the players and that will be of such a high standard.” 

Hero CPL 2020 Fixtures:

 Brian Lara Cricket Academy

Tues August 18: 10 am Trinbago Knight Riders v Guyana Amazon Warriors

5:30pm: Barbados Tridents v St Kitts & Nevis Patriots

Wed Aug.19: 10 am Jamaica Tallawahs v St Lucia Zouks

5:30pm: Guyana Amazon Warriors v St Kitts & Nevis Patriots

Thurs Aug 20: 10 am St Lucia Zouks v Barbados Tridents

5:30pm: Trinbago Knight Riders v Jamaica Tallawahs

Sat Aug 22: 10 am St Kitts & Nevis Patriots v St Lucia Zouks

5:30pm: Guyana Amazon Warriors v Jamaica Tallawahs

Sun Aug 23: 10am Trinbago Knight Riders v Barbados Tridents

5:30pm: Guyana Amazon Warriors v St Lucia Zouks

Queen’s Park Oval

Tues August 25: 10am St Kitts & Nevis Patriots Barbados Tridents

5:30pm: Jamaica Tallawahs v Guyana Amazon Warriors

Wed August 26: 10am St Lucia Zouks v Trinbago Knight Riders

 5:30pm: Barbados Tridents v Jamaica Tallawahs

Thurs August 27: 10am St Lucia Zouks v St Kitts & Nevis Patriots

 5:30pm: Guyana Amazon Warriors v Trinbago Knight Riders

Sat August 29: 10am Barbados Tridents v Trinbago Knight Riders

5:30pm: St Kitts & Nevis Patriots v Jamaica Tallawahs

Sun August 30: 10am Barbados Tridents v St Lucia Zouks

5:30pm: St Kitts & Nevis Patriots v Guyana Amazon Warriors

Brian Lara Cricket Academy

Tues September 1: 10am Jamaica Tallawahs v Trinbago Knight Riders

 5:30pm: Guyana Amazon Warriors v Barbados Tridents

Wed September 2, 10am Trinbago Knight Riders v St Kitts & Nevis Patriots

5:30pm: St Lucia Zouks v Guyana Amazon Warriors

Thurs September 3: 10am Jamaica Tallawahs v St Kitts & Nevis Patriots

5:30pm: Barbados Tridents v Guyana Amazon Warriors

Sat September 5: 10am Trinbago Knight Riders v St Lucia Zouks

5:30pm: Jamaica Tallawahs v Barbados Tridents

Sun September 6: 10am St Kitts & Nevis Patriots v Trinbago Knight Riders

5:30pm: St Lucia Zouks v Jamaica Tallawahs

Tues September 8: TBC

Semi final 1 (1st v 4th)

Tues 8 September, TBC

Semi final 2 (2nd vs 3rd)

Thurs 10 September, TBC

Final