–decimates TKR at Providence in front of a capacity crowd
IT was indeed the biggest party in sports as a sold-out crowd danced to a variety of music and lustily waved Guyana and Warriors flags all night as Guyana Warriors crushed Trinbago Knight Riders by nine wickets at Providence last night to finally be the Bride, after attending five finals as bridesmaids.
A fantastic and colourful cultural spectacle during the innings break was a wonderful showpiece of Guyana, and when the dust was settled, everyone, especially this country, had won, except four-time champions, TKR.
The satisfied fans, who partied well into Monday morning, left Providence with smiles as broad as the Essequibo River, which is 29 miles at its widest point,
despite Kacey Carty’s 38 from 45 balls with two fours and six, TKR’s 94 all-out in 18.1 overs was their lowest-ever total at Providence, and second lowest in the 11-year history of the CPL.

Man-of-the-Match Dwaine Pretorius bagged 4-26 to take his tally to 20, the leading wicket-taker in the tournament, while Skipper Imran Tahir, who led from the front, had 2-8 and 18 wickets.
Gudakesh Motie continues to show that he is arguably the best left-arm spinner in the West Indies, with 2-7 from his four overs.
The Warriors took the head-to-head tally to 11-all by reaching 99-1 from 14 overs, with Saim Ayub unbeaten on 52 from 41 balls, with two fours and five sixes.

Shai Hope was left not-out on a run-a-ball 32 with two fours, and featured in an unbroken 84-run second-wicket partnership with Ayub.
Hope hit Ali Khan for six before Ayub deposited him for six, before pulling him for four, and finished the contest with a six over Khan’s head, to post his fifth 50, and spark wild celebrations among the Warriors and their fans.

The Warriors invited TKR to bat on a good pitch and lightning-fast outfield, and Chadwick Walton got going with a glorious cover-driven boundary off Pretorius, before the left-handed Mark Deyal cut Shepard for six.
Deyal lofted Pretorius back over for six, and cut him for four before his stumps were sent for a walk, as Deyal was sent packing for 16 with two fours and a six at 24-1.

When Walton (10) got a ball that kept low and LBW to Shepherd five runs later, the noise in the stadium from the capacity crowd, which included President Dr. Irfaan Ali and Soca icon Machel Montano, reached a crescendo.
Carty stroked Pretorius, Paul, clearly not fully recovered, trotted after the ball, and the batter got three.
Pretorius got one to bounce, but wicket-keeper Azam Khan dropped dangerous Nicholas Pooran on one, but that did not matter, since he was taken at mid-off the next ball, as Pretorius struck 35-3.

After the six power-play overs, TKR were 41-3, but Motie removed Skipper Kieron Pollard for a duck, and Hosein (1).
With the dismantling of the TKR top-order, and Ronsford Beaton cranking up some serious pace, the Warriors fans, many of whom came from the diaspora, were dancing in the stands to the pulsating rhythm of the Tassa and Congo drums, while the fair-size ‘Trini’ contingent was rendered silent.

When the big-hitting Andrew Russell (3) was removed by the evergreen 44-year-old Tahir at 49-6, his energetic celebrations were a favourite with his fans.
Carty and Dwayne Bravo joined forces, and tried to give their team some respectability, but with the stand on 30, Tahir, who befuddled the batters with his googles, trapped Bravo (8) at 81-7.
Pretorius got rid of Narine (1), and Ali Khan (1) in the space of four runs to leave TKR on 86-9.

Carty, who played a lone hand, cover-drove Shepherd for four, but with the score on 94 in 18.1 overs, was well caught by Shimron Hetymer, as Beaton finished off the TKR innings.
When the Warriors began what would be a historic run-chase, Paul, used as the seventh opener for Saim Ayub, got going with a boundary, but was soon removed by Hosein for 11 at 15-1 in the third over.

The injured Paul’s demise brought together Ayub and Shai Hope, the only two batters with 400 runs in the tournament.
Ayub deposited Narine for six, and after 10 overs, began the chase needing 4.75 per over to win, were 51-1.
Hope and Ayub formalised the win, much to the delight of their adoring fans, who screamed “Is we year!” as the visitors who came for cricket Carnival had a rollicking time.