The Caribbean Premier League (CPL) has reached its final act, with Jamaica Kingsmen set to lock horns with Antigua and Barbuda Falcons in Sunday’s championship decider at Barbados’ iconic Kensington Oval. The path to the final for Jamaica was secured after a heart-stopping semi-final clash on Friday, where the franchise held their nerve to beat crowd-favorite Guyana Amazon Warriors by five wickets, finishing their winning run chase with just three deliveries left to spare.
Set a mammoth target of 207 runs on a pitch that has historically posed major challenges for batting sides, the Kingsmen got off to a blistering opening that put them in early control. By the end of the mandatory powerplay, the side had raced to 75 runs for the loss of just one wicket. Maaz Sadaqat, who was dismissed in the final delivery of the third over, had already turned the game on its head with a devastating knock of 41 runs off only 14 balls, laced with five fours and three towering sixes.
After Sadaqat’s departure, Keacy Carty joined opener Kirk McKenzie at the crease, and the pair built a solid 48-run second-wicket partnership that kept Jamaica on track for victory. McKenzie fell for a quickfire 34 off 20 balls in the ninth over, leaving the Kingsmen at 90 runs for two wickets, setting the stage for captain Rovman Powell to take control.
Leading the expansion franchise in its debut season after leaving long-time side Barbados Tridents, Powell delivered a captain’s innings to remember, finishing unbeaten on 40 runs off just 17 deliveries, including two boundaries and four massive sixes. He guided the Kingsmen across the finish line in the final over, with the side reaching 207 for five to seal the win. The result left the huge crowd of Amazon Warriors supporters who packed Kensington Oval deeply disappointed. South African all-rounder Dwaine Pretorius was Jamaica’s standout bowler, finishing with figures of two wickets for 47 runs.
Earlier in the match, Kingsmen skipper Powell won the toss and elected to field, putting the Amazon Warriors into bat. The Guyana side stumbled early, slipping to 20 runs for the loss of two wickets inside the first five overs, putting their match total in doubt. However, a sensational late innings from Shimron Hetmyer dragged the side to a competitive total. Hetmyer notched his third century of the 2024 CPL, smashing an unbeaten 104 off 45 deliveries, with four fours and eight sixes, bringing up his ton off the final ball of the innings. He received crucial support from Shai Hope, who contributed 40 runs off 33 balls, and Quentin Sampson, who added a quick 29 off 17 to bolster the late innings total, finishing at 206 for four after 20 overs.
Speaking after his match-winning performance, Powell spoke of his pride in his side’s comeback journey to the final, after a rocky start to their debut campaign. “It started out with us losing three games early in the competition. In the middle of the competition, we found some form and confidence and realised that we can play cricket as a bunch,” he explained. “We just wanted to squeeze into the playoffs because, you know, once you get a Jamaica team into the playoffs, they’re dangerous.”
Looking ahead to the final against Antigua and Barbuda Falcons, Powell noted that the side would take time to prepare a focused game plan. “You know, we’ll take the next 24 hours to sit down, revise some plans and see if we can come up with some good plans against their match-winning players,” he added.
For the Amazon Warriors, who have now fallen at the semi-final stage after reaching the final in three of the previous four CPL editions, skipper Imran Tahir was gracious in defeat. “Yeah, look, I think that’s what we were expecting from our batting. They took the responsibility and put a very good score for us to defend. In the end this was a really good game. Obviously, it’s a tough one to swallow, but give credit to the other team. They played better cricket than us tonight,” Tahir said.