Old Knights, new glory: TKR clinch fifth CPL title in style

Trinbago Knight Riders ended a five-year wait in style, clinching a historic fifth Caribbean Premier League crown at the Providence Stadium in a tense, low-scoring final. They edged past home favourites Guyana Amazon Warriors by three wickets with 12 balls to spare, their triumph built on guile with the ball and nerve with the bat. On another turning surface that demanded craft, Kieron Pollard and Sunil Narine provided the cameos that tilted the chase of 131 their way.

Fielding the oldest XI ever seen in a CPL final - average age 34 years and 117 days - TKR leaned on experience. Pollard, Narine, Nicholas Pooran, Andre Russell, and the unseen hand of coach Dwayne Bravo carried the wisdom of years, and for the first time the franchise won a title away from their base of Trinidad and Tobago. In front of a partisan Guyanese crowd, it was the visitors who arrived with the sharper plans.

Russell set the tone from ball one. With a leg-gully in place for the in-form Quentin Sampson, he unleashed a bouncer that hurried the opener into a two-ball duck. Ben McDermott briefly lifted the Warriors with a flurry, two fours and a six off Akeal Hosein, another six off Saurabh Netravalkar, but the USA seamer switched to around the stumps and used the angle to trap him at deep square. By the end of the PowerPlay, Guyana were 41 for 2, McDermott's 28 off 17 their brightest spark.

The rebuild never materialised. Hosein conjured a beauty to bowl Shai Hope, drift in, sharp spin away, off-stump pegged back. Hope, prolific all season, scratched around for a 19-ball 12. Spin then tightened the screws: Narine bowled a maiden, Usman Tariq and Hosein chipped in, and at the halfway stage, the Warriors had crawled to 57 for 3. Soon they were 65 for 5.

Iftikhar Ahmed and Dwaine Pretorius stemmed the collapse with a stand that lent respectability. Pretorius countered Narine with two sixes before falling for 25 off 18; Iftikhar top-scored with 30 off 27. But Netravalkar closed out brilliantly, dismissing both to finish with 3 for 25. Warriors ended at 130 for 8, a total both vulnerable and defendable on this pitch.

TKR's chase roared early when Romario Shepherd sprayed five wides in a 22-run over. By three overs they had 34, but Pretorius removed Colin Munro and the innings lost shape. At the PowerPlay, TKR were only four runs ahead of Warriors, and worse, Pooran had scratched out nine balls for one run before falling.

Spin again shaped the game. Imran Tahir and Moeen Ali applied the brakes, Tahir also removing Darren Bravo. Then came a gamble. TKR promoted Narine as a spin-hitter despite a lean season. It clicked. He launched Gudakesh Motie for two sixes, breaking the squeeze before Shamar Joseph halted him in the 12th over.

Pollard then seized command in his six-swinging ways. Three towering sixes off Tahir's leg-spin brought the equation tumbling down, and at 22 needed off six overs, with dew easing conditions, the title looked a procession. Yet Providence demanded drama. Tahir struck twice in two balls to dismiss Pollard and Russell. Joseph followed with a sharp caught-and-bowled to remove Alex Hales. Suddenly, tension crackled.

But TKR still had the matchup in their pocket. Hosein, calm amid the storm, took on Motie, swiping a six and a four to seal victory and trigger wild celebrations. The oldest XI, the fifth star, the drought broken at last.

Brief scores:Guyana Amazon Warriors 130/8 in 20 overs (Iftikhar Ahmed 30; Saurabh Netravalkar 3-25, Akeal Hosein 2-26) lost to Trinbago Knight Riders 133/8 in 18 overs (Kieron Pollard 21; Imran Tahir 3-34, Shamar Joseph 2-9) by 3 wickets