Touted as one of the biggest parties in sports, the CPL (Caribbean Premier League) came to a close last Sunday at the Brian Lara Stadium in Trinidad with the defending champs, Trinbago Knight Riders, once again completely dominating Guyana’s Amazon Warriors to retain their CPL title. The Knight Riders have had 3 titles in 4 years, and show no signs of slowing down. However, we must take time out to shed a tear for the Amazon Warriors, for this was their fourth appearance in a final in only 6 years. Lady luck was truly not on their side.
The CPL over the years has reintroduced the love of cricket to many of us West Indians. After years and years of disappointment coming from our namesake team on the international stage, there was a big need to get the love back into our regional game. CPL saw the void, took up the mantle, added fireworks and music, and ran with it. The experience of the carnival atmosphere along with the biggest names in T20 cricket being on display was always going to be a big draw for our Caribbean crowds, and it has certainly rang true over the years. The Knight Riders have been the dominant force in the franchise from inception; even in the years where they did not win the title, they still performed well, often getting to the semifinal stages. Initially, they had a fierce rivalry with the Barbados Tridents, however more often than not, the Riders would emerge victorious. Other teams like the St. Lucia Stars and St. Kitts and Nevis Patriots have had beautifully exciting matches among themselves over the years, with huge boundary clearing shots, and acrobatic efforts in the field.

During the final this time around skipper of Riders, DJ Bravo had won the toss and decide to bowl first, which proved a problem for the Warriors who never really got a good footing in their innings. Scoring 147/9 off their 20 overs, Bravo’s team with the help of a great start from Brendon McCullum and Colin Munro, chased down the total with 2 overs to spare.
During the post-match presentation, captain Bravo had this to say about his team’s efforts and the supporters who following them throughout the series.
“To my team, this victory is for Trinidad and Tobago. In a tournament like this, you can lose close games but we had the best team and we deserved to win…I am happy with the way our team played throughout the tournament. I think the first ball of the day by Ali Khan set the tone for us. Ronchi got them off to a great start but Pierre showed his courage to come back. Colin Munro put an icing on the cake along with Brendon McCullum. They rely heavily on Tahir and Green while opening with the ball. I knew we have the best finishers in the tournament and to win the final by eight wickets, I am really happy for that.”
Compared to last year, the tournament saw a distinctive improvement in the runs scored and the big hitting for which has been missing in previous incarnations. In the 2017 edition, out of 34 matches played, there were only 2 times teams scored over the 200 run mark, while 448 sixes were on display. In stark contrast, this year the 200 run mark was passed 9 times, while a whopping 530 sixes were delivered. This included the highest total in the history of CPL, scored by St. Lucia Stars against Barbados Tridents. Colin Munro from the league champions, Knight Riders, had 13 matches played in which he made over 50 runs six times.
Another CPL has come and gone, and as always it has left its fans with a greater appreciation of the talent we currently have in the Caribbean. Cricket has always been a source of much spirited talk amongst us West Indians, and with the Knight Riders once again beating the competition comprehensively, it will be interesting to see how the teams are shaken up next year to deal with the champions. I fully expect the 2019 season to be another installment filled with passion and fire from the players; spurred on by the roars from the fans.

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