New Delhi:
Heavy rain in Trinidad had delayed the start of the match. The rain resulted in flooding across Tarouba, with heavy traffic forcing the Barbados Tridents team to arrive at the ground just 35 minutes before the match. After a delayed start, Trinbago Knight Riders won the toss but they were undone by a blitz at the end from Raymond Reifer and Ashley Nurse. Seekkuge Prasanna looked to take the game away but Barbados Tridents held their nerve to win the match by 12 runs and seal a spot in the Caribbean Premier League 2019 final where they will take on Guyana Amazon Warriors, who have been undefeated in the tournament so far.
Trinbago Knight Riders started poorly when Denesh Ramdin dropped Johnson Charles of the second ball off Javon Searles. Charles and Alex Hales stroked a few boundaries and Trinbago Knight Riders continued to be sloppy on the field, dropping Charles for the second time off Searles. Khary Pierre bowled Hales for 10 but Shakib Al Hasan showed his intent with a four and a six but was caught and bowled by Pierry for 18. Barbados Tridents were dealt a further blown when JP Duminy was injured while batting and Ali Khan dismissed Johnson Charles for 35.
Chrid Jordan took two wickets in one over and when Shai Hope hit a quick 23 off 18 balls but fell in the death overs, Barbados Tridents looked in danger of finishing at a below-par score. However, Raymond Reifer blasted two sixes off Jordan in the 19th over as the bowler conceded 23 runs. Nurse hit Ali Khan for two more sixes in the final over as Barbados Tridents managed 42 runs in the final two overs.
The carnage in the last two overs meant Barbados Tridents had the momentum. Sunil Narine, though, has other ideas as he smashed four boundaries in the first over bowled by Shakib Al Hasan. However, Jason Holder had Lendl Simmons while Harry Gurney got rid of Narine as Trinbago Knight Riders struggled. Colin Munro and Ramdin looked to steady the ship but Hayden Walsh got rid of Munro just as a partnership was developing.
Walsh missed a crucial run-out of Ramdin but Nurse for the big wicket of Darren Bravo but they still had big-hitters in Pollard and Prasanna. The Trinbago Knight Riders skipper blasted two consecutive sixes off Walsh but Nurse got the big wicket of Ramdin as the chase floundered. Prasanna got going ith a six off Shakib and two fours off Reifer as Trinbago Knight Riders needed 51 off the last five overs.
Prasanna smashed two fours off Holder but the run-out of Pollard changed the equation totally. Prasanna kept the Trinbago Knight Riders in the hunt with a six off Gurney and two more sixes off Walsh as Trinbago Knight Riders needed 20 off 12 balls. Jordan smashed a four but when he fell to Gurney, Trinbago Knight Riders needed 14 off the last over but Prasanna was on strike. However, when Reifer got the wicket of Prasanna for 51, the game was done and Barbados Tridents entered the final.
However, their task will be cut out as they face a Guyana Amazon Warriors side who are undefeated and are on top of their game. However, Guyana Amazon Warriors have never won the final and they will be determined to break their jinx.
