An unfortunate floodlight failure at the National Stadium in Providence, Guyana, saw a reduced over match in the Eliminator game of the 2024 Republic Bank Caribbean Premier League (CPL).

A two-hour delay whilst the light was fixed saw the Barbados Royals set a revised target of 60 runs in five overs. The Royals made short work of the chase, David Miller almost single-handedly getting his side over the line with four balls to spare by hitting a brutal 17-ball fifty that included five sixes and three fours.

Trinbago Knight Riders won the toss and batted first, amassing 168-3 off 19.1 overs before the lights went out. Nicholas Pooran scored a masterful 91 not out off 60 balls to anchor their efforts with captain Kieron Pollard and Andre Russell adding support at the end of the innings with 17 and 20 runs, respectively. Jason Roy assisted Pooran from the top of the order with 25 off 17 balls after the early dismissal of Sunil Narine – bowled by Theekshana off the third ball of the match.

Although not picking up many wickets, the Royals bowled well to limit the damage and keep the Knight Riders in check, a target of 163 would be chaseable if their own batting card fired.

After it looked like their 2024 campaign was going to be cruelly derailed by the floodlight failure, the Royals would have been mightily relieved to get back on the park and have the chance to keep their destiny in their own hands.

Their revised chase was a frenetic and exhilarating affair. Sunil Narine cleaned up Quinton de Kock with the third ball of the first over, a beautifully flighted delivery that clipped the bails and left the batter bamboozled. The ball before had been clobbered for four runs by de Kock and David Miller hit the next delivery after the wicket for a towering six over midwicket. It was a sign of things to come.

Miller came into his own in the shortened chase, cutting Chris Jordan away for four over point before slog sweeping Narine for a huge 106-metre six off the next over. With two overs left the Royals needed 25 runs to progress. Miller kept his cool, consecutive fours off overpitched deliveries from Jordan were followed by a full toss by the beleaguered bowler that was clubbed for six down the ground. The penultimate over costing the Knight Riders 17 runs.

With eight needed off the last over Miller smashed back-to-back sixes off Terence Hinds to finish the match in emphatic fashion, claiming the Player of the Match award and booking the Barbados Royals a place in the second eliminator after a dramatic night in Guyana.

Guyana Amazon Warriors helped their chances of securing a top two finish in the 2024 Republic Bank Caribbean Premier League (CPL) by inflicting a 47-run defeat on Barbados Royals Wednesday night. The Royals would have been hopeful for a top of the table finish too given their earlier form in the competition but a third defeat for them in recent matches means they may have to settle for third or fourth place and a harder path to the title.

Royals captain Rovman Powell won the toss on what looked a fantastic batting wicket and opted to insert the opposition. The pitch was conducive to stroke-play and despite the early loss of Rahmanullah Gurbaz the Warriors cashed in, posting an imposing 219-8 off their 20 overs.

At one point, when Shai Hope and Shimron Hetmyer were in full flow and displaying some mouth-watering stroke play it very much looked like a bigger total would be in the offing for the Warriors but after the two experienced hands fell before the end (for 71 off 37 balls and 57 off 34 balls respectively) the Royals managed to peg the defending champions back in the final five overs. Maheesh Theeskhana the pick of the Royals bowlers with an economical and wicket-taking spell of 3-15.

So consistent in the earlier stages of the competition, the Royals’ batting card failed to fire in response. Moeen Ali pinned talisman Quinton de Kock lbw for 35 and Imran Tahir sprinting off into the outfield in customary celebration with the key wicket of Powell.

David Miller, unbeaten on 71, offered some resistance in the Royals middle order and played some audacious strokes at the back end to take him to a battling half century but wickets continuously fell all around him as the Warriors spin attack used the scoreboard pressure to their advantage and piled on the pain. A score of 172-9 at the close meant the Royals finished comfortably short and the Warriors were never in trouble.

Moeen Ali continued his fine tournament with the ball by claiming 2-16 and fellow spinner Gudakesh Motie was more expensive but pocketed three wickets. The Warriors are finding form in both departments as the competition heads into its final phase.

David Miller’s pyrotechnics once the result had effectively been decided meant the final scorecard wasn’t as grim as it could have been for the Royals but they have plenty to put right after a chastening defeat to their fellow title hopefuls.

Terrance Hinds smashed a six off the penultimate delivery as Trinbago Knight Riders ended Barbados Royals’ unbeaten record in the 2024 Republic Bank Caribbean Premier League (CPL) after a nerve-jangling two-wicket victory at Kensington Oval on Friday.

Chasing 157, the Knight Riders needed 11 runs off the final over and appeared headed for defeat when Akeal Hosein fell off the third delivery with six runs still required.

But Jason Holder bowled a waist high full toss and on the subsequent delivery Hinds whacked a six down the ground off the free hit. The Knight Riders now move alongside the Royals with a 3-1 record.

The Royals had struggled to handle Knight Riders’ spinners and managed to post 156/7 thanks to an unbeaten 59 from 38 balls from skipper Rovman Powell.

The Knight Riders, last year’s finalists, elected to field and looked to continue their dominance over the Royals having beaten them twice last season.

The Royals made a disastrous start when opener Rahkeem Cornwall made his third straight duck after falling off the second delivery of the innings. Hosein struck again just two balls later when he trapped Alick Athanaze for a duck.

Quinton de Kock and Rivaldo Clarke consolidated before the South African was knocked over by a perfect wrong’un from Waqar Salamkheil to halt the Royals, who soon lost Holder for a duck.

The Royals struggled for boundaries in the middle overs before David Miller collared Hosein with a massive six over extra cover in the 13th over. Miller’s cameo ended at the hands of Salamkheil, who finished with a superb 3/13.

Powell had little of the strike before taking over with a slew of sixes, including off seamer Jayden Seales in the last over to reach his half-century in style.

The Knight Riders, who had strategised chasing amid dewy conditions, similarly had a poor start when Sunil Narine holed out to spinner Maheesh Theekshana on the first ball.

Opener Jason Roy started with a couple of glorious drives before being bamboozled by Theekshana to leave the contest delicately poised. After a brief rain delay, Shaqkere Parris was dropped on nine by Holder off Theekshana as Nicholas Pooran took control to steady the Knight Riders.

But his breezy 23-ball 35 ended with a spectacular double act in the deep when Powell caught the ball before flicking it to Holder just before he went over the boundary.

Parris had support from Keacy Carty as the Knight Riders appeared well on track needing 51 off 36 balls. The reintroduction of Theekshana in the 15th over did the trick as he lured Parris into a false shot triggering a collapse from the Knight Riders.

It set up a grandstand finish until Hinds’ late heroics stunned the local fans.

India ended their 17-year wait to win the T20 World Cup as they edged out South Africa by seven runs in a thrilling final in Barbados.

Saturday's match went right to the wire with South Africa requiring 16 runs from the final over, but Hardik Pandya clinched a hat-trick with the late dismissals of David Miller and Kagiso Rabada as the Proteas lost their nerve.

Virat Kohli had earlier smashed 76 runs off 59 balls, comfortably his best score of the tournament, to help India set a daunting target of 177 – the highest ever in a men's T20 World Cup final.

Kohli's innings came to an end in the penultimate over as he swung Rabada's delivery straight to Marco Jansen at long-on, after partner Axar Patel (47) was run out by Quinton de Kock.

That knock proved to be the title clincher, though, as the India bowlers provided able support to their batsmen.

South Africa were reduced to 12-2 within the first three overs as Jasprit Bumrah sent wickets flying with a brilliant outswinger to beat Reeza Hendricks (4) and Arsheep Singh had Aiden Markram (4) caught behind by Rishabh Pant.

If India thought they would be able to defend their total in comfort, however, they were mistaken.

Heinrich Klaasen slammed 52 off 27 balls with support from De Kock (39) and Tristan Stubbs (31), to take them close.

Thirty runs from as many deliveries was the target at one point, but Klaasen nicked Pandya's ball through to Pant in the 17th over and Bumrah followed up by dismissing Jansen for two.

The tail was unable to provide the heroics for South Africa, desperate final-over swings from Miller (21) and Rabada (4) going unrewarded as Pandya finished with an efficient 3-20.

Kohli picks his moment

Kohli has not been on top form throughout this tournament, 37 versus Bangladesh his best score until this point with five of his innings bringing single-digit tallies.

He stepped up when it mattered most, though, becoming just the third player to make a half-century in multiple T20 World Cup finals, having made 77 in India's 2014 loss to Sri Lanka (also Marlon Samuels and Kumar Sangakkara).

After being presented with the Man-of-the-Match award, Kohli suggested he will not play at the next edition of the tournament in 2026. If his T20I career is over, he certainly went out on a high.

Klaasen's historic knock in vain

South Africa ran India close despite being tasked with chasing the best total ever recorded in a T20 World Cup final, and that was mostly due to Klaasen's efforts.

He made his half-century in 23 balls, the fastest 50 in a T20 World Cup final. He obliterated the previous record, Mitchell Marsh's 31-ball half-century for Australia in 2021.

Long wait over for India

Most observers would agree India are fitting champions, having marked themselves out as the best team at the tournament during the last few weeks.

It is their first T20 World Cup crown since they won the inaugural edition in 2007, and they have joined England and West Indies as the only teams to triumph more than once (two titles each).

South Africa maintained their unbeaten start to the T20 World Cup with a four-wicket triumph over the Netherlands at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium. 

David Miller was the Proteas' star with an unbeaten 59, as South Africa recovered from a dismal start in which they had slumped to 12-3.

The Netherlands had started poorly themselves with the bat, though Sybrand Engelbrecht steadied the ship with a 45-ball 40 before he was caught by Marco Jansen from Ottniel Baartman's delivery.

And with that, the Netherlands' scoring rate soon fizzled out, with the Dutch finishing on 103-9.

That lacklustre conclusion to their innings looked set to be swiftly forgotten as South Africa's top order disintegrated inside the first four overs, and the Netherlands seemed to be on their way to a famous win.

But a strong partnership of Tristan Stubbs (33) and Miller anchored South Africa's innings, and the Proteas emerged victorious with an over to spare.

Miller fittingly confirmed the victory with a six, smashing that shot through the leg side.

Sri Lanka remain bottom of Group D following their two-wicket defeat to Bangladesh earlier in the day. 

Meanwhile, Afghanistan continued their excellent start at this year's tournament, beating New Zealand by 84 runs to move top of Group C. 

Data Debrief: Dutch come unstuck

The defeat for the Netherlands ended their longest unbeaten streak in the competition, with the Dutch having won each of their last three matches at the T20 World Cup.

South Africa gained a measure of revenge, meanwhile, for their 13-run defeat to the Netherlands at the 2022 T20 World Cup.

The Barbados Royals have announced their lineup for the upcoming Republic Bank Caribbean Premier League (CPL) season, retaining a formidable roster that promises thrilling performances. Among the 14 confirmed players, South African powerhouses Quinton de Kock and David Miller will once again don the Royals' colours, adding significant firepower to the batting lineup.

 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.

Half of their respective squads might be unavailable, but that doesn’t make the three-match warm-up series between West Indies and South Africa any less important, and both will be hoping to make a statement heading into the ICC Men’s Twenty20 (T20) World Cup.

Rovman Powell, Shimron Hetmyer, Shai Hope, Nicholas Pooran, Sherfane Rutherford, Jason Holder, Andre Russell and Alzarri Joseph are out for West Indies, while Aiden Markram, Heinrich Klaasen, Tristan Stubbs, David Miller, Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj and Kagiso Rabada for South Africa. Though all are not still engaged in the Indian Premier League (IPL), some, like Pooran and Hope, are being rested and others, like Rabada, are recovering from illness.

Still, the upside to the contests is that discarded players, and those out-of-form players in the squad, now have an opportunity to convince their coaches –albeit for Thursday’s first game at Sabina Park – as the ICC expects all confirmed squads on Saturday, May 25.

First ball is 2:00pm.

Brandon King, who has been charged with leading the depleted West Indies side, knows that much and, as such, is expecting players to show their worth ahead of the June 1-29 global showpiece to be held in the Caribbean and United States.

Kyle Mayers is one of those discarded players. The Barbadian scored no T20I fifties in 11 innings since touring South Africa in 2023 and was dropped thereafter, but made 243 runs in six innings at the BPL and boasts a T20 strike rate above 150 this year and above 143 from 40 matches last year. With power-hitting among the most talked-about attributes of top-order batters, this is his chance to show he still has it.

Kyle Mayers showed some semblance of form in the BPL.

From a bowling perspective, the likes of Obed McCoy, one of the highest wicket takers in T20Is this year, found no space in a squad that has Alzarri and Shamar Joseph, Russell, Holder and Shepherd. He has an opportunity to show what he can do in home conditions.

“Obviously, it is the last series leading up to the World Cup, so we're looking to implement how we want to play in the World Cup in these three games. So it's really about that and trying to finalize everybody's roles and responsibilities going into the World,” King said in a pre-game press conference at Sabina Park, on Wednesday.

“I’ve had discussions with the coaches and with the other captain [Rovman Powell] and we have specific roles for each player that we would like them to go out and perform and, as I said, we're looking to start that in this series,” he added.

Though it will be his first time leading the regional side on home soil, and the first international game at Sabina Park in a while, King said there is no added pressure.

“Personally, I don't feel any added pressure, I like to be very positive thinking towards these things. It'll be a great memory looking back when you think about it. So, obviously we want to win the games for the fans, but it's just more excitement than pressure,” King declared.

Obed McCoy one of the highest wicket takers in T20Is this year.

“We've been preparing even before this series; we're coming from a training camp as well, so we've gotten a lot of volume in terms of training, so this is just to get some match practice leading up to the World Cup. The guys that are missing are also very experienced players, we've been playing series for the past two years, so their roles I don't think would have changed much and they will fit in when they come,” he shared.

While West Indies came away 2-1 winners in the last three-match series between the two in South Africa, King is by no means expecting their opponents to be even more formidable on this occasion, as they too have much to prove.

“They're a very good team. If you look at the players that they have on paper, it is a really solid eleven that they have, so, we have to be at the top of your game. It's not a team where you can relax or anything because they also play an aggressive brand of cricket, a very positive, confident brand of cricket.

“So, I would say we're looking to exploit our home advantage in this series. The, last time we played in their conditions and we end up winning and so it would be even more positive playing at home,” King noted.

That said, King pointed out that members of the team, like the many fans around the Caribbean and around the world, are eager to see what uncapped West Indies pacer Shamar Joseph has to offer in the game’s shortest version.

The 24-year-old Guyanese rose to prominence after his heroics during the Test series against Australia earlier this year.

“We're also very excited to see what he has. You'll definitely see him in this series at some point, but we're all excited to see what he has to offer,” King ended.

A rapid 64 from captain Faf du Plessis helped Royal Challengers Bengaluru to a third consecutive Indian Premier League win as they again saw off Gujarat Titans.

RCB comfortably defeated the Titans in an away game six days ago and then comprehensively saw off Shubman Gill’s side once more on Saturday, this time at home.

After the Titans were bowled out for 147, RCB raced to a four-wicket victory with 38 balls to spare to move off the bottom of the IPL table, jumping up to seventh after overcoming a brief scare towards the end of their chase.

Mohammed Siraj, Yash Dayal and Vijaykumar Vyshak took two wickets apiece as the Titans struggled batting first, falling to 19-3 midway through the sixth over. They needed Shahrukh Khan (37), Rahul Tewatia (35) and David Miller (30) to post some kind of total, with Tewatia passing 1,000 career IPL runs.

Any faint hopes of halting RCB’s run of form were ended when Du Plessis fired 64 from just 23 balls with 10 fours and three sixes, ably supported by opening partner Virat Kohli (42).

A brief spell of chaos saw RCB fall from 92-0 to 117-6 with Josh Little taking 4-45, but Dinesh Karthik (21 not out) and Swapnil Singh (15no) steadied the ship and finished off the chase.

Data Debrief: Kohli regains Orange Cap

While Du Plessis top scored in this game, another good knock from Kohli, who hit four maximums, saw the India great regain possession of the Orange Cap. With 542 runs in IPL 2024, Kohli has a narrow lead over CSK skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad (509).

Kohli is averaging 67.75 and striking at 148.08, with four fifties and a century to his name from just 11 innings in a memorable campaign.

He has helped RCB recover from being beaten in seven of their first eight games, while the Titans, finalists in each of the last two editions, have now lost four of their last five.

Richard Gleeson picked up three big wickets in one over, and later the Player-of-the-Match award, to set up a huge win for Delhi Bulls over Bangla Tigers in Abu Dhabi T10 League action at the Zayed Cricket Stadium on Saturday.

The win was Bulls' third in a row, and placed them comfortably at the top of the table, at least for the time being.

Tigers were going fine at 28 for 2 after three overs, and with Jordan Cox, David Miller and Dasun Shanaka, among others, to follow, looked set to put up another big total after scoring 143 for 4 in their win over Dubai Gladiators on Thursday.

But Gleeson changed the script in the space of five balls in the fourth over, getting rid of Miller, Shanaka and Cox, in that order, to leave Tigers completely off-kilter at 29 for 5.

Between Daniel Sams (20 not out in 15 balls) and Carlos Brathwaite (21 in 17), Tigers did fight back to get to 81 for 7, but it was never going to be enough against Bulls' powerful batting line-up.

Quinton de Kock and Johnson Charles fell inside two overs, but James Vince (17 in nine), Rilee Rossouw (21* in 11) and captain Rovman Powell (37* in 11) made sure Bulls got to the target quickly - in just six overs.

For Tigers, it was a second loss in three games, and at the end of it, they were placed seventh on the eight-team table.

Earlier on Saturday, explosive 30s from captain Nicholas Pooran and Tom Kohler-Cadmore, followed by Andre Fletcher's 12-ball 41, set up a crushing win for Deccan Gladiators over Team Abu Dhabi.

Pooran dashed out of the blocks taking left-arm finger-spinner Roelof van der Merwe for two fours and two sixes in the first over. Rumman Raees then dealt a double-blow, removing both Pooran and Andre Russell off successive balls in the fourth over, but Kohler-Cadmore and Fletcher proceeded to re-establish Gladiators' dominance.

Six of the 12 balls that Fletcher faced were sent to the boundary, including five sixes. Fletcher, Fabian Allen and Kohler-Cadmore all fell in quick succession, but David Wiese provided the final flourish with 15 off six balls.

Abu Dhabi started their chase shakily, losing their top three inside five overs. Leus du Plooy (25), Colin Ingram (19) and captain Dwaine Pretorius (9), fought back to lend some respectability to the scorecard. Sri Lankan slinger Nuwan Thushara, who plays for Jaffna Kings in the LPL, was the pick of the bowlers for Gladiators, coming away with 2 for 5 in his two overs.

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David Miller expects South Africa to target Pakistan's struggling top order in Thursday's T20 World Cup clash.

The sides face off at the Sydney Cricket Ground in what is a must-win game for Pakistan, who need a victory to keep their hopes of reaching the semi-finals alive.

Meanwhile, unbeaten South Africa head into the match on the back of a five-wicket victory over India.

Victory for the Proteas would see them return to the top of Group 2 and end Pakistan's hopes of qualifying in the process.

Pakistan's struggles have, in large part, been down to their misfiring top-order batters. Captain Babar Azam has accumulated just eight runs across his three innings in the tournament, while Mohammad Rizwan scored four and 14 against India and Zimbabwe respectively, before returning to form with 49 against the Netherlands last time out.

Miller knows Babar and Rizwan – who has scored 2,214 T20I runs since the start of 2021, the most of any batter – are still world class, but believes South Africa's in-form bowling attack are a match for any team.

He told reporters: "This game is all about confidence, and yeah, they haven't probably performed the way they've wanted to, but they're world-class players, and we're expecting them to come out and bring their A-game and be up for the challenge.

"It's by all means not just going in there and expecting to get them out first ball or early up. We've got to work really hard for every wicket, and hopefully we can get them early and the Pakistan middle order under pressure a little bit earlier than later."

South Africa pacemen Wayne Parnell (3-15) and Lungi Ngidi (4-29) limited India to 113-9 on Sunday, though the Proteas still relied on a solid partnership between Miller (59 not out) and Aiden Markram (52) to get over the line in Perth.

Miller is the most capped T20I player in South Africa's squad, and knows his experience is of huge benefit in the biggest moments.

"Experience is a really valuable thing," he said. "In the previous game, we were in a little bit of trouble, there was a lot of pressure to win the game and it's just about slowing the process down and understanding what is required right now. 

"In the past we maybe could have got a little hasty. It's just trying to weather the storm."

Pakistan have lost 11 T20Is in 2022, and one more defeat would see them equal their worst-ever tally in the format in a single year (12 in 2010).

South Africa on the other hand are aiming to bring up a 10th T20I win of the year, though they have lost their last two meetings with Pakistan in the format.

David Miller's stunning century proved to be in vain as India earned a 16-run victory over South Africa to take an unassailable 2-0 lead in their T20I series.

India cruised to an eight-wicket win in the low-scoring opener on Wednesday, but the runs flowed in Guwahati on Sunday as Suryakumar Yadav (61) and KL Rahul (57) helped the hosts post an imposing 237-3.

Suryakumar and Rahul both hit half-centuries in the first match, and they were at it again as South Africa's bowling attack failed to get control of the match, with only Keshav Maharaj (2-23) picking up wickets as the likes of Kagiso Rabada and Lungi Ngidi struggled.

India's score was their fourth-highest in T20Is, aided by important innings from captain Rohit Sharma (43) and Virat Kohli's unbeaten 49. Yadav's runs, meanwhile, came from just 22 balls, five of which he despatched for six.

South Africa's chase started woefully, as captain Temba Bavuma and Rilee Rossouw were both dismissed for nought by Arshdeep Singh in the second over.

Quinton de Kock and Miller fought to keep South Africa in the game, as former captain De Kock made a snappy 69 not out while Miller hit 106no from 47 balls.

Despite those efforts, the Proteas never truly threatened to chase the challenging total as they lost the series with a game left to play, finishing on 221-3. The third match takes place on Tuesday in Indore.

Record-setting Suryakumar

Suryakumar became the fastest player to reach 1,000 T20I runs in terms of balls faced, as he hit five fours and as many maximums to post his second half-century in a row.

He reached 1,000 T20I runs in 573 balls, 31 fewer than the previous record-holder Glenn Maxwell required, and helped India to set a huge target as the Proteas bowlers were carted to all parts.

Rabada struggles to make a dent

A key member of South Africa's pace attack, Rabada failed to make a significant impact as he finished with figures of 0-57 in his four overs.

The most expensive of the visitors' bowlers, Rabada was hit for 10 boundaries as India stormed to a total out of South Africa's reach.

The Jamaica Tallawahs consolidated second place in the league table with a six-run (DLS) victory over Barbados Royals, inflicting their first loss of the 2022 Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL) season on Thursday.

The Jamaica Tallawahs won the toss and chose to field first, Imad Wasim getting them off to a spectacular start by bowling two maiden overs and taking three wickets in the powerplay to leave the Royals reeling at 17-3 after six overs.

It was South African internationals Quinton De Kock and David Miller who rebuilt the innings for the Royals with an 83-run partnership that took them to 146-6 at the end of their innings. 

Brandon King and Amir Jangoo got off to a flying start in the chase, scoring 50 runs by the fifth over to put the Tallawahs in a commanding position. Jason Holder would take three wickets as the Royals fought back, but it was not enough as the Royals reached 126-5 and won by five wickets (DLS), six runs ahead of the par score.   

Jamaica Tallawahs shocked the Royals early on in the innings with Wasim striking three times within the powerplay, removing Rahkeem Cornwall, Kyle Mayers and Corbin Bosch with his bamboozling deliveries. But it was de Kock, once again batting lower down the order at four, who led the way with a sublime 74 off just 43 balls, with support from David Miller as the Royals ended up finishing on 146/6.  

 Tallawahs had a dream start to their chase with King and Jangoo finding the boundary consistently in the PowerPlay. However, Obed McCoy would strike with two wickets, before Holder set up a tense finish by taking three wickets. In the end, a six from Rovman Powell just before the rain fell would prove critical, as it meant the Tallwahs finished ahead by six runs on DLS and picked up the win. 

Scores: Jamaica Tallawahs 126-5 (King 46, Jangoo 29; Holder 3-33, McCoy 2/19) beat  Barbados Royals 146-6 (de Kock 74, Miller 34; Wasim 3-14, Allen 1-14) by six runs (DLS)

The Barbados Royals secured their third successive victory of the 2022 Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL) season with a resounding win over Trinbago Knight Riders by 80 runs (DLS).

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). 

The Barbados Royals made it two wins from two with a comfortable DLS victory against Saint Lucia Kings in game six of the Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL) on Sunday.

The Kings won the toss and opted to field first hoping to take advantage of the effects of the inclement weather. However, that decision backfired somewhat as Kyle Mayers and Rahkeem Cornwall once again got off to a flyer in the PowerPlay.

The Kings managed to slow the innings down in the middle and back end with wickets at regular intervals but that did not stop the Royals from posting a very challenging 162-7.

In reply, the Kings chase was almost over before it began with Mayers removing the top order with a two-over spell of four wickets for four runs.

Rain threatened to end the match with a no result but DLS reset the total to 103 to win from 9 overs. Faf Du Plessis and Alzarri Joseph took the game down to the last over but ultimately fell short with the asking rate proving too much.

The tone for the Royals' victory was set with the power of their opening partnership. They raced to 49 runs before Cornwall was dismissed for 32 off 17 balls.

When Mayers departed for 36 with the scorecard reading 76-2 the Royals looked set for a huge total, however, between the 13th and 17th over no boundaries were scored and regular wickets fell to seemingly hand the Kings the advantage.

However late order hitting from David Miller and Joshua Bishop ensured a competitive total was set all the same.

Kyle Mayers was yet to bowl in this year's Hero (CPL) but when he was handed the ball at the beginning of the Kings innings, he produced a devastating two-over spell that ended the game as a contest.

His clever in-dippers cleaned up Johnson Charles and Roston Chase’s middle stump before also dismissing Mark Deyal and Roshon Primus to leave the Kings tottering at 10/4.

The rain came to offer some respite but when the players returned the Kings needed a highly improbable 93 runs from 30 balls.

Some enterprising hitting from Alzarri Joseph and Faf Du Plessis nearly pulled off an unlikely heist, but the equation proved too steep to overcome.

(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))

The Barbados Royals have announced their overseas signings for the 2022 Hero Caribbean Premier League which gets underway on August 31.

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.