Brandon King hits CPL record score as Guyana beat Barbados to reach final
Guyana to play their fifth CPL final in seven, but they've yet to win
Monday 7 October 2019 18:22, UK
Brandon King smashed a CPL record score of 132 not out off 72 balls as Guyana Amazon Warriors beat Barbados Tridents by 30 runs to reach a fifth final in seven years.
Opener King - who had scored just one previous T20 fifty - fired 10 fours and 11 massive sixes in his glorious knock, Guyana amassing 218-3 from their 20 overs after winning the toss and batting first.
Former England opener Alex Hales got the Barbados reply off to a blistering start, with 36 from 19 balls, clearing the rope three times to go with two boundaries.
But Hales's enterprising innings was ultimately cut short in the seventh over, bowled by an Imran Tahir (2-13) googly when attempting to slog sweep, and the Tridents lost regular wickets thereafter.
Jonathan Carter and captain Jason Holder, respectively, tonked 49 from 26 balls and 29 from 15 late on, but by then the damage was already done, Guyana clinching a place in Saturday's final, while the Tridents have a shot at a rematch in Thursday's second qualifier.
Guyana are looking to win the tournament for the very first time, and also to become the first CPL team to go undefeated, having completed the group stage with a 100 per cent record - 10 wins from 10.
Barbados will meet Trinbago Knight Riders in that second CPL qualifier after they beat St Kitts and Nevis Patriots by six wickets in the eliminator match-up between the two sides.
Three-time winners and defending champs Trinbago relied on their big-name players to dispose of the Patriots, as Sunil Narine first took 2-10 from his four overs to restrict St Kitts and Nevis to 125-7, with Kieron Pollard blasting an unbeaten 29 from nine balls to get the job done.
Sussex's Laurie Evans was a lone bright spark for the Patriots, hitting 55 off 47 balls, but his county team-mate Chris Jordan took 3-30 to go with two apiece for Narine and Ali Khan (2-22) as the Knight Riders strangled St Kitts.
Lendl Simmonds cracked 51 from 47 to get Trinbago on their way, despite the losses of Narine (8), Colin Munro (0) and Darren Bravo (1).
Denesh Ramdin (32no off 38) played a responsible knock but, when Simmonds fell in the 16th over, the Knight Riders suddenly looked in trouble, still requiring 45 from the final four overs.
In stepped Pollard, with the skipper finding the boundary with four of his nine deliveries faced - three of those clearing the ropes - before his final four clinched victory with eight balls to spare.
Watch the second CPL qualifier between Trinbago Knight Riders and Barbados Tridents on Friday, from midnight, live on Sky Sports Cricket. Guyana Amazon Warriors will then play the winner in Saturday's final, live from 9.30pm.
