New Delhi, September 09, 2020: Trinbago Knight Riders and St. Lucia Zouks registered dominant wins in their respective semifinals to qualify for the Hero Caribbean Premier League final here.
The Knight Riders are now in a position to complete the first perfect season in CPL history, as they have won all 10 league matches plus the semi-final.
The Trinbago Knight Riders restricted Jamaica Tallawahs to 107 for seven and then chased down the target with nine wickets and five overs to spare to give them a chance to win a fourth CPL title.
In the other semi-final, St. Lucia Zouks were even more ruthless as they bowled out Guyana Amazon Warriors for 55 in 13.4 overs for the lowest total in the tournament and got to the target in 4.3 overs without losing a wicket.
While Trinbago Knight Riders has an ownership same as Kolkata Knight Riders in the Indian Premier League, the Zouks are owned by the same promoters as Kings XI Punjab.
Sent in to bat, the Tallawahs struggled as each of the first three overs yielded a wicket.
Akeal Hosein accounted for Jermaine Blackwood and Mujeeb Ur Rehman, while Khary Pierre sent back Glen Phillips as Tallawahs were reeling at 10 for three in 2.4 overs.
The misery continued with the dismissal of Asif Ali off Hosein, who finished his four overs for three wickets and conceded just 14 runs and also bowled a maiden. He was adjudged Player of match.
The Powerplay period ended with Tallawahs at 28 for four and it included a Pierre over with five wides.
Nkrumah Bonner resisted alone, but it was never going to be enough. Bonner was finally bowled by Fawad Ahmed for 41 off 42 balls with five fours and Tallawahs were 63 for five in 11.4 overs according to the reports published in indianexpress.com.
Thereafter Rovman Powell (33 in 35) and Carlos Braithwaite (13) did their best as the Tallawahs crossed the 100-mark.
Chasing the modest target, Knight Riders lost Sunil Narine for four in the second over, but Lendl Simmons (54 in 44 balls) and Tion Webster (44 in 33 balls) made it feel like a breeze as they cantered home in 15 overs with an unbeaten 97-run stand.
In the other semifinal, the Zouks skittled out the Warriors for the second lowest team total in CPL history and then blazed to victory in just 27 balls to complete one of the most one-sided wins in T20 history.
