Cpl

The Tallawahs won the toss and decided to bowl first, restricting the Amazon Warriors to 142-6 from their 20 overs.

On a difficult pitch for batting, the Warriors endured a slow start to their innings, only mustering 71-3 by time the 15^th over was ready to be bowled.

They overcame that slow start thanks to crucial middle-order knocks from Shai Hope (25), captain Shimron Hetmyer (39), Romario Shepherd (36) and Heinrich Klaasen (22). Pakistani pacer Mohammad Amir took 3-22 from his four overs while South African Migael Pretorious took 2-35 from his four for the Tallawahs.

Captain Rovman Powell then played a masterful knock to help the Tallawahs achieve their target and get their second win of the season.

At one point, Powell had faced 12 balls for just three runs but ended up scoring 44 not out off 38 including just one four and four sixes, three of which came within the last two overs.

Brandon King also contributed 32 as the Tallawahs finished 143-6 off 19.2 overs.

The iconic ball-beater turned 42 on Tuesday but could only watch from the bench as the team fell to a 2 runs loss to Rajasthan Royals.  The West Indian has managed 178 runs in 8 matches, with an average of 25.42.  The average is the fourth-best on the team, but on Tuesday the Kings opted for Aiden Markham at the third place in the line-up, which Gayle has been occupying since last season.

Pietersen admits he found the situation to be an unusual one.

   "There will be some questions asked. I don’t understand why you would leave Chris Gayle out on his birthday,” Pietersen said on Star Sports.

“If there was one game you were going to play him, it was this one. If he failed then you say ‘ok, you can have a bit of rest’. So, I can’t understand the thinking at all," he added.

Gayle has been selected for the West Indies T20 squad for next month’s ICC World T20, the appearance will mark his 7^th at the global tournament.

The Trinbago Knight Riders chose to move on from the 35-year-old Trinidadian, who has been part of the CPL since its inauguration in 2013, scoring over a 1000 runs in six seasons.

He has represented Guyana and Trinbago, and for the latter he has 619 runs, making him one of four players to have scored more than 500 runs for TKR in the CPL.

Disappointed to have been released by TKR, Ramdin said he is keen to prove his worth to the Patriots.

“I am happy to join a new team. It’s all about business and nothing else,” he said.

“Yes, I was very disappointed but it was beyond my control, its sport. I had lots of fun memories with them on and off the field winning two trophies.”

He believes his skill sets will make his new team even better.

“With my experience playing over the years, and also they could do with a player who can adapt to any situation,” he said.

 Ramdin played 12 matches for TKR in 2019, scoring 190 runs with a top score of 50 and a strike rate of 100.5.

Rayudu played three innings for Patriots in the ongoing edition, managing 47 runs at 15.66 and a strike rate of 117.50. His scores in the three innings were 0, 32 and 15.

Rayudu was signed up as a marquee player by Patriots, making him just the second Indian to play in the men's CPL after Pravin Tambe. He had earlier in 2023 retired from international and Indian domestic cricket after helping Chennai Super Kings claim a fifth IPL title.

Zimbabwe fast bowler Blessing Muzarabani has also left the tournament for personal reasons. Muzarabani played three games for Patriots and picked up one wicket at 69 with an economy of 10.61. The English duo of fast bowler Benny Howell and top order batter Will Smeed have been called up to replace Rayudu and Muzarabani in the Patriots squad.

Patriots are the only team in the competition without a single win in six matches. Since their opening two fixtures got abandoned due to rain, they have lost each of their following four games.

Meanwhile, Carlos Brathwaite has been called up by Barbados Royals as a temporary replacement for wicketkeeper-batter Donovan Ferreira. Ferreira has been included in South Africa's 16-member squad for their home T20I series against Australia. He is expected to return after his national duties are over.

Ferreira played only one game for Royals in CPL 2023, in which he scored 19 runs. Brathwaite has played 77 CPL matches for four teams and this will be his first stint with Royals. He has scored 822 runs at 16.11 and picked up 59 wickets at 30.15. This is the first time he will be part of the CPL since the 2021 edition.

Currently, the 40-year-old big hitter has tallied a total of 978 sixes in T20 cricket so far.  If he can add another 22 to his 326 IPL sixes, the batsman will repeat the all too familiar habit of writing his name in the T20 cricket record books.

Gayle will be odds on favourite to achieve the feat as well.  In 11 seasons of IPL cricket to date, he has never failed to hit 22 sixes.  Last season he cleared the boundary rope 34 times and 27 times in the previous season.  Should he reach the tally it would only add to an already impressive resume racked up for the format.

Gayle has scored the most runs in T20 cricket (13,296), has the highest score (175), most sixes in an innings (18), and the fastest 100.  He has also hit the most fours with 1,026.

The West Indian is currently in training camp in Dubai, where he is preparing to face the new IPL season with Kings XI Punjab.  The batsman had been slated to take part in the recently concluded Caribbean Premier League (CPL) for beaten finalist, St Lucia Zouks, but pulled out of the competition due to personal reasons.

The tournament plans to have matches in Antigua & Barbuda, Barbados, Guyana, St Kitts & Nevis, Saint Lucia and Trinidad & Tobago, Once again, the window for the CPL will not clash with West Indies fixtures so the best Caribbean talent will be on show at the Biggest Party in Sport.

Pete Russell, Republic Bank CPL’s CEO, said: “We are very pleased that this window allows the CPL to give the best players from the Caribbean the opportunity to showcase their talents. The window also allows CPL franchises to sign the best available international players after successful discussions with other leagues to avoid the same clashes we had in 2023. As always,we would like to thank Cricket West Indies for their help and support in finding a window that works so well for all stakeholders.”

Johnny Grave, Cricket West Indies CEO, said: "We are pleased to have once again worked closely with the CPL to strategically prioritize this window so that all West Indian cricketers can participate in the full CPL tournament once again. With the 2024 CPL taking place just two months after hosting the ICC Men's T20 World Cup in the region, it provides another fantastic opportunity for our fans to enjoy some world class exciting T20 cricket and for our regional governments to benefit from more cricket generated economic activity.”

 Batting first, the Warrior put up 146 for 8 in their 20 overs, but in pursuit, the Patriots, who were anchored by a stunning opening stand of 113 between Lewis and Thomas, only lost two wickets to secure an easy second win.

The Warriors won the toss and elected to bat, but they struggled to get their innings underway in the face of some tidy bowling from the Patriots. Dominic Drakes was the star but there were excellent spells inside the PowerPlay from Sheldon Cottrell and Paul van Meekeren.

It was Cottrell who got the first breakthrough when he had Brandon King caught by Sherfane Rutherford off a leading edge. The Warriors once again pushed Odean Smith up the order as a pinch hitter but he didn’t have the same success as in the first game against the Knight Riders, falling for a seven-ball duck.

  Wickets continued to fall throughout the Warriors innings, and they found themselves 75 for 5 in the 12th over with Drakes finishing with 3 for 26 and Fawad Ahmed claiming 2 for 33.

However, some lusty blows from Nicholas Pooran and a measured innings from Mohammad Hafeez got them to a respectable total. 

In pursuit, Thomas and Lewis were in fine form, and they made the Guyana total look under par as they batted with controlled aggression to put the Patriots in complete control of the chase.

There were few stumbles for the Patriots as Evin Lewis top-scored with 62 from 39 balls, an innings that guided his team to an eight-wicket victory with eight balls to spare.

Guyana Amazon Warriors won the toss and opted to put Saint Lucia Kings in to bat, Chase lighting up the innings with 85 runs to take his side to 149/7.

The Warriors faltered in their chase, bowled out for 98 despite the best efforts of captain Pooran, as the Saint Lucia Kings put in a clinical bowling performance.

Saint Lucia Kings lost the big early wickets of Andre Fletcher and Faf du Plessis before Chase came in and raced to his half-century from just 27 balls. He was supported by Mark Deyal and then Tim David before a flurry of late wickets restricted the team’s total, as Guyana Amazon Warriors utilised eight different bowlers across the innings. Romario Shepherd and Odean Smith were the pick of the bowlers, as they both took three wickets each with economy rates under six.

Amazon Warrior’s response was stifled from the beginning, losing four wickets in the Powerplay overs as Alzarri Joseph and Obed McCoy caused havoc with their pace. A blistering knock from Pooran, 41 from 26 balls, was not enough, even with Odean Smith blasting four sixes towards the end of the innings. Jeavor Royal and Kesrick Williams were superb as the innings progressed and continually picked up wickets.

Saint Lucia Kings now have four points and are firmly in contention for a playoff spot as the tournament league stage nears the halfway mark.

Saint Lucia Kings 149-7 (Chase 85, Deyal 20; Shepherd 3-21, Smith 3-22) beat Guyana Amazon Warriors 98 all out (Pooran 41, Smith 31*; Royal 3-19, Williams 2-7) by 51 runs.

The team features nine Caribbean players and two overseas stars and selection rewards consistent performances across the 2021 tournament. The team heavily features young players from across the Caribbean who have been extremely impressive in this year’s Hero CPL. 

The team includes Ravi Rampaul who is the leading wicket-taker for this season and the World Cup-bound Evin Lewis who has been excellent throughout. The two overseas players who make the team are Faf du Plessis and Tim David, both from the Saint Lucia Kings. The performances of Rampaul and Roston Chase in the tournament has seen them gain selection for the West Indies squad for the ICC T20 World Cup. 

“The commentary panel, in selecting the team of the tournament would like to commend the teams and players for making the job a very challenging one,” said Ian Bishop, former West Indies fast bowler and member of the commentary panel.

“A few players stood head and shoulders above the crowd due to their high level of excellence, and their performance simply made their case impossible to ignore. With the remaining selections there was vigorous debate and sometimes splitting hairs due to the high levels of performance and competition for similar roles from experienced, mid-level and young players.  

 “The abundance of talent, enthusiasm and passion shown by so many players in 2021 was laudable and once again made the tournament extremely competitive and compelling viewing. We accept and welcome the view that fans will have varying opinions and debates on their favourite commend all the players for their distinguished efforts throughout the tournament.” 

 Hero CPL 2021 Team of the Tournament 
Evin Lewis (St Kitts & Nevis Patriots), Faf du Plessis (Saint Lucia Kings), Nicholas Pooran (Guyana Amazon Warriors), Roston Chase (Saint Lucia Kings), Kieron Pollard (Trinbago Knight Riders), Tim David (Saint Lucia Kings), Sunil Narine (Trinbago Knight Riders), Romario Shepherd (Guyana Amazon Warriors), Odean Smith (Guyana Amazon Warriors), Akeal Hosein (Trinbago Knight Riders) and Ravi Rampaul (Trinbago Knight Riders). 

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The 31-year-old Jamaica has been largely criticized for declining to join the West Indies team with former fast bowler Sir Curtly Ambrose questioning the player’s commitment to the regional side.

Russell had initially declined the invitation to represent the West Indies in New Zealand citing the need to be free of the Covid-19 lockdown protocols he had to endure during the 2020 Hero CPL season in Trinidad and Tobago, and the subsequent IPL season in Abu Dhabi.

However, shortly thereafter it was reported that Russell had signed for the Colombo Kings in Sir Lanka’s T20 Premier League (LPL).

His actions triggered the ire of many fans across the region as well as West Indies fast bowling great Sir Curtly Ambrose.

“Because he wants to clear his head for a while to get his mind together, I have no problem with that because cricket is a high-pressure game. So if you want to clear your head for a while, take your mind off cricket I have no issues with that, but if you are going to reject playing for your nation, your country, and then two weeks later you’re playing for somebody else, that to me is a no-no,” Ambrose said during a recent conversation on the Mason&Guest radio show in Barbados.

“Where is the commitment? That tells me that you don’t want to play for the West Indies. If that is the case, just say so.”

However, while speaking on the Sportsmax Zone on Tuesday, Russell explained why he ended up playing in Sri Lanka while the West Indies were losing their series 2-0 in New Zealand. He claimed the pressure of living in the bubble was too much.

"I changed my stance. I changed my technique. I changed my trigger movement, all of these things I changed just to score runs in IPL and nothing was going my way. The pressure was real," Russell said, who failed to live up to expectation in both leagues. “Playing cricket in a bubble and you're not performing, it can really take a toll.”

He said he had conversations with Shimron Hetmyer and Keemo Paul, who explained that after the initial 14-day quarantine in New Zealand, the restrictions would have been relaxed. It was after that conversation that he said he approached the selectors but by then it was too late.

 After his missed opportunity to join the West Indies squad, Russell said he received a text message from Angelo Matthews while he was in Dubai asking him to play for the Colombo Kings. He said he accepted the offer adding that the time off he spent in Dubai helped give him the mental strength to go back into a bubble.

Kieron Pollard and Colin Munro smashed 71 off the last five overs of the Trinbago Knight Riders’ innings, and the spinners bowled superbly against a Jamaica Tallawahs top-order that once again left Andre Russell with far too much to do.

Sunil Narine returned with a bang, hitting two fours off Fidel Edwards and top-edging for six to take 17 off the first over, then he plundered Carlos Brathwaite for three fours in a row. Brathwaite recovered to take Narine’s wicket, but the all-rounder’s 29 off 11 had sent the Knight Riders flying out of the blocks.

Colin Munro should have fallen for just 4, but Jermaine Blackwood dropped a simple catch. While Lendl Simmons smashed Edwards for a Hero Maximum over square leg, Mujeeb was miserly as ever and it was largely thanks to Narine that the Knight Riders managed 49 for 1 off the Powerplay.

Munro found the fence twice off Tallawahs captain Rovman Powell, and while Sandeep Lamichhane proved unhittable, Powell’s second over released the pressure, going for 14 including multiple extras. Lamichhane showed his class, dismissing Simmons with a leg-break that drew a top-edged hack to point. Munro inside-edged past the keeper to take the Knight Riders to 83 for 2 at halfway.

Munro edged for four again off Powell, but was bamboozled by Lamichhane and was lucky to survive. Brathwaite bowled a tidy over, and while Seifert managed to reverse sweep Lamichhane for four, that was the only boundary the Nepali conceded all day. After 14 overs, the Knight Riders were 105 for 2.

Seifert smote Edwards over his head for six then next ball slashed to Lamichhane at third man. But Munro got two reverse-sweeps away for four in a row off Mujeeb, and Powell was too predictable as Munro was able to adjust and swing a Hero Maximum then a four over midwicket to take himself to 50. An over studded with extras went for 18.

Pollard levered a near-yorker for six then pulled for four off Mujeeb, and Edwards twice paid for missing his yorker, Pollard dispatching a full toss for a Hero Maximum and Munro smoking a half-volley for four. Brathwaite got the daunting task of bowling the 20th, and Pollard heaped the pressure on with a Hero Maximum. Munro pulled for four, and while Brathwaite closed the innings with a caught-and-bowled, the damage was done.

Chadwick Walton’s difficult Hero CPL 2020 continued as he slashed the first ball of the innings to point, giving Akeal Hosein a dream start. While Blackwood started brightly, Pierre bowled him as he attempted to sweep, reducing the Tallawahs to 14 for 2 in the second over.

The Knight Riders were on top, so much so Pollard put himself at short leg for Narine, who went for just two. Hosein returned and went for just six, and off the Powerplay the Tallawahs had stuttered to 35 for 2 with the in-form Glenn Phillips facing just nine balls.

The nine runs that came off Narine’s second was largely due to poor fielding, but Phillips’s Hero Maximum off Fawad Ahmed was a fine hit. Phillips also cut DJ Bravo for four as two overs in a row went for double figures, but Pierre returned with a tight over, and at halfway the Tallawahs were 70 for 2 and needed 11.50 an over.

Phillips hit another six off Fawad, but Nkrumah Bonner had slowed almost to a crawl before falling LBW in the same over. Powell made little impact before being bowled by a Fawad googly, and so when Andre Russell came to the crease the Tallawahs were 84 for4 in the 13th and needed over 13 an over.

DJ Bravo chose an off-side heavy field to restrict Russell. But it was the well-set Phillips who fell, slicing high in the air to give Seifert a simple catch. When Narine produced a good caught-and-bowled to dismiss Asif Ali, Russell found himself with Brathwaite for recognised company and a required run rate above 15.

Brathwaite clipped for four when Bravo strayed onto his pads, but was lucky not to find a fielder when he sliced a drive high in the air. Brathwaite guided a four and Russell clubbed a six off Narine’s last over, but the Tallawahs still needed 68 off the last 18 balls.

Brathwaite and Russell targeted Jayden Seales, and though one of Russell’s fours should have been caught by Simmons at cover, a 22 run over just about kept the Tallawahs in the game. But while Russell took DJ Bravo for four through the off-side and was dropped by Seales at backward point, he couldn’t manage another boundary and with 38 needed off the last over, the jig was up.

Pollard brought himself on to close out the game, and all a frustrated Russell was able to do was to limit the net run-rate damage with a few

 The Patriots won the toss and elected to field first and a disciplined bowling performance restricted the Tallawahs to 166-8, a total that appeared under par for the track.

 In reply, the Patriots proved that assessment to be accurate as they made it four wins from four with another dominant batting display led by the tournament’s top scorer Sherfane Rutherford.

 The Tallawahs got their innings off to a lightning start with the hard-hitting duo of Chadwick Walton and Kennar Lewis putting on a blistering partnership of 41 runs inside 3.3 overs. 

 However, once Paul Van Meekeren dismissed Kennar Lewis that led to a shift in the innings with the Patriots tightening the screws courtesy of some economical bowling by captain DJ Bravo.

 Things were to go from bad to worse for the Tallawahs when Walton had to retire hurt, tweaking his hamstring after running a quick single.

 It took an enterprising counter-attack by Rovman Powell and Carlos Brathwaite in the back end of the innings to revitalise the Tallawahs and this was further boosted by some late blows by the lower order to ensure they posted a respectable total.

 The Patriots made a similar start in their innings, with Evin Lewis bringing the early fireworks, but the wickets of Devon Thomas and Asif Ali in quick succession followed by Evin Lewis left the game in the balance.

 If things were finely poised Sherfane Rutherford and Fabian Allen made light work of the equation, a fantastic display of power-hitting saw the pair smash 55 runs from 20 balls to seal the win at a canter.

Scores: St Kitts & Nevis Patriots 169-4 (Rutherford 50*, Lewis 39; Russell 1-31, Powell 1-34) beat Jamaica Tallawahs 166-8 (Brathwaite 27, Walton 26; Bravo 3-25, Van Meekeren 2-27) by six wickets

The 36-year-old successfully captained the regional team to two T20 World Cup titles in the 2012 and 2016 tournaments.  The player has, however, not represented the regional team since a Pakistan versus World-XI match in 2017.  On that occasion, several players opted not to take part in the tournament.

After criticism of the then West Indies Cricket Board in 2016, following the end of the tournament, Sammy was dropped from the team as well as relieved of the captaincy.

“The main focus is to do well for the Zouks, and that will raise eyebrows in terms of West Indies selection,” Sammy told members of the media.

“I am in a very good place mentally. I am not under any pressure to perform and keep my spot, so I am just here to elevate the youngsters, and I think I am closer to the end,” he added.

Sammy will represent the St Lucia Zouks at this season's Caribbean Premier League (CPL) tournament, as the team looks to claim a maiden title. T20 star Chris Gayle had been expected to boost those hopes after signing for the Zouks earlier this year, but later opted out of the tournament.

Sammy has just finished a coaching stint in Pakistan and he will be back in his playing shirt this season. He will be captaining his home franchise once again! He has been part of the St. Lucia Zouks franchise since the inception of CPL in 2013. 

I can’t wait to work closely with Daren and for the island of St. Lucia,” said Zouks coach Andy Flower. “I worked with Daren five years ago when he captained the Peshawar team in the Pakistan Super League and we thoroughly enjoyed our time together. I know how passionate he is about his island and it's cricket and we will do everything within our power to bring fun, entertainment, and success to St. Lucia.”

Sammy is excited to be retained by the Zouks and to be captaining this year.

“The franchise is dear to my heart and this year I am honoured to lead the franchise one more time. Playing at home with passionate fans and the calibre of players I anticipate will be retained, I expect to bring silverware to St. Lucia. St. Lucia Zouks is well on its way in securing its team of players and looks forward to a successful year of cricket in St. Lucia,” said the former West Indies skipper.

The CPL is scheduled to take place between August 19 and September 26 but the tournament organisers are currently watching the current situation with COVID-19 closely and are liaising with medical advisors and governments.

The arrest warrant, which was issued in Kathmandu, lists the charges as coercion of another person and was announced publicly on Thursday.  The decision to suspend the player was made by the CAN after a meeting and a statement from the body indicated that the cricketer would remain suspended until the matter was investigated.

 Lamichane, who previously played for St Kitts and Nevis Patriots and Barbados Tridents was yet to take the field this season.  In 2020, however, the player was the leading wicket-taker for the Jamaica Tallawahs franchise.

In response, the 22-year-old tweeted to address the issue and announced that he would be leaving the Jamaica franchise and prepare to defend himself against what he called baseless allegations.

“I am innocent and keep complete belief in the respectable laws of Nepal.  I have decided to take a leave from the CPL and go back to my country within a few days.  I am ready to face all these baseless allegations.  May justice be served to the innocent and right investigations to be done,” the player posted on Instagram.

The Patriots started shakily, with Evin Lewis dropped off captain Chris Green by the usually safe Ross Taylor at slip and Chris Lynn dragging a Naveen-ul-Haq slower ball just past his stumps. Imran Tahir’s early introduction paid off first ball, the skipper holding a skier to dismiss Lynn. Tahir again acknowledged Black Lives Matter, dropping the knee and raising the fist.

Lewis started to find his range, sending Tahir over the cover boundary, and taking Naveen’s second over for 18. But smart bowling from Green and even better keeping from Nicholas Pooran saw Lewis stumped for 30 as his back foot lifted for just a moment. The Patriots ended the powerplay at 54/2.

Joshua Da Silva’s exclusion was an eye-opener pre-game, and his replacement Nick Kelly fell early, carving Keemo Paul to point where Shimron Hetmyer held a sharp chance. Paul’s celebration was neatly topical, involving a face mask and strictly enforced social distancing.

Ben Dunk picked up Shepherd over midwicket to break an 18-ball spell without a boundary, but Green put the squeeze right back on. The pressure told, as first Ramdin was strangled down the leg-side off Paul and then Jahmar Hamilton fell to the googly as he did yesterday, Tahir his tormentor tonight.

With his team stuttering at 83/5, Patriots captain Rayad Emrit broke another lengthy boundaryless period, 26 balls this time. But Green finished his spell well, Naveen was equally accurate, and Tahir was unlucky not to finish with Emrit’s wicket.

Emrit broke a third long boundary drought, of 22 balls, off Paul, but the latter had his revenge immediately as a hurried pull looped to Taylor at mid-on.

The Amazon Warriors kept Dunk quiet, and when he tried to run a desperate two, Paul and Pooran combined to run him out by a yard. Paul picked up another in the last over with Dominic Drakes, in for the injured Sohail Tanvir, holing out to square leg. Only four boundaries after the Powerplay told the story of the Patriots’ innings.

Early in the chase, Brandon King broke his Hero CPL 2020 duck with a crisp straight drive and rasping square cut. Jon-Russ Jaggesar, in for Alzarri Joseph, asked questions with his left-arm spin but it was Sheldon Cottrell who made the breakthrough - King drilled a cut to cover, and out came the familiar salute. A wicket-maiden was a consolation birthday present for the former Jamaica Defence Force man.

Hetmyer showed his class with a flurry of early boundaries, including a Hero Maximum that nearly took out the scoreboard. Chandrapaul Hemraj hit one of his own off Jaggesar, his first boundary of the tournament, and the Amazon Warriors cruised to 54/1 at the end of the Powerplay.

Hemraj failed to realise the danger of a powerful throw from Drakes and was sloppily run out, but by now the chase was well under control. An opportunity to dismiss Hetmyer went begging when sub fielder Kieran Powell failed to hold a powerful drive at cover, and the straight hit for four next ball rubbed salt into the wound.

A Hero Maximum walloped over Ish Sodhi’s head brought up Hetmyer’s second fifty in two games, this one, off just 31 balls. A mix-up saw Taylor run out by most of the 22 yards, and Pooran fell to Emrit first ball, but by then the required run rate was well under five an over.

Hope he will join Ronsford Beaton and Veerasammy Permaul in the many-time bridesmaids, who will be hoping to go one better this season.

Meanwhile, Rahkeem Cornwall has moved from the Saint Lucia Kings to join the Barbados Royals. The Royals also picked up exciting young batter Teddy Bishop and seamer Nyeem Young.

Two-time champions, the Jamaica Tallawahs picked up Trinidadian batter Amir Jangoo and experienced Barbadian seam bowler Raymon Reifer while St Kitts & Nevis Patriots re-drafted Joshua da Silva and Jon Russ Jaggesar. They have also brought in Keacy Carty and Jaden Carmichael.

Saint Lucia Kings signed upcoming talent Ackeem Auguste who captained West Indies at the 2022 Under-19 Cricket World Cup along with Preston McSween and Leroy Lugg.

Four-time CPL winners Trinbago Knight Riders re-drafted the experienced Khary Pierre along with fellow Trinidadians Anderson Phillip and Terrence Hinds.

Saint Lucia Kings and St Kitts & Nevis Patriots each have one overseas spot yet to be filled, these players will be announced in the coming weeks.

With the draft now completed the teams for the 2022 Hero CPL are as follows:

Barbados Royals: Quinton de Kock, Jason Holder, David Miller, Mujeeb ur Rahman, Obed McCoy, Kyle Mayers, Azam Khan, Hayden Walsh, Rahkeem Cornwall, Oshane Thomas, Devon Thomas, Joshua Bishop, Justin Greaves, Corbin Bosch, Nyeem Young, Teddy Bishop, Ramon Simmonds.

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

Guyana Amazon Warriors: Imran Tahir, Shimron Hetmyer, Tabraiz Shamsi, Odean Smith, Romario Shepherd, Colin Ingram, Chandrapaul Hemraj, Shai Hope, Paul Stirling, Heinrich Klaasen, Keemo Paul, Jermaine Blackwood, Gudakesh Motie, Veerasammy Permaul, Ronsford Beaton, Matthew Nandu, Junior Sinclair.

St Kitts and Nevis Patriots:Dwayne Bravo, Evin Lewis, Andre Fletcher, Wanindu Hasaranga, 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, Qasim Akram.

St Lucia Kings:Faf Du Plessis, Tim David, Roston Chase, Johnson Charles, Kesrick Williams, David Wiese, Alzarri Joseph, Scott Kuggeleijn, Mark Deyal, Jeavor Royal, Matthew Forde, Leroy Lugg, Preston McSween, Larry Edwards, Akeem Auguste, Rivaldo Clarke.

Trinbago Knight Riders:Kieron Pollard, Andre Russell, Sunil Narine, Nicholas Pooran, Colin Munro, Akeal Hosein, Seekkuge Prasanna, Jayden Seales, Ali Khan, Tion Webster, Khary Pierre, Anderson Phillip, Terrence Hinds, Leonardo Julien, Shaaron Lewis, Ravi Rampaul.

Qasim Akram will be with the Patriots until September 12 when he will be replaced by Wanindu Hasaranga

Ravi Rampaul will be with the Knight Riders until September 12 when he will be replaced by Maheesh Theekshana.

The Patriots won the toss and opted to bowl, taking wickets at regular intervals as the Barbados Royals posted 160-8, with Smit Patel, making his Hero CPL debut, top-scoring with 54.

The Patriots stumbled in their chase, a returning Chris Gayle top-scored with 42 runs and a defeat seemed likely until Sheldon Cottrell and Dominic Drakes put on an unlikely partnership with the bat, which culminated with Cottrell striking a six off the last ball for a dramatic win in front of the home crowd.

Barbados Royals had a steady start to their innings, Johnson Charles and Patel patiently accruing runs after the early dismissal of Shai Hope. Patel would eventually reach his half-century, while captain Jason Holder later made a quick cameo of 19 runs from his 7 balls. DJ Bravo, captaining the side, showed all his craft and guile in the format to take four wickets and stop Barbados Royals from piling on the runs towards the end of their innings. There were also impressive contributions with the ball from fast bowlers Cottrell and Netherlands international Paul van Meekeren.

St Kitts & Nevis Patriots were controlled as they started their innings, losing Evin Lewis in the Powerplay overs, but rebuilding with Devon Thomas and Gayle. It was another Hero CPL debutant, wrist spinner Jake Lintott, who made valuable inroads by first dismissing Gayle and then the dangerous Sherfane Rutherford two balls later. 20-year-old Nyeem Young dismissed the rest of the middle order and it seemed like the Patriots would not be able to chase the target. However, the late onslaught from Drakes and Cottrell with the bat ensured St Kitts & Nevis Patriots maintained their superb start to the tournament.

St Kitts & Nevis Patriots remain top of the Hero CPL league table with five wins out of five.

Due to issues of safety stemming from the coronavirus pandemic, the entire tournament will be staged in Trinidad and Tobago, with enhanced bio security across two venues.  The teams will begin departing for the twin island republic on Monday, ahead of the tournament’s commencement on the August 8^th.

“I am really looking forward to performing and helping us win the tournament this time. It’s long overdue, so this year is our year. Everything is different, so the results will be different this year,” Shepherd told the Guyana Times.

The player believes the task will be made complex by the fact that the majority of players have not been able to play competitive cricket due to the onset of the pandemic

““Being in a pandemic for the first time, I am a bit nervous and tentative going into the tournament. (For) a big tournament like this, you need match practice, and this season will be one of the toughest seasons, not just for me, but for everyone playing in the tournament,” Shepherd said.

“Just the guys coming back from England would have been active, but for the players in the Caribbean, it would be really tough. (There has been) no match practice, and you have to click from the beginning.”

Last season Shepherd claimed 13 wickets in an outstanding season for the Warriors who did not lose until the final.  Despite making it to the final five times the Guyana franchise remains without a title.

 The Patriots paired Sheldon Cottrell and Alzarri Joseph with the new ball, but they leaked boundaries to Simmons and Amir Jangoo. But Jangoo’s senior T20 debut was cut short by an excellent pick-up and throw off his own bowling by Cottrell to run him out.

Joseph hit Colin Munro on the hand, and when play resumed after a short shower Munro was unable to continue. Simmons took 11 off Rayad Emrit including a Hero Maximum and then lofted Jon-Russ Jaggesar over midwicket. He followed up with a cut for four, and the Knight Riders were well set at 52/1 off the Powerplay.

Jaggesar and Dominic Drakes kept the Knight Riders boundary-less between the Powerplay and drinks, and Darren Bravo edged just short of Chris Lynn at short third man. At halfway the Knight Riders had only progressed to 68/1.

Simmons and Darren Bravo managed only singles off Emrit. Joseph hit Darren Bravo in the head, but all was well, and Bravo ended a 35 ball streak without a boundary with a pull for four. Simmons too broke free, pulling Emrit for another Hero Maximum, before bringing up 50 off 42 balls with a single.

Simmons hitting Jaggesar straight over his head for his fourth Hero Maximum to bring up the Knight Riders hundred, then cut for four as the Knight Riders took 15 off the over. Emrit went to Cottrell, but he went for 17 as Darren Bravo lofted a Hero Maximum and Simmons picked up two fours. After 15 overs, the Knight Riders were 125/1.

Darren Bravo also hit Drakes for six, bringing up the 100 partnership off just 66 balls. Simmons pulled another Hero Maximum and Bravo creamed a four through extra-cover, making the 16th over another productive one. Emrit went for just four off his last, and Joseph started the 18th well, but Simmons bludgeoned two Hero Maximums to take himself into the 90s and the Knight Riders past 150.

A Patriots bowler finally got a wicket, Cottrell getting Darren Bravo strangled down the leg-side in a good 19th over that went for just 3. Drakes got two wickets in two balls, as Simmons pulled to Cottrell to fall short of a century and Tim Seifert leading-edge and was well caught by Lynn. Raza survived the hat-trick ball, and stand-in captain DJ Bravo smashed the last ball of the innings for a Hero Maximum.

Akeal Hosein and Khary Pierre took the new ball for the Knight Riders, and the latter picked up the dangerous Lewis, Tambe, belying his 48 years, took an athletic catch. Lynn and Joshua da Silva broke free off Pierre, each hitting a Hero Maximum with Da Silva also sweeping for four, but even an over of 18 only took the Patriots to 34/1 after six.

Tambe and Anderson Phillip put the squeeze back on, with only one boundary between the Powerplay and drinks, and at halfway the Patriots needed almost 12 an over. A Tambe maiden pushed that above 13, and with Da Silva going at barely a run a ball and Lynn going at well under four an over there had to be an acceleration soon.

It didn’t come off DJ Bravo, and while Da Silva drove Tambe for four, he was deceived by the Indian leg-spinner and drove a catch back to the bowler. At the end of Tambe’s outstanding spell, the Patriots were 67/2 off 13 and needed well over 15 an over.

Lynn climbed into a DJ Bravo full toss, but then sliced high in the air and was well caught by Raza to end a disappointing innings. Ben Dunk smashed Raza’s first ball for four but off his second got a reverse sweep all wrong and popped up a simple catch to Seifert. With five overs left, Drakes and Ramdin were staring at a required run rate of 18.

That figure jumped above 20 as Pierre’s last over went for just seven, and Ramdin could only find midwicket when he tried to take on Raza. Raza did the work himself to pick up his third, taking a good diving caught-and-bowled as Drakes toe-ended an attempted straight hit. After 17, Raza had figures of 3/8 and the Patriots needed 27 an over.

Hosein picked up a deserved wicket late in his spell, getting Joseph stumped with one flung wide of off-stump. He celebrated by running to hug his childhood friend Khary Pierre. Imran found himself with three slips for company as Hosein finished off the 18th over, and the game was now officially unwinnable.

Emrit added to the Hero Maximum charity fund off Phillip’s 20th, but the Patriots didn't come close to winning this one, and the Knight Riders had made it eight wins from eight without breaking a sweat.

Summary: (Trinbago Knight Riders 174/4 (Simmons 96, DM Bravo 36; Drakes 2/35, Cottrell 1/32) beat St Kitts & Nevis Patriots 115/7 (Lynn 34, da Silva 29; Raza 3/15, Tambe 1/12, Hosein 1/15, DJ Bravo 1/17) by 59 runs)

Upcoming Fixture: Wednesday 2 September - Match 24: St Lucia Zouks v Guyana Amazon Warriors (5:30 pm),  4:30 pm Jamaica at Brian Lara Cricket Academy