King hit royal unbeaten 132 as Warriors qualify for 5th final

Oct 07, 2019 Sports

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By Sean Devers
In a fantastic atmosphere with Warriors flags being waved joyously and a raucous capacity crowd dancing in the stands, Warriors romped to a 31-run win against Tridents at Providence to advance to their fifth CPL final.
A majestic unbeaten 132 from 72 balls with 10 fours and 11 sixes from 24 year-old Jamaican Brandon King, 32 from Skipper Shoib Malik from 19 balls with three sixes and 27 from 23 balls with two fours and a six powered Warriors to 218-3.
It equals the Warriors highest total this season and is the highest total in a Playoff game in the seven-year history of CPL while King’s innings overtook Andre Russell’s 121. Leading wicket-taker leggie, Hayden Walsh Jr. had 2-41 for his 19th wicket for the Tridents who were restricted to188-8 despite 49 from Jonathon Carter from 26 balls with five fours and three sixes, 36 from Alex Hales from 19 balls with three fours and three sixes and a 15-ball 29 from Skipper Jason Holder who hit three sixes before fell off the last ball of the match.
Romario Shepherd had 3-50 from four overs, 40-year-old leg-spinner Imran Tahir took 2-13 from four and Odean Smith captured 2-25 from two overs. Needing 219 to book a place in the final, Johnson Charles (15) and Hales took Tridents to 32 in 4.2 overs before Tahir removed them both and when Malik dismissed the dangerous Shakib Al Hassan (5) Tridents had slipped from 57-1 to 59-3 in 7.5 overs.

After 10 overs, Tridents were 78-3, needing 141 from 60 balls but JP Duminy (12) was bowled by pacer Odean Smith at 92-4. Shai Hope drove Smith for four after hitting Chris Green and Malik for sixes while Jonathon Carter upper cut Smith for four to post the 100 in 12 overs.
Hope was dismissed by Romario Shepherd for 21 at 104-5 to bring Jason Holder to the crease and along with Carter took the score to 151-6 before Carter was taken on the mid-wicket boundary off Shepherd.
Raymon Reifer was bowled for a duck by Smith without addition to the score before Holder took consecutive sixes off the lively Smith to keep Bajan hopes alive but in the end it was too little too late.
Earlier, with the Hero CPL record of 10 consecutive wins in a single season under their belt, Warriors opted to bat on a slow track and Hemraj dabbed left-arm spinner Shakib for four to third man.
King nonchalantly deposited Holder for four consecutive boundaries; the first going for six. In the fourth over, King played an imperious off drive which galloped along the lush green and lightning fast outfield for four.
Holder came back into the fray and Hemraj greeted him with a glorious one-bounce four over extra cover, then followed it up with a disdainful six over long-on as the openers played with positive intent.
Their fifth 50 stand was posted from 6.1 overs before King launched into Walsh Jr. and smashed him to the extra cover boundary like a scud missile. King was not yet done and clobbered JP Duminy for a monstrous six; the colourful crowd roaring happily as the Tassa drummers and the Sound System provided plenty of entertainment beyond the boundary in the biggest party in sports.
Hemraj skied Walsh ‘miles’ into the sunny sky for the bowler to run back almost 30 yards to hold a stupendous catch diving full length with the score on 73 and Hemraj on 27. King reached his fifth T20 fifty with his sixth four. He also hit two sixes from 36 balls.
Shimron Hetmyer (3) who seemed addicted to hitting the ball in the air early in his innings, played an impetuous pull and was taken at deep mid-wicket as Holder struck at 83-2 in 10.5 overs.
Malik, who has played the most T20s in the world (355) joined the inform King and caressed Holder into the VIP stand. King used his feet to Walsh and lifted him into the Media and the runs flowed fast and furious before King flayed Harry Gurney over cover and smashed him back past his ankles for four.
The 150 was posted in 16.1 overs while Gurney was clobbered by King for six to move into the 90s and it was carnage at Providence. King hit Reifer for six to reach the second century for the season following Chris Gayle’s 116. His ton came from 60 balls with nine fours and seven sixes. The six was caught one handed by a spectator.
King playing a royal innings, lofted Reifer for second six in the over and repeated the dose in the next over off Walsh who bowled Malik at 180-3 in 18.4 overs. But Nicolas Pooran going with consecutive sixes as 19 came from the over before King hammered Gurney for six and smashed for four.
The team now travels to Trinidad where Tridents and TKR will face-off on Thursday in the second qualifier. The winner of that match will face the Warriors in their fifth final on Saturday in the 2019 CPL final.

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