Barbados Royals

The Jamaica-based franchise lifted the third title in its history and first in six years following a dominant 8-wicket win over the more heavily favoured Barbados Royals.  Heading into the final, the Royals were the league’s hottest team having lost just two of 10 games.

The Tallawahs on the other hand, who are conditioned by Ambrose and another Windies legend Shivnarine Chanderpaul, in the meantime, finished in the final qualifying spot.  At one point during the season, the Tallawahs lost 5 of 7 games.

“This means a lot as a group we came into the tournament as underdogs.  Not many gave us a chance to come out of the first round, let alone win it,” Ambrose said, following the team’s triumph.

“I haven’t sprinted for years and I found myself sprinting onto the field.  It was a wonderful performance thought and we were deserving winners,” he added.

“The thing about the Tallawahs is that we didn’t really on just one or two players.  At any given time, any player can step up.  We have depth in our batting, we have good bowling.  We stuck together as a family and we believed from day 1 that we could have won this championship and we did.”

Correction: The original story claimed that the Jamaica Tallawahs won its fourth CPL title on Friday, September 30 and it's first in four years. That was incorrect. The Tallawahs had previously won two titles (2013 and 2016). So the 2022 title was its first in six years. Sportsmax.TV apologises for the error.

 The victory means the two teams will do it all again on Tuesday in the first qualifier. 

 The Amazon Warriors won the toss and opted to field first, and that proved to be an inspired decision. On a fresh surface, their seamers wreaked havoc taking three wickets inside the PowerPlay to leave the Royals in disarray.

Wickets continued to fall at regular intervals and the 125 the Royals mustered was never likely to be enough on a track that offered good value for positive stroke play. 

The Royals were able to take two early wickets of their own when they had their turn to bowl restricting the Amazon Warriors to 18-2 but that was as good as it got. 

 Shakib Al-Hasan produced a scintillating half-century to put the Amazon Warriors on the cusp of victory and the remaining batters saw the chase home to win the game inside 15 overs.

 Earlier Guyana Amazon Warriors had utilised the movement on offer to unleash their cadre of seamers on the Royals. Romario Shepherd, Keemo Paul and Odean Smith all weighed in with wickets to leave the Royals 97-9 and it was only late cameos from Ramon Simmonds and Mujeeb Ur Rahman that enabled the Royals to post 125.

 Although the Amazon Warriors lost Chandrapaul Hemraj and Shai Hope in the PowerPlay, Shakib played an enterprising innings to take the drama out of the chase. His knock of 53 came off 30 balls and laid the foundation for the Amazon Warriors to win with five over to spare.

 The two sides will now do battle again in the first qualifier on Tuesday to determine who will earn the right to go straight to the Hero CPL final.

Scores: Guyana Amazon Warriors 126-5 (Shakib 53, Gurbaz 22; McCoy 2-22, Mayers 1-20) beat Barbados Royals 125 (Holder 42, Khan 20; Shepherd 3-14, Paul 2-9) by 5 wickets.

The Amazon Warriors won the toss and opted to bat first and despite losing a flurry of wickets at the back end of their innings they posted an ominous 181-9.

Scoreboard pressure saw the Royals lose early wickets in the PowerPlay but they were always in sight of the required run rate in their reply. Having seemingly timed their chase to perfection, the Royals needed six runs from the final over but Gudakesh Motie held his nerve to seal a dramatic win for the Amazon Warriors.

Earlier Amazon Warriors had surprised everyone by opening with Motie and Saim Ayub and the experiment did not bear fruit as Motie fell for seven runs inside the opening nine balls.

Ayub and Hope laid a foundation following that dismissal to leave the Amazon Warriors handily placed on 83-1 at the half-way stage of the innings.    

The 98-run partnership was eventually broken when Carlos Braithwaite dismissed Ayub caught and bowled for 57. Azam Khan fell shortly afterwards but the Amazon Warriors continued to force the pace before Obed McCoy got Hope to chop on to his stumps for an even 50.

Late-over fielding penalties saw the Royals get punished but Brathwaite continued to be a thorn in the Amazon Warriors side dismissing Shimron Hetmyer, Romario Shepherd and Odean Smith in the 19th over before Jason Holder followed suit in the last over to remove Dwaine Pretorius and Keemo Paul.

The Amazon Warriors still posted an imposing total of 181-9 that left the Royals an almighty task ahead.

While 182 to win was always likely to be a tall order, the Royals did not help their assignment by losing both their openers inside the PowerPlay. However, the Royals reached the six-over mark at 54-2 and ensured they had a base from which to mount a charge.

A 60-run partnership between Laurie Evans and Alick Athanaze was eventually bought to a close when Odean Smith got Evans to commit to a shot too early and Athanaze himself was to follow 12 balls later.

Just when it seemed the Royals were going to fall to defeat captain Rovman Powell blasted 39 from 19 balls to leave the Royals the equation of 31 runs needed from 19 balls.

Once Braithwaite and Justin Greaves had got the equation down to six of the final over it looked a forgone conclusion but the Warriors and Motie closed out a famous win.

Scores: Guyana Amazon Warriors 181-9 (Ayub 58, Hope 50; Brathwaite 4-27, McCoy 2-25) beat Barbados Royals 178-8 (Evans 44, Powell 39; Pretorius 2-24, Motie 2-38) by three runs.

The Warriors kicked off proceedings by getting a narrow seven-run victory over the St. Lucia Kings. The Warriors batted first after the Kings won the toss and elected to field, posting 111-5 off their 10 overs thanks to a crucial 24-ball 36 not out from West Indies all-rounder Odean Smith.

Jeavor Royal with 2-8 and Matthew Forde with 2-24 starred with the ball for the Kings.

The Kings, despite a fighting 23-ball 41 from Roshon Primus, then fell agonizingly short of their target, being bowled out for 104 with one ball to spare.

Afghanistan wrist-spinner Waqar Salamkheil was the chief destroyer for the Warriors with 3-16.

In the day’s second game, the Tallawahs got a dominant 55-run win over hosts St. Kitts & Nevis Patriots.

The Patriots won the toss and elected to field first, a decision they’d soon regret as the Tallawahs bludgeoned the bowling to post an intimidating 139 all out off 9.5 overs.

West Indies all-rounders Fabian Allen (45), Raymon Reifer (38) and Rovman Powell (32) were all equally destructive as off-spinner Jon-Russ Jagessar was most economical for the Patriots with 1-13 from his two overs.

In reply, the Patriots offered little resistance before being bundled out for 84 after just 7.2 overs.

South African teenage phenom Dewald Brevis was the only batsman to contribute something of note, hitting 34 off just 11 balls including five mammoth sixes.

Migael Pretorious, Niocholson Gordon and Jamie Merchant all took two wickets apiece for the Tallawahs.

Thursday’s third game will see the Barbados Royals tackle the Trinbago Knight Riders. The Royals and Knight Riders will also do battle in the lone Women’s game on Thursday.

 The Barbados Royals won the toss and chose to field, getting off to a dream start by removing opener Brandon King for a duck. However, once again it was captain Rovman Powell who took charge for the Tallawahs, scoring his second successive half-century to take his side to 153-7 after 20 overs. 

In their chase, Barbados Royals bounced back after the early dismissal of Kyle Mayers with their South African contingent of Quinton de Kock, Corbin Bosch and captain David Miller combining across the innings to guide the side to victory by eight wickets.

Jamaica Tallawahs lost King in the first over as Mayers demonstrated his ability with the ball. Amir Jangoo and Powell formed a 57-run partnership that was supported by some power-hitting later on from Raymon Reifer and Fabian Allen. West Indies fast bowler Obed McCoy was the stand-out bowler for the Royals, taking 3 wickets for 24 runs as the Tallawahs finished on 153-7. 

Barbados Royals were in early trouble in their chase as opener Mayers was dismissed in the second over, but a magnificent partnership of 117 runs between de Kock and Bosch stifled the Tallawah bowlers. Once Bosch lost his wicket, Miller came in and scored 16 runs off 8 balls in a nervy finish to take his side across the line with just one ball to spare. 

 The win means Barbados Royals maintain their unbeaten start to the season and retain their spot at the top of the league table, while Jamaica Tallawahs remain second. 

The Trinbago Knight Riders won the toss and chose to field, but a brilliant opening stand of 85 runs between Kyle Mayers and Quinton De Kock built the platform for Barbados Royals to score an imposing 194/4 after their 20 overs, with captain David Miller playing an exceptional innings, scoring 60 runs from just 36 balls.

In a chase that was affected by rain, Trinbago Knight Riders suffered a batting collapse, losing six wickets in the powerplay before rain brought a premature end to proceedings with the score at 51-7 after 8 overs, the Royals winning on DLS by 80 runs. 

Barbados Royals got off to a sensational start, making their highest powerplay score so far of the season with 67 runs, Mayers scoring 45 of those. After losing the wickets of both openers, Miller continued the momentum with some big shots, frustrating the Knight Rider’s bowling attack, before a late batting cameo from Jason Holder took the side to 194/4. 

Trinbago Knight Riders lost a flurry of wickets early in their chase, with Devon Thomas taking the big wickets of Tim Seifert and Knight Riders captain Kieron Pollard with his off-spin. Obed McCoy took the wicket of Nicholas Pooran with the last ball of the powerplay before Andre Russell lost his wicket in the following over. Heavy rain forced an early end to the match with eight overs bowled and the Knight Riders 51-7, with the Royals winning on DLS by 80 runs. 

 The win means Barbados Royals maintain their 100 per cent start to the tournament while Trinbago Knight Riders have suffered their first defeat of the season.

 Scores: Barbados Royals 194/4 (Miller 60, Mayers 52; Narine 1/23, Russell 1/33) beat Trinbago Knight Riders 51/7 (Munro 12, Russell 9 ; Thomas 2/4, McCoy 2/11)  by 80 runs (DLS). 

Guyana Amazon Warriors won the toss and chose to field, but Barbados Royals would go on to score the joint-highest total of this season by reaching an imposing 195/5. Opener Rahkeem Cornwall starred in the innings, launching 11 sixes in his innings of 91, while Azam Khan supported with his own half-century.

The Warriors' hopes of a successful chase were derailed in the powerplay, as they lost four wickets, with Kyle Mayers and Ramon Simmonds proving effective with the ball. Despite the attempts of Shimron Hetmyer, it was not to be enough as the Warriors fell to 108 all out. 

Barbados Royals had initially got off to a cautious start, but Cornwall would go on to play one of the most destructive innings seen this season, 91 runs from just 54 balls, to put the Royals into the ascendancy. After losing his wicket just nine runs short of a century to the bowling of Shakib Al Hasan, the responsibility of the innings fell on Khan, whose vital half-century would help his side to 195/5 by the end of the innings.

Guyana Amazon Warriors lost early wickets in their chase, in-form batter Rahmanullah Gurbaz departing in the first over, before a flurry of wickets fell that left the Warriors on 36-4 by the end of the powerplay. Simmonds excelled with his bowling, taking three key wickets, including that of captain Hetmyer, who was the Warriors highest scorer in the innings. In the end, the Warriors finished on 108 all out and will play in tomorrow night’s qualifier.

The Amazon Warriors won the toss and opted to field first and that appeared to be the right decision. 

Taking wickets at regular intervals the Amazon Warriors made it difficult for the Royals to negotiate the conditions and only a late order rally from Jason Holder and Mujeeb Ur Rahman ensured the Royals ended with a reasonable total of 107-6 from an innings shortened to 16 overs due to rain.

However, that total proved more than enough as the Royals' bowling attack offered no freebies when the Amazon Warriors came to bat.

Led by Mujeeb and Rahkeem Cornwall they ensured the run rate become untenable as the Royals cruised to victory. Guyana Amazon Warriors’ cadre of spinners imposed themselves on the game taking all six wickets to fall in the Barbados Royals innings.

 Having reduced the Royals to 62-5 when the rain delay came, Imran Tahir then removed David Miller immediately after the restart but Jason Holder and Mujeeb Ur Rahman compiled a 39-run partnership off 16 balls to give the Royals a total to defend.

 111 to win suggested an advantage to Amazon Warriors but Mujeeb and Rahkeem Cornwall produced spell-binding bowling in the first four overs to restrict the Warriors to 12 runs for the loss of one wicket.

The Amazon Warriors couldn’t get going as a disciplined Royals bowling performance increased the pressure with a plethora of dot balls. 

 In the end, what should have been a tight game became an easy win for the Royals as they coasted to victory by 29 runs.

Scores: Barbados Royals 107-6 (Holder 40, Cornwall 20; Hemraj 3-15, Sinclair 2-12) beat Guyana Amazon Warriors 81-9 (Smith 15, Hetmyer 12; Cornwall 2-12, Simmonds 2-21) by 29 runs (DLS)

The Royals won the toss and opted to field first and that proved an inspired decision as they made regular inroads into the Kings' top order to leave them teetering on 90-5.

However, the international pair of Tim David and David Wiese put together a rescue act to ensure the Kings posted a respectable total for their bowlers to try and defend.

That total never looked enough in the Barbados Royals' reply as Corbin Bosch arrived with the bat in the Hero CPL to lead his side to victory.

 Earlier on the Kings had posted what looked like a competitive total of 169-6. Reaching 50-1 at the end of the PowerPlay a solid foundation was established for their middle and lower order to capitalise on.

 However, the Royals were excellent in the middle section of the innings. Led by Hayden Walsh’s miserly leg-spin bowling they took wickets in regular clusters to reduce the Kings from 57-1 to 90-5.

 Tim David and David Wiese refused to succumb to the pressure and they counter-attacked brilliantly to put on a 79-run partnership from 43 balls to ensure a potential defendable total was put on the board.

 170 to win should have proved tricky for the Royals to chase but despite losing opener Quinton De Kock for a golden duck, Kyle Mayers and Corbin Bosch plundered 84 runs from 48 balls to put their side well ahead of the game.

 Even after Mayers departed, Bosch continued to have fruitful partnerships with Azam Khan and David Miller respectively until the all-rounder was eventually dismissed by Alzarri Joseph for 81 from 50 balls.

 After Bosch departed it was Miller and Holder who saw out the rest of the chase with minimum fuss to make it four wins from four for the impressive Barbados Royals.

Chasing 161-7 set by the Barbados Royals, the Tallawahs achieved the target with 23 balls to spare, ending on 162-2.

Brandon King was unbeaten on 83 after hitting the winning six off Obed McCoy to seal the third CPL title for the Jamaica-based franchise.

Captain Rovman Powell was unbeaten on 14 at the other end.

Scores: Barbados Royals 161-7; Jamaica Tallawahs 162-2.

More to come…

(Barbados Royals 162/7 (Mayers 36, Cornwall 32; Deyal 2/15, Joseph 2/31) beat Saint Lucia Kings 91/4 (Du Plessis 47*, Joseph 29*; Mayers 4/4) by 11 runs (DLS))

Gayle, the brand ambassador and host for the 6IXTY, will be joined by some of the biggest names in cricket from across the Caribbean and around the world as this innovative new format gets underway for the first time.

Gayle will be joined at the Patriots by exciting openers Evin Lewis and Andre Fletcher and impressive South African youngster Dewald Brevis.

The Barbados Royals team will have the talents of Jason Holder, Kyle Mayers and Rakheem Cornwall, and overseas players Azam Khan, Harry Tector and Corbin Bosch.

The Jamaica Tallawahs team will feature captain Rovman Powell along with fellow Jamaicans Brandon King and Fabian Allen while their overseas contingent will feature Mohammad Amir, Sandeep Lamicchane and Chris Green.

Colin Ingram, Paul Stirling and Heinrich Klaasen will boost the batting of the Guyana Amazon Warriors with all-rounders Odean Smith and Romario Shepherd also in their squad.

A powerful Trinbago Knight Riders lineup will feature Kieron Pollard, Andre Russell and Nicholas Pooran along with Sunil Narine and Ravi Rampaul. They will also have Tim Seifert and Seekkuge Prasanna in their squad.

 The Saint Lucia Kings will feature Roston Chase and Kesrick Williams along with impressive young players Ackeem Auguste and Matthew Forde. New Zealander Scott Kuggeleijn will also be with the Kings for the 2022 6IXTY.

The tournament will see six men’s teams and three women’s teams competing for their own versions of the Universe Boss Trophy, named in honour of Chris Gayle and will feature a number of innovations to bring fans even closer to the action.

 Teams:

Barbados Royals – Jason Holder, Harry Tector, Obed McCoy, Kyle Mayers, Azam Khan, Hayden Walsh Jr, Oshane Thomas, Rahkeem Cornwall, Devon Williams, Joshua Bishop, Justin Greaves, Corbin Bosch, Nyeem Young, Teddy Bishop, Ramon Simmonds.

Jamaica Tallawahs – Rovman Powell, Sandeep Lamichhane, Fabien Allen, Imad Wasim, Brandon King, Kennar Lewis, Mohammad Amir, Shamarh Brooks, Migael Pretorius, Chris Green, Raymon Reifer, Jamie Merchant, Amir Mangoo, Shamar Springer, Nicholson Gordon, Kirk McKenzie, Joshua James.

Guyana Amazon Warriors – Shimron Hetmyer, Odean Smith, Romario Shepherd, Colin Ingram, Chandrapaul Hemraj, Shai Hope, Paul Stirling, Heinrich Klaasen, Keemo Paul, Jermaine Blackwood, Gudakesh Motie, Veerasammy Permaul, John Campbell, Shermon Lewis, Ransford Beaton, Matthew Nandu, Junior Sinclair.

St Kitts and Nevis Patriots – Chris Gayle, Evin Lewis, Andre Fletcher, Qasim Akram, Sherfane Rutherford, Dwaine Pretorius, Darren Bravo, Sheldon Cottrell, Dominic Drakes, Dewald Brevis, Izharulhaq Naveed, Joshua Da Silva, Jon Russ Jaggesar, Keacy Carty, Kelvin Pittman, Jaden Carmichael.

St Lucia Kings – Roston Chase, Johnson Charles, Kesrick Williams, Alzarri Joseph, Scott Kuggeleijn, Mark Deyal, Jeavor Royal, Matthew Forde, Roshon Primus, Ravendra Persaud, Jesse Bootan, McKenny Clarke, Leroy Lugg, Preston McSween, Larry Edwards, Ackeem Auguste, Rivaldo Clarke.

Trinbago Knight Riders – Kieron Pollard, Andre Russell, Sunil Narine, Nicholas Pooran, Akeal Hosein, Ravi Rampaul, Tim Seifert, Seekkuge Prasanna, Jayden Seales, Anderson Phillip, Tion Webster, Khary Pierre, Leonardo Julien, Terrance Hinds, Shaaron Lewis.

 The Royals' strategy for the 2024 season also includes key overseas bowlers such as Sri Lankan spinner Maheesh Theekshana, Afghanistan's pace sensation Naveen ul Haq, and South African left-arm spinner Keshav Maharaj. These bowlers are expected to bolster the team's attack with their diverse skill sets.

 On the local front, the Royals have secured the services of West Indies T20 captain Rovman Powell, whose leadership and explosive batting are invaluable assets. Alongside Powell, the team will benefit from the experience and all-round capabilities of Jason Holder, a stalwart in the Royals' lineup. Left-arm seamer Obed McCoy, known for his wicket-taking prowess, will return, as will the promising young fast bowler Ramon Simmonds.

 Adding to their local contingent, the Royals have retained Rahkeem Cornwall, a powerful hitter and effective off-spinner, and Alick Athanaze, whose batting talent continues to impress. Young talents Kevin Wickham, Nyeem Young, and Rivaldo Clarke will also be part of the squad, bringing fresh energy and potential to the team.

 As the Royals prepare for the CPL draft in July, where they have three more spots to fill, their current roster reflects a balanced mix of seasoned internationals and promising home-grown talent. This blend sets a strong foundation for a competitive campaign in the 2024 Republic Bank CPL season.

Quinton de Kock will appear at Hero CPL for the first time, bringing with him a huge amount of experience. De Kock has played more than 250 T20 matches for South Africa and franchises around the world.

He will be joined by fellow South African David Miller who will be playing for his third Hero CPL team having previously appeared for the Jamaican and Saint Lucian franchises. Miller has more than 8000 T20 runs at a strike rate of 138.

Pakistani batter Azam Khan is returning to the Royals for a second successive season having made his Hero CPL debut in 2021.

Afghan spinner Mujeeb ur Rahman will be with the Royals in 2022 having previously played for the Jamaica Tallawahs. Mujeeb has raced to almost 200 T20 wickets and has become a sought-after bowler around the world.

The final overseas spot will be filled by South African all-rounder Corbin Bosch who recently joined the Rajasthan Royals at the India Premier League.

Expressing his thoughts on the team’s overseas signings, Head Coach Trevor Penney said: “We are delighted to have signed some of the best overseas players of the T20 format, who we feel will complement our retentions perfectly.

“Quinton is a proven match winner who has delivered for both his country and all the franchises he’s played for around the world, and we are delighted that he’s chosen the Royals as the team to start his CPL journey at. On the other hand, having worked closely with David Miller and Corbin Bosch at the Rajasthan Royals, we know exactly what they bring to the table and at the same time, they also understand the philosophy of the Royals perfectly.

“We are also happy to have the energy and excitement that Azam Khan can bring to the group, having seen him perform for us last season. While Mujeeb ur Rahman is a world-class spinner who has made his name plying his trade in T20s globally and is a quality and potentially effective addition to our spin department. From my perspective, these signings are an indication of the kind of cricket we want to play here at Barbados, and I’m confident going into the drafts that we’re building a talented and dynamic squad to vie for the title this season,” added the 54-year-old Penney.

The Royals will have five more spots to fill at the Hero CPL draft with details of these picks released during the draft show which will be broadcast on July 7 at 9 am ECT.

 Barbados Royals players signed: Quinton de Kock, David Miler, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Obed McCoy, Devon Thomas and Corbin Bosch.

Retained players: Jason Holder, Kyle Mayers, Azam Khan, Oshane Thomas, Nyeem Young.

With her team put into bat, it was the Knight Riders’ captain Dottin who shone, scoring the maiden half-century in WCPL history and helping her team to a defendable first innings score of 100-7.

Hayley Matthews was the pick of the Royals’ bowlers taking three wickets in the 19^th over to finish with 3/22 including the key wicket of Dottin.

 In response, Aaliyah Alleyne and Britney Cooper went early in the chase, while Matthews dug in and looked to be the key to leading her team home. But wickets fell around her and, when she went for 46, the run-chase was all but done.

 With just the tail to clean up, Knight Riders had the momentum and it was only fitting that Anisa Mohammed should take the final wicket and finish the game with 3-16 as her side cleaned up the Royals for 90. 

 With their male counterparts watching on and the eyes of the world on the game, it was a massive moment for the Trinbago Knight Riders and for women’s cricket after a ground-breaking tournament.

 When the Knight Riders were put into bat, it wasn’t the explosive start they might have hoped and just as the boundaries began to flow, Kirby was dismissed cheaply.

 Dottin and Sune Luus began to accelerate before Luus’ South African team-mate Chloe Tryon, who hadn’t yet bowled in the tournament, dismissed her national captain to put the Royals in the driver’s seat with the Knight Riders 43-2.

 In true Deandra Dottin style, the World Boss was the lynchpin of the innings, playing shots to all parts and bringing up her half-century from just 54 balls.

 Bragging rights went to her counterpart, Matthews who removed her for 59 off 62 in an over that also claimed the wickets of Kyshona Knight and Jannillea Glasgow.

 The Royals’ openers came out of the traps flying, reaching 14 from the first two overs but when Alleyne fell for 7 and Cooper soon after without scoring and the chase looked more tricky.

 When Tryon was stumped just as the rebuild was on, the game was in the balance and all hopes rode on Matthews with the Royals 36-3. 

 Wickets continued to tumble and the key moment came with 13 needed off 12 as Matthews couldn’t clear Glasgow at mid-wicket. She went for 46 leaving her team needing 12 from 10. 

 It was too much for the tail-enders facing the bowling of Anisa Mohammed, who cleaned up the tail sending Mandy Mangru’s bails flying.

 The Knight Riders, who lost the final of the inaugural SKYEXCH 6IXTY against the Barbados Royals, now have their payback. It was a phenomenal team performance led brilliantly by the power-hitting and elite display of batting from Deandra Dottin and a fitting finale for an incredible inaugural Massy Women’s CPL.

After winning the toss and opting to bat, the Amazon Warriors produced a record-breaking innings on their route to 166/2 from their 20 overs. 

Sophie Devine became the second New Zealander in as many days to hit a CPL century, following on from Martin Guptill’s knock with 103 not out from 64 balls, bringing up the landmark score on the final delivery of the innings with a six over long-off.

Facing a difficult task, the Royals appeared to lack power until Laura Harris took the 15^th over for 24 to put the game in the balance. With 43 still required from five overs, Erin Burns and Chinelle Henry saw the hosts home with two balls to spare.

With Devine leading the way a day before her 35^th birthday, the Warriors kept wickets in hand throughout their innings while maintaining a strong run rate as they ended an explosive PowerPlay 50/0.

Royals captain Hayley Matthews used 12 overs of spin consecutively in the innings in attempt to slow the visitors through the middle overs, before the Amazon Warriors blasted 62 from the final five overs to break the WCPL record for highest total.

Amanda-Jade Wellington should have had Devine out for 41 in the ninth over when a false shot brought a straightforward chance for Afy Fletcher at short cover which was dropped, while the score was still wicketless.

The Royals were facing an uphill battle chasing 167 in the early stages; Matthews’ dismissal for 23 was a setback after a steady powerplay at a-run-a-ball. Gaby Lewis played a superb 360-degree knock which brought hope for the Royals which was backed up by Harris’ spectacular 30 from just 12 balls. 

Shabnim Ismail produced a brilliant 19^th over, conceding just three runs but with just nine runs to win from the final over, Suzie Bates couldn’t stop an in-form Erin Burns from closing out the chase.

Barbados Royals are in action again on Saturday as they face defending champions Trinbago Knight Riders.

The total direct economic impact on the region from Hero CPL 2022 was US$134,686,551 with an additional US$66,250,232 in sponsorship value as a result of the Hero CPL broadcast which was watched by over 700million viewers in 2022.  

The four countries who held Hero CPL matches were St Kitts & Nevis, Saint Lucia, Trinidad & Tobago and Guyana. St Kitts & Nevis also hosted the first running of the Massy Women’s CPL (WCPL) and the SKYEXCH 6IXTY. The tournament has created jobs and generated income in all of these countries as the Caribbean continues to be central to the success of the Hero CPL.  

The rise in economic impact has, in part, been driven by the change to the tournament structure that now sees all six teams, TV production crew and tournament staff travelling around the region as one cohort, spending more time in each of the host countries. With more matches being played per host country, travelling fans are now offered even greater value to come and watch the Hero CPL and as a result there was a significant increase in international arrivals across the tournament in 2022. 

This figure was generated by independent, world-renowned research company, YouGov Sport. This figure takes into account the total spent by Hero CPL to put on the 2022 event, the value of media exposure for the country from the broadcast of matches and the money spent with local business by those who travelled around the region for the tournament.  

The Hero CPL was responsible for filling 54,702 hotel nights across the region, with players, TV crew, CPL and franchise staff and other visitors all helping to generate further revenue for local businesses and suppliers.  

The total viewership for the 2022 Hero CPL was a record 721.8million, a record for the tournament. This is the third successive year that the tournament has generated a viewership figure of over half a billion. This increase in viewership gave even more exposure to host countries throughout the tournament, adding further value to hosting Hero CPL matches.  

Pete Russell, Hero CPL’s CEO, said: “The value that Hero CPL brings to host countries has been long established but for the economic impact of the tournament to pass US$200million for the first time is another milestone in the decade long history of the event. Hero CPL creates jobs, fills hotel rooms, boosts tourism and attracts visitors into host countries, both during the tournament and beyond. We are very excited to see this Caribbean product continue to grow its global reach while still hugely benefiting the region.” 

In the WCPL’s final match in Barbados for 2023, the Amazon Warriors won the toss and batted first as they did in their last fixture, ending in a similar fashion to the opener between these same teams last Thursday.

In much similarity to their opener, a strong Powerplay of 51-0 set the visitors on their way before a rebuild led by some big hitting from Natasha McLean got them to a competitive total.

Run rate was never an issue in reply to 146 for the Royals but with wickets falling frequently Burns’ resistance was required to win the game; late partnerships with the lower-order flipped the match in their favour, finishing the chase in the final over.

In a near-carbon copy of the opening match of the 2023 WCPL with Sophie Devine and Suzie Bates leading off the first innings in a similar fashion to that of Thursday night. Hayley Matthews used seven different bowlers inside the opening eight overs, searching for the all-important breakthrough.

The Kiwi pair put on 74 for an opening stand before Amanda-Jade Wellington produced the perfect leg-spinner's delivery to dismiss Bates for 30 in a pick-of-the-bowlers spell of 1-21.

With Devine looking set for another half-century, the Amazon Warriors’ innings was setback to a restart when Devine fell to a good catch in the deep by Aaliyah Alleyne with the score at just 78.

After persisting against a long list of spinners from the Royals, the visitors were able to rebuild with McLean leading the way with three sixes in her 26-ball 38, helping the Warriors to 146-4.

In reply, Matthews and Laura Harris got starts once again for the Royals; the latter scoring all 18 of her runs from sixes before being dismissed by the experience of Shakera Selman featuring for the first time with the ball in the 2023 edition.

With wickets falling frequently through Selman and Patil, the Royals were 75-5 from 10 overs and the match was in the balance. Burns’ timely knock when wickets fell around her continued the Australian’s remarkable form in the WCPL, knocking off the final 30 runs in 14 balls, winning the match with four balls to spare in an unbeaten 42-run partnership with Wellington.

Guyana Amazon Warriors face up to Trinbago Knight Riders next as the tournament moves on to Trinidad.

Scores: Barbados Royals 147-7 (Burns 53*, Matthews 22; Patil 4-34, Selman 2-15) beat Guyana Amazon Warriors 146-4 (Devine 42, McLean 38; Burns 2-32, Wellington 1-21) by three wickets.

The teams feature the best cricketing talent from across the Caribbean and from around the world with Chris Gayle, Dwayne Bravo, Carlos Brathwaite, Shoaib Malik, Sunil Narine, Faf du Plessis, Ravi Bopara, Glenn Phillips and Kieron Pollard all set to take part.

The tournament gets underway on 26 August with the first match seeing current champions Trinbago Knight Riders taking on Guyana Amazon Warriors.

 The final squads are as follows:

Jamaica Tallawahs: Andre Russell, Rovman Powell, Chris Green, Carlos Brathwaite, Haider Ali, Chadwick Walton, Fidel Edwards, Qais Ahmad, Jason Mohhamed, Migael Pretorious, Kennar Lewis, Shamarh Brooks, Veerasammy Permaul, Abijhai Mansingh, Joshua James, Kirk McKenzie, Ryan Persaud.

St Lucia Kings: Faf Du Plessis, Keemo Paul, Wahab Riaz, Timothy David, Andre Fletcher, Kesrick Williams, Usman Qadir, Samit Patel, Obed McCoy, Rahkeem Cornwall, Mark Deyal, Roston Chase, Javelle Glen, Keron Cottoy, Jeavor Royal, Kadeem Alleyne, Alzarri Joseph.

Trinbago Knight Riders: Kieron Pollard, Ravi Rampaul, Sunil Narine, Colin Munro, Yasir Shah, Darren Bravo, Lendl Simmons, Khary Pierre, Isuru Udana, Tim Siefert, Anderson Phillip, Denesh Ramdin, Tion Webster, Akeal Hosein, Jayden Seales, Leonardo Julien, Ali Khan.

St Kitts and Nevis Patriots: Dwayne Bravo, Chris Gayle, Evin Lewis, Fabian Allen, Ravi Bopara, Paul van Meekeren, Sherfane Rutherford, Sheldon Cottrell, Fawad Ahmed, Devon Thomas, Rayad Emrit, Asif Ali, Colin Archibald, Jon-Russ Jaggesar, Dominic Drakes, Joshua Da Silva, Mykile Louis.

Barbados Royals: Glen Phillips, Jason Holder, Thisara Perrera, Mohammad Amir, Johnson Charles, Shai Hope, Oshane Thomas, Kyle Mayers, Hayden Walsh Jr, Azam Khan, Justin Greaves, Ashley Nurse, Jake Lintott, Nyeem Young, Joshua Bishop, Samit Patel.

Guyana Amazon Warriors: Nicholas Pooran, Shoaib Malik, Imran Tahir, Shimron Hetmyer, Mohammad Hafeez, Brandon King, Naveen Ul Haq, Romario Shepherd, Waqar Salamkhiel, Chandrapaul Hemraj, Odean Smith, Gudakesh Motie, Anthony Bramble, Kevin Sinclair, Ashmead Nedd.

The CPL announced on Monday the seismic developments on Monday as it released the franchise pre-draft retentions and new signings for the coming season.

There were two pre-draft windows for the 2022 season. In the first window, each team could retain up to five Caribbean players with a maximum of two from the top five salary spots.

In the second window, teams were then given an opportunity to sign two more local players. These could be new signings from those who were not retained by other teams or players who appeared for that team in the previous season.

The Trinidad-based franchise has also retained captain Kieron Pollard, Sunil Narine, Akeal Hosein, Jayden Seales and Tion Webster.

Meanwhile, defending champions St Kitts and Nevis Patriots, have brought in mercurial opening batsman Andre Fletcher and Darren Bravo to bolster their batting while retaining 2021 captain Dwayne Bravo, Evin Lewis, Sheldon Cottrell, Sherfane Rutherford and the hero of last season’s final Dominic Drakes.

The St Lucia Kings have acquired the services of explosive batsman Johnson Charles and Mark Deyal while retaining 2021 Player of the Tournament Roston Chase, Kesrick Williams, Alzarri Joseph, and Jeavor Royal.

Over in Barbados, the Royals have picked up the talented Obed McCoy and re-energized Devon Thomas and have retained their captain Jason Holder, Kyle Mayers, Hayden Walsh, Oshane Thomas and Nyeem Young.

Two-time champions, Jamaica Tallawahs have signed the exciting all-rounder Fabian Allen and opener Brandon King while retaining Rovman Powell, Kennar Lewis and Shamarh Brooks.

The Guyana Amazon Warriors added Keemo Paul and Gudakesh Motie while keeping Shimron Hetmyer, Odean Smith, Romario Shepherd, and Chandrapaul Hemraj.

The Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL) finals will be hosted by Guyana for the next three years, starting in 2022. This is the first time the Hero CPL final will be held in Guyana and this long-term staging agreement will see the culmination of the tournament also taking place in Guyana in 2023 and 2024.

This season, Guyana will host seven group games, three knockout matches and the Hero CPL final which will take place on Friday, September 30 at The Guyana National Stadium in Providence.