Shepherd the star as Amazon Warriors down Knight Riders in Super Over showdown
Needing to defend seven in the one-over shootout, Shepherd conceded only four to complete Amazon Warriors' league double over the defending champions
Needing to defend seven in the one-over shootout, Shepherd conceded only four to complete Amazon Warriors' league double over the defending champions
Scorer: Chandan Duorah | Commentator: @saurabh_42
2.20pm: Well that brings us to the end of the most action-packed game of CPL 2021 so far. We're not done for today though, there'll be Jamaica Tallawahs taking on table toppers St Kitts & Nevis Patriots in a few hours. But for now, just soak in this fantastic game. So many heroes. Udana with a valuable cameo at the end. Hafeez with crucial wickets. Then Narine turning on the magic, first in regular time then in Super Over time. Pooran, coming and middling the ball from the start after a Narine double-wicket over. Akeal Hosein. What a catch. What a nerveless show in the last over. What a wonderful talent. And Romario Shepherd. He had mis-fields and dropped catches off him but still took 3 wickets. He came in when King and Pooran had fallen off successive balls but blithely blasted the bowling for sixes. And then bowled the Super Over to defend 7. Each of them, and several others besides, were heroes. That's as good a closing thought as any, so it's goodbye from Saurabh Somani, on behalf of Sreshth and Chandan too.
Nicholas Pooran: We fought really hard as a franchise and a cricket team. We bowled extremely well today. When we batted, we kind of batted ourselves in a hole today, we didn't have enough intent in the middle overs. We came out on the right side today but it's something to think on. First thing I told Romario before the CPL started was that this is his year. The way he was batting, bowling, fielding. His ethics, his body language, he wants to win games for the teams. He proved he was a match-winner again today and I'm very happy for him. Definitely last over of Sunil, those batsmen at the end, I expect them to finish it. Polly bowled an over and I felt we didn't read the situation (should have gone after Pollard rather than Narine). We're bonding as a family off the cricket field as well. We have started our journey now, so we just want to build on this confidence wise.
Kieron Pollard: I take full responsibility for that (the Super Over defeat). It has been challenging (to score). You have seen all teams struggling but having said that, we need to play with smarts. I thought we were short, but we bowled well. After the wicket of Nicholas we should have been tighter, instead of giving freebies to Romario, but these things happen. (Hosein's catch) That was fantastic. The way he has been going throughout the tournament was fantastic. And the way he came and bowled the last over, defended 8 and took us to the last over, showed his talent.
Romario Shepherd is the Player of the Match: The coach told me before I went out to bat that I would bowl the over. I was confident. The wicket on the first ball was important, it put them on the backfoot. I'm pleased, I'm developing with the bat also. I'm going out there and finishing games for us also. Every victory for us is important. We didn't want to go three down.
2.05pm: Have you caught your breath? We're still holding ours in.
KA Pollard c Shoaib Malik b Shepherd
Kieron Pollard and Colin Munro will be the Knight Riders' batsmen for the Super Over to start.
So it's going to be Tahir to bowl the Super Over for Warriors. Two spinners bowling the Super Over, that's got to be quite rare. Oh it's not Tahir, though he was turning his arm over. It'll be Romario Shepherd.
So only 6 runs for Warriors in the Super Over and they didn't even last all six balls. Narine carried on his form from the game into the Super Over. Can Knight Riders get victory? They'll surely be favourites
SO Hetmyer c Ramdin b Narine
N Pooran c Pollard b Narine
Pooran and Hetmyer the two Warriors batsmen to come out for the Super Over. I'd have Romario Shepherd as the third man if needed. And it indeed is Sunil Narine to bowl.
2.05pm: Have you caught your breath? We're still holding ours in.
1.44pm: Trinbago Knight Riders have won the toss for the Super Over and decided to bowl first. Yep we have a toss for the Super Over too. On the edge - of seats, knives, nerves.
Our stats genius Gaurav Sundararaman has this cool trivia: If Narine bowls to Pooran it will be reverse of what happened in 2014. Same teams but pooran played for red steel and narine for Guyana
1.40pm: Whew what a finish. And the match isn't done yet. What a 40 overs this was. Knight Riders struggled to 138 for 9. Warriors were behind in the chase for a large part thanks to Narine chiefly, then Pooran came and smashed them into contention. Hosein plucked out a blinder. Then Shepherd showed his big-hitting. And then Hosein came back to keep his cool in the last over, though Naveen was not yet done. Both teams 138 for 9.
Imran Tahir run out 2 (4m 2b 0x4 0x6) SR: 100.00
Two to win. One to tie.
This is one wild roller-coaster of a matcy. Imran Tahir on strike now.
R Shepherd b Hosein 18 (15m 9b 1x4 2x6) SR: 200.00
Only 8 needed off the last over with the main bowlers bowled out. Hosein is going to bowl it. Spin in the last over. Interesting. Pollard's only other option was himself. Hosein has pulled off one miraculous event in this game. He now needs another.
Needing to defend seven in the one-over shootout, Shepherd conceded only four to complete Amazon Warriors' league double over the defending champions