England got off to a dominant start in the first Metro Bank ODI as they bowled Sri Lanka out for 106 at Chester-le-Street.

It was a morning to remember for debutants Mahika Gaur and Lauren Filer as both bowlers took three wickets each along with Sarah Glenn, while Alice Capsey picked up the other.

Gaur claimed her first ODI wicket when she took the top of Chamari Athapaththu’s off-stump in the fifth over to dismiss the influential captain before shortly sending Anushka Sanjeewani’s middle stump flying.

Sri Lanka’s troubles further deepened when Glenn came into the attack in the 11th over and made an instant impact to pin Vishmi Gunaratne lbw.

Filer then struck when Hasini Perera feathered the ball to Amy Jones behind the stumps and her debut got even better with two wickets in the 20th over to spark Sri Lanka’s collapse.

The 22-year-old had Kavisha Dilhari caught behind with Jones making a fine grab to her right and then dismissed Nilakshi de Silva the following ball in a similar fashion.

Harshitha Samarawickrama looked to get Sri Lanka up to a competitive total, but she fell for 35 off Alice Capsey after a review showed the ball just brushing her bat on the way through to Jones.

And just after Sri Lanka brought up their 100, Glenn earned her second with another thinly-edged ball well taken by Jones before bowling Achini Kulasuriya.

Gaur wrapped the innings get one through the gate to bowl Udeshika Prabodhani and set England a 107-run target.

Ben Stokes marked his ODI return with a resolute fifty as England started the first of four World Cup warm-ups against New Zealand by posting 291 for six at a sultry Sophia Gardens.

Stokes is back in tow as a specialist batter after reversing his 50-over retirement last month ahead of England’s defence of their World Cup crown in India and got back into the groove with 52 off 69 balls.

It was not his most fluent effort but was one of four fifty-plus scores on a tricky pitch after the hosts were asked to bat first, with Dawid Malan contributing 54 off 53 balls before Jos Buttler top-scored with 72 off 68 deliveries.

Liam Livingstone added some impetus with a sparky 52 from 40 balls at the back end of an innings in which left-arm spinner Rachin Ravindra finished with career-best international figures of three for 48.

The knocks of Malan and Livingstone are timely given their places in England’s provisional World Cup squad are thought to be the most vulnerable as Harry Brook makes a late case for selection.

Brook had an opportunity to push his claims after being shunted to open alongside Malan, with England cautious over Jonny Bairstow’s shoulder niggle sustained in the drawn T20 series and Jason Roy waking up on Friday morning with a back spasm that precluded his involvement.

It was his first time opening the batting in List A cricket and he tickled the first ball off his thigh to the boundary but it was Malan who stamped his authority on the union from then on, capitalising on wide or overpitched deliveries to the tune of six fours in the space of 18 deliveries at one point.

Malan was adept on the pull as New Zealand’s quicks dragged back their lengths, dispatching Kyle Jamieson then Lockie Ferguson to bring up a 48-ball half-century – his eighth fifty-plus score in 19 ODI innings.

He was unable to kick on, though, as Ravindra halted England in their tracks after an 80-run opening stand. The slow left-armer was already appealing when Malan missed a clip off his pads and only belatedly noticed the ball spin back and thud into off-stump.

Brook then departed in the next over for a pedestrian 25 off 41 balls as a brute of a bouncer from Ferguson brushed his glove on the way through to New Zealand captain Tom Latham.

Matters might have worsened for England as another sharply rising delivery caught Stokes out first up although the ball ballooned agonisingly over Glenn Phillips at gully.

Joe Root scratched his way to six off 15 balls but top-edged a slog sweep to Daryl Mitchell in the ring to give Ravindra his second wicket.

He conceded just eight runs in four overs before Buttler displayed a rare show of aggression by clattering the spinner over the shorter straight boundary for six.

With bowling all-rounder Chris Woakes at seven, Stokes and Buttler settled for watchful accumulation over outright might.

Buttler was busier and the pair both went to their fifties. But the ball after heaving Ravindra into the stands for his first six to go with three fours, Stokes clubbed to cover to end an 88-run stand.

Ravindra was taken the distance by Buttler while Livingstone upped the ante with three successive sixes off the expensive Jamieson.

Either side of two slower balls being shovelled over the leg-side boundary, Livingstone bludgeoned a pace-on delivery back over Jamieson’s head.

Livingstone and Buttler both miscued Tim Southee slower balls up in the air to end England’s hopes of a 300-plus total but David Willey’s 21 not out off 11 balls got them close.

The first Youth Test match between Sri Lanka U19s and the West Indies U19s at the Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium has ended in a draw.

The West Indies entered Friday’s fourth and final day on 119-3 off 31.5 overs, a deficit of 313 runs.

Jordan Johnson, who entered the day unbeaten on 54, carried on to make a brilliant 149 off 207 balls including 11 fours and two sixes. Johnson also hit a century in the ODI series.

Steven Wedderburn entered the day on 28 and eventually made 41 while Nathan Edward contributed 36 as the West Indies were eventually bowled out for 309 in 89.5 overs.

Vihas Thewmika took 6-78 off 28.5 overs while Vishwa Lahiru took 3-61 off 24 overs for the hosts.

Sri Lanka then reached 122-4 in their second innings before play was called off and the spoils were shared.

Ravishan Nethsara hit an even 50.

The teams will now turn their attention to the second match beginning on Monday.

The Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, the Honourable Olivia Grange, says that the Government has been considering a bid to host matches in the ICC Men's T20 World Cup in 2024.

Minister Grange says the Government sees the benefit in hosting T20 World Cup games but was matching that against the tremendous cost involved.

The Minister says it’s estimated to cost more than J$450M to bid and host a few games, including infrastructure upgrades to match and practice venues.

Minister Grange says discussions are continuing with the Jamaica Cricket Association, which is in dialogue with Cricket West Indies, other stakeholders and potential partners on the way forward considering the huge cost involved.

Ben Stokes revealed he has a “plan” to try to resolve a longstanding problem with his left knee and get back to being a fully fledged all-rounder once the Cricket World Cup has finished.

England’s Test captain said at the end of the Ashes “serious conversations” would be had about the issue that restricted him to bowling 29 overs in the drawn series and none in the last three matches.

He has since reversed his ODI retirement for England’s bid to retain their World Cup crown – having been so influential to their 2019 success – and will travel to India next month as a specialist batter.

Once England’s involvement is over in mid-November, Stokes will turn his attention to his ailing limb and attempt to recover in plenty of time for the five-match Test tour of India, starting on January 25.

However, while Stokes is upbeat about his prognosis, he stopped short of divulging whether an operation is required or if the specialists he has seen have recommended an alternative course of action.

“I’ve had some good conversations with specialists in different fields around rehab and a plan going forward after the World Cup,” Stokes said.

“There will be potential of something happening after the World Cup. There will be a time I make clear what’s going on, but I don’t think now is the right time to do that, with everything we have got coming up.”

He added to the BBC: “There’s actually quite a long time off after the World Cup. It’s nice knowing after the World Cup we’ve got something, a really good plan we can do and we can stick to.

“I want to be playing next summer as a genuine all-rounder. This winter is all about playing this World Cup then getting this knee sorted.”

Stokes, who is set for his first ODI in 14 months as England take on New Zealand at Sophia Gardens in Cardiff on Friday, admitted he was “exhausted, tired (and) had a lot of naps” after a gruelling Ashes.

A schedule of five Tests in six and a half weeks stretched Stokes to the limit but after a trip away with his family, he confessed the pull of the World Cup was the deciding factor in his ODI comeback.

Player of the match in the 2019 final, Stokes, whose unbeaten fifty secured T20 World Cup glory last November, insisted he felt no pressure to return from captain Jos Buttler or head coach Matthew Mott.

“It’s been a conversation that’s been ongoing with Jos and Motty. We kept it pretty internal and just had catch-ups along the road,” Stokes said. “It wasn’t a case of forcing me into coming.

“I said, ‘I’m available if you want to select me’. It was nice having that communication, but no push from Jos or Mott. It was nice to know they wanted to pick me even though I probably won’t bowl a ball.

“Going into this one as world champions, playing a part in that in 2019, that was an unbelievable moment for us as a team and myself. The idea of going in and potentially being able to win back-to-back World Cups was one of the big things.”

Stokes anticipates he will slot in at number four in the batting order, one position higher than he is accustomed to and in a spot the now-retired Eoin Morgan occupied for the majority of his tenure.

England are set for their first ODI against the Black Caps since the dramatic 2019 World Cup final at Lord’s – the teams will also contest this year’s tournament opener in Ahmedabad on October 5.

As for their chances this time around, Stokes was in a bullish mood as he added: “It’s not arrogant for us to say that we’re a very good team.

“We like our chances but the thing about World Cups is who can handle the pressure the best on any given day. The teams who can handle the emotional side of the sport is something that should never be overlooked.”

Hard-hitting Trinidadian left-hander Nicholas Pooran is among three nominees for the ICC Player of the Month award for August, cricket’s governing body announced on Thursday.

With 176 runs across his five T20I outings against India which led to a vital 3-2 series victory, Pooran is also a strong contender for this month’s prize.

Following defeats in the Test and ODI showdowns in the weeks prior, Pooran inspired the West Indies’ resurgence in the shortest format with two forty-plus scores book-ending a match-winning 67 in 40 balls in the second duel in Guyana.

For his exploits, Pooran was named Player of the Series, and earns the islanders’ first nomination in the Men’s Player of the Month awards since Gudakesh Motie was shortlisted in February 2023.

Pooran will be going up against Pakistan’s Babar Azam and Shadab Khan for the prize.

The three nominees for either category are shortlisted based on performances from the first to the last day of each calendar month. The shortlist is then voted on by the independent ICC Voting Academy* and fans around the world. The ICC Voting Academy comprises prominent members of the cricket fraternity including well-known journalists, former players, broadcasters and members of the ICC Hall of Fame. The Voting Academy submit their votes by email and hold a 90 per cent share of the vote. Fans registered with the ICC can vote via the ICC website, accounting for the remaining 10 per cent. Winners are announced every second Monday of the month on ICC’s digital channels. 

West Indies Under-19s will enter the fourth and final day of the first Youth Test against Sri Lanka U-19s facing a 313-run first innings deficit at the Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium.

The West Indies ended Thursday’s third day on 119-3 from 31.5 overs replying to Sri Lanka’s massive 432-8 declared.

Jordan Johnson has led the way for the young West Indians so far with an unbeaten 54 while his Jamaican countryman, Steven Wedderburn, is the other not out batsman on 28.

Vishwa Lahiru has picked up 2-22 in 11 overs for the hosts.

Former England all-rounder Samit Patel has announced he is to leave Nottinghamshire at the end of the season.

The 38-year-old first joined the county at the age of nine and has been a professional for the past 22 years.

Patel, who has made 60 international appearances across all three formats, has not been offered a new contract but is not retiring and hopes to continue his career elsewhere.

Patel told the county’s website, www.trentbridge.co.uk: “It has been a privilege and an honour to represent Nottinghamshire, a place that I have called home for nearly three decades.

“When I signed my first contract at 15, I dreamt of representing my country in all three formats. I have no doubt that the club’s unwavering support helped me to achieve these goals and, for that, I will be eternally grateful.

“Nothing would have given me greater pleasure than to see out my career with Notts, but whilst I haven’t been offered a new contract at Trent Bridge, I feel determined that I still have a lot to offer the game with both bat and ball.

“I’m looking forward to beginning my next chapter, contributing on and off the field wherever those opportunities may arise.”

Patel, a hard-hitting middle-order batter and left-arm spinner, has taken more than 700 wickets and scored almost 21,000 for Nottinghamshire.

He won the County Championship in 2005 and 2010 as well as four limited-overs trophies.

In 2017 he played inspirational innings in the county’s One-Day Cup and T20 Blast triumphs and also scored back-to-back first-class double centuries against Gloucestershire and Leicestershire.

Nottinghamshire director of cricket Mick Newell said: “Samit richly deserves the adulation he will get as his time at Notts comes to a close.

“To have his kind of longevity at one club is no mean feat, and speaks volumes of his passion for the county, and the regard in which he has been held by his coaches and peers across his career here.

“I am grateful for his service to the club and the sacrifices he has made to wear the Nottinghamshire shirt.”

England bowler Mark Wood could decline a central contract in pursuit of franchise cricket – as Michael Atherton declared the Test format of the game is “withering in front of our eyes.”

Wood, 33, may miss the first three matches of England’s five-Test tour in India – which starts on January 25 – after being offered a reported £500,000 to play in the UAE T20 league.

Wood, who starred for England in the recent Ashes series and set a new record for the fastest over in an international match at Headingley, has stated he is keen to continue playing for his country.

But in an interview with the Daily Telegraph, Wood said: “I don’t know what will happen at the minute. Playing both (India Tests and Dubai T20) is not a viable option for England.

“England will want me to be there for all the five Tests, not just part-time or some of it. I will wait and see what happens with the up-and-coming central contracts and then make a decision from there.

“At the minute the World Cup is a massive focus, the other thing is my agent and Rob Key knows where I stand. I love playing for England, I want to play for England as long as I can, but it just depends on what they say.

“But time away from home, the financial side of things now, there are more things in play than just solely my love of playing for England.”

The England and Wales Cricket Board is set to table a number of multi-year contracts to stave off interest from T20 franchises.

But it has been reported that the governing body is struggling to compete with big-money offers from the IPL-backed leagues.

Writing in the Times, former England captain Atherton, 55, said: “For as long as I have been writing in this space — essentially since the advent of the Indian Premier League in 2007 — there have been warnings about the threat to Test and international cricket.

“At times, in those early days, it felt like a howl in the dark, although now it is generally accepted that the five-day game and bilateral international cricket is withering in front of our eyes.

“It seemed clear to me that the advent of the free market through the rise of franchise cricket, and the popularity of T20, was both a huge opportunity and, unless some careful thought was given to how the game was structured, a threat to the established norms. It needed some foresight, wisdom and planning, all of which have proved to be sadly lacking.

“I don’t write about it so much now, partly to avoid being seen as a bore, but also because I think it’s too late. The game has been set on a path from which there is no evident will, from anyone, to divert.”

England coach Jon Lewis says it was worth the risk of picking some untried players in the Twenty20 international series defeat to Sri Lanka.

The tourists claimed a historic victory after winning the decider at Derby by seven wickets, thanks to Chamari Athapaththu’s heroics.

Athapaththu took three wickets for 21 runs as the hosts were bowled out for 116 before hitting 44 to fire her side to victory, which sealed a memorable 2-1 series success.

It meant that England lost a T20 series to a team other than Australia for the first time since 2010, while also losing a first-ever white-ball series to Sri Lanka.

On the back of the Women’s Ashes earlier in the summer, England used the opportunity to try some fresh blood in this series, with the likes of Mahika Gaur and Maia Bouchier given a chance and Lewis called it a “valuable exercise”.

“I learned a lot, a hell of a lot,” he said.

“Without going into specific individuals, I feel like we are on a journey as a team and we are trying to work out how we want to play and the mindset we want to go into each game with and which individuals are capable of doing that.

“You won’t find that out unless you expose them to international cricket.

“The decision-making before the series was very much around giving opportunity to players on the edge of our squad to try and learn about what they are capable of under pressure.

“It is a really valuable exercise for us. Obviously every time we do it we are taking a risk in terms of win-loss but what we are hopeful of is the opportunities we are giving the players will generate brilliant coaching conversations and understanding where every player is at.

“We are a developing team. We have three teenagers playing for us at the moment, which is fantastic. But they will go away from this experience learning what they need to improve their game.”

Captain Athapaththu was the star of her side’s historic triumph and said a series result like this had been coming.

“I am really happy with my performance and my team’s performance,” she said. “The last two tours in Bangladesh and New Zealand, we have played really good cricket and we have carried that on.

“Finally we have won – that is really good. Hopefully we can carry on this form in the ODIs.

“My bowling unit have done a really good job and the last couple of months our bowlers have done really well.”

Trinbago Knight Riders improved their playoff hopes, as they secured a valuable 42-run win over Barbados Royals in the 2023 Republic Bank Caribbean Premier League (CPL) at Queen’s Park Oval on Wednesday.

After Rovman Powell again won the toss and opted to field first, the Royals bowlers were fairly steady up front, but later found Nicholas Pooran in defiant mode, as the left-hander literally batted them out of the game with a superb unbeaten century.

Pooran’s 53-ball 102, which included 10 sixes and five fours, propelled Knight Riders to a daunting 208-6 from their allotment, before skilled bowling from Waqar Salamkheil (2-18) and Akeal Hosein (2-21), coupled with some poor shot selections from Royals batsmen at times, sealed the deal.

Despite a well-played 45-ball 70 by Kyle Mayers, his best score so far this season, the Royals were restricted to 166. Mayers hammered four sixes and seven fours in his knock.

Scores: Trinbago Knight Riders 208-6 (20 overs); Barbados Royals 166-7 (20 overs)

Sent to bat in front a pack stadium bursting at its seams with a sea of red, the vociferous Knight Riders crowd faced early disappointment when Roelof van der Merwe took a brilliant catch on the boundary ropes to remove Mark Deyal (six) off Mayers bowling.

From 20-1, Pooran and Martin Guptill added 56 for the second wicket, which was inevitably gifted to the Royals, as the New Zealander advanced but failed to get bat on an arm ball from Rahkeem Cornwall and was stumped for 37.

It quickly became 78-3 as a mix-up between Pooran and captain Kieron Pollard resulted in the latter being run out by Mayers.

However, Pooran soldiered on and took the score past the 100-run mark with Lorcan Tucker (eight), before being joined by Andre Russell for an 82-run fifth-wicket partnership.

The two frustrated the Royals bowling with Russell smashing four sixes and two fours in his 22-ball knock, which unfortunately came to an end when he was given out on review for a faint edge.

Pooran eventually pushed past the century milestone, his second in this format, and with it, placed the Knight Riders in the driver’s seat for the two points.

In response, Barbados Royals lost their previous match winner Cornwall (four) cheaply on this occasion, as he went caught by Sunil Narine off Hosein in the third over.

Mayers and Laurie Evans (20) gradually restored the innings, as they added 41 for the second wicket and when the latter fell, it brought captain Powell to the middle.

But Powell’s stay was brief, as he went for nine and Mayers and Alick Athanaze (seven) followed soon after, and from there, the Royals never recovered.

 Jason Holder, who was given a reprieve off a Narine no-ball, failed to capitalise on the second chance and only mustered 19, while Van der Merwe’s quick-fire unbeaten 20 off nine balls, including a massive six and two fours, was not enough.

The win means Trinbago Knight Riders inched up to second on nine points, same as leaders Guyana Amazon Warriors, but the four-time champions have played two games more.

St Lucia Kings (eight points), Barbados Royals (seven points), Jamaica Tallawahs (five points) and St Kitts and Nevis Patriots (two points), complete the table.

The battle for the playoff spots will be intensified when action resumes on Saturday. At that time, Patriots will oppose Kings and Knight Riders against Tallawahs, with a contest between Guyana Amazon Warriors women and Trinbago Knight Riders women, smacked in between.

 Trinbago Knight Riders recorded their first win of the 2023 Massy Women’s Premier League (WCPL) to keep their final hopes alive at Queen’s Park Oval in Trinidad.

The Knight Riders beat Hayley Matthews’ previously unbeaten Barbados Royals by 13 runs, meaning the winner of the final group match between the Knight Riders and the Guyana Amazon Warriors on Saturday will play the Royals in Sunday’s final.

The Knight Riders kept the theme going by winning the toss and opting to bat first. Deandra Dottin’s side applied pressure early with a strong PowerPlay setting up for a big score, keeping wickets in hand, eventually finishing on 155-3.

Gaby Lewis put up a good fight with a half-century in reply after a good start with Matthews but tight bowling eventually made 156 look too far away late on.

Knight Riders scored 33 runs inside two overs in the PowerPlay courtesy of quick-fire starts from Marie Kelly and Kycia Knight. At 58-1 from six overs, the hosts continued to put on partnerships with low risk through the experience of Captain Deandra Dottin and Mignon du Preez keeping the steady innings ticking over to reach 155-3 despite just one six in the innings.

Amanda-Jade Wellington prevented a higher score with very economical figures of 0-11 in the middle overs while Matthews picked up a pair of wickets, one at each end of the innings to finish with 2-23.

The Royals had chased a score higher than this total already in this year’s competition but it wasn’t to be on this occasion despite causing threat throughout.

Matthews came out firing, reaching her highest score of the WCPL this year with 45 before she was dismissed by 15-year-old Samara Ramnath on her T20 debut. After a more supportive role initially, Irish international, Lewis kicked on to 62, bringing up her 50 in 43 balls, another substantial knock for the Royals after her 47 in match one.

With other overseas Erin Burns and Laura Harris failing to get out of single figures, the wickets continued to fall for the Royals and Lewis’ dismissal in the 18th over needing to up the run rate to 12-an-over, the innings fizzled out at the hands of 18 overs of spin from the Knight Riders.

Scores: Trinbago Knight Riders 155-3 (Dottin 47, Du Preez 36; Matthews 2-23, Claxton 1-21) beat Barbados Royals 142-7 (Lewis 62, Matthews 45; James 2-34, Ramnath 1-13) by 13 runs.

Chamari Athapaththu was again the star for Sri Lanka as they earned a historic Twenty20 international series win against England.

Athapaththu claimed figures of three for 21 as the hosts were bowled out for 116 before whacking 44 to fire her side to a seven-wicket victory, which sealed a memorable 2-1 series success in the decider at Derby.

The Sri Lanka captain hit a half-century in Saturday’s win at Chelmsford and again brought the fireworks, plundering two sixes and five fours in her 28-ball innings.

It meant that England lost a T20 series to a team other than Australia for the first time since 2010, while also losing a first-ever white-ball series to Sri Lanka.

The opening ball of the match set the tone for England’s disappointing innings as Danni Wyatt slapped a gentle long hop straight to cover and it got worse after a calamitous run out at the end of the second over, where Maia Bouchier and Alice Capsey were both at the same end.

They never got to grips with Sri Lanka’s array of slower bowlers, with skipper Athapaththu taking three  wickets and Udeshika Prabodhani and Kavisha Dilhari both claiming two victims apiece.

Bouchier top scored with 23 while Danielle Gibson added 21 late as England failed to see out their overs.

Athapaththu came out firing and did the leg work of Sri Lanka’s chase in the first seven overs, hitting Kate Cross and 17-year-old Mahika Gaur over the ropes in an array of boundaries.

Her dismissal with score on 65 could have opened the door for England, but they could not make regular inroads and the visitors got over the line with 18 balls to spare.

England will have to defend a below-par score of 116 if they are to win their Twenty20 international series against Sri Lanka.

With the three-match contest tied at 1-1, the hosts were bowled out for a disappointing 116 after being invited to bat first in the decider at Derby.

They never got to grips with Sri Lanka’s array of slower bowlers, with Chamari Athapaththu taking three for 21 and Udeshika Prabodhani and Kavisha Dilhari both claiming two wickets apiece.

Maia Bouchier top scored with 23 while Danielle Gibson added 21 late as England were skittled in the 19th over.

The innings could not have got off to a worse start as Danni Wyatt planted a gentle wide delivery from Inoshi Fernando straight to cover.

The Sri Lankans were celebrating again at the end of the second over when a calamitous mix-up between Bouchier and Alice Capsey saw both batters at the same end, with the latter ran out.

Bouchier and captain Heather Knight did some repair work, sharing a 30-run stand in four overs, but that came to an end when Bouchier holed out to long-on.

Knight (18) and Amy Jones (20) soon followed as England slipped to 72 for five in the 11th over and it looked like they would struggle to get to 100.

But Gibson hit three fours in her 15-ball innings to get them to three figures before a flurry of late wickets saw them fail to see out their overs.

Saim Ayub and Shai Hope each scored a half-century as the Guyana Amazon Warriors completed a dominant six-wicket victory over the Trinbago Knight Riders and maintain their unbeaten start to the 2023 Republic Bank Caribbean Premier League (CPL) campaign on Tuesday night.

The Amazon Warriors won the toss and opted to field first. The decision went in their favour when they restricted the Knight Riders to 45-2 at the end of the PowerPlay. However, despite taking regular wickets the Knight Riders had several useful cameos throughout their innings to post a challenging 173 to win.

The Amazon Warriors timed their chase perfectly in reply and had an excellent partnership between Ayub and Hope to thank as the two batters scored half centuries to lay the foundation for the Amazon Warriors power hitters to seal the victory at the death.

In the first innings, the Knight Riders got off to a bad start losing Mark Deyal and Nicholas Pooran in the PowerPlay, the latter falling to a tremendous one-handed catch from wicket keeper Azam Khan.

When Martin Guptil skied one off the bowling of Imran Tahir to leave the Knight Riders on 57-3, the innings needed rebuilding.

Akeal Hosein and Lorcan Tucker stepped up to task the and put the Knight Riders back in the game before Tucker was run out for 38 off 25 balls.

Andre Russell kept the momentum up by hitting a couple of Republic Bank maximums before he departed for a quick-fire 14. His dismissal brought Kieron Pollard to the wicket and the captain responded with a brutal 25 from 12 balls, however, like those before him he failed to kick on.

Ultimately the innings was underpinned by Akeal Hosein. His unbeaten 44 helping to guide the Knight Riders to a competitive score of 172-8.

Much like the Knight Riders, the Amazon Warriors were to get their innings off to an inauspicious start. Chandrapaul Hemraj falling inside the first two overs for 10.

However, Ayub and Hope went on to lay the foundation for the Amazon Warriors chase with a brilliantly constructed partnership of 93 from 67 balls.

Despite Ayub (62) and Hope (51) eventually falling at the back end of the innings. Azam Khan and Shimron Hetmyer hit several Republic Bank maximums to seal the win in style.

The victory means the Amazon Warriors return to the top of the 2023 Republic Bank Caribbean Premier League (CPL) table.

Scores: Guyana Amazon Warriors 175-4 (Ayub 62, Hope 51; Russell 2-29, Khan 2-30) beat Trinbago Knight Riders 172-8 (Hosein 44*, Tucker 38; Smith 3-31, Paul 1-17) by six wickets