Maroc - NEWSDAY.CO.TT - A la Une - 06/Sep 09:08

TKR aim to rebound against Amazon Warriors

Trinbago Knight Riders (TKR) resume their quest for an unprecedented fifth Republic Bank Caribbean Premier League T20 crown in rival territory at Providence Stadium in Guyana on September 6, against hosts Guyana Amazon Warriors from 7 pm. Despite thumping the Warriors by six wickets in their opening fixture at home, at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy in Tarouba on August 30, TKR are coming off a downplayed seven-wicket loss to defending champions St Lucia Kings, and must rebound swiftly if they are to churn out a positive result against the fourth placed but intent, Guyana franchise. TKR are already into the playoffs, in second place on the six-team standings, but after winning four and losing the final home fixture on September 3, the Warriors will be on the hunt to slay the knights in their backyard. The Warriors will be confident in front their home crowd after recording a stern four-wicket, away victory over cellar-placed Barbados Royals at Kensington Oval on September 4. This result snapped their two-match losing streak. However, an undeterred TKR unit have shown resilience throughout the competition thus far, and have the depth to silence an intimidating Guyana crowd. TKR slipped into second place after the Kings’ loss, with the latter rising to pole position. Franchise skipper Nicholas Pooran said TKR is focused on entering the playoff round in first or second position to ensure they have the best chance of securing a spot in the title match. Both Kings and TKR are tied on 12 points each despite TKR notching six wins and two losses from their eight fixtures. Kings, though, have also played eight, winning five, losing one and two no results. Kings hold a superior net run rate (NRR) of +1.3 while TKR are +0.135. Warriors’ victory over Royals kept them in fourth spot on six points with a NRR of +0.713 while Antigua and Barbuda Falcons are third, on seven points with a NRR of -1.075. St Kitts and Nevis Patriots – four points and a NRR of -0.81 – and Royals – one point and a NRR of -0547 – round off the table. The standings would have changed after the match between Royals and Falcons which ended after press time on September 5. After the TKR versus Warriors clash, the TT franchise have one more match – versus Royals at Kensington Oval on September 12 – before the playoffs bowl off on September 16. Only the top four teams after the preliminary round advance to the playoffs and can vie for the 2025 crown. Both TKR and Warriors have a wealth of talent and experience within their squads. Victory for the visitors will cement them further between the top two spots while a win for the hosts could see them surpass Falcons into third place. Additionally, TKR would not only be aiming for a win to remain in hot contention for top-spot, but to also celebrate their new head coach Dwayne Bravo’s appointment as sports ambassador to TT, which was announced by Minister of Sport and Youth Affairs Phillip Watts, on September 4. The post TKR aim to rebound against Amazon Warriors appeared first on Trinidad and Tobago Newsday.