Barbados Tridents won their second Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL) title as Guyana Amazon Warriors’ perfect season unravelled at the worst possible moment.

The Warriors had won all 11 matches – including three against the Tridents – before the final, but came off second best in the face of an inspired performance from the Barbados outfit.

After Jonathan Carter’s unbeaten 50 off 27 balls led a recovery from 108 for 6 in the 15th over to an imposing 171 for 6 from 20 overs, the Tridents bowled and fielded for their lives to defend the target by 27 runs, restricting the Warriors to 144 for 9 and break their hearts at the last.

Raymon Reifer led the way with remarkable figures of four for 24 from his four overs.

While the Tridents celebrate a well-deserved and comprehensive victory, the Warriors are left to reflect on a fifth Hero CPL final defeat in seven years. This will perhaps be the toughest to take of all given the flawless season that had preceded it.

Chandrapaul Hemraj, apparently struggling with a hamstring injury, could have been run out twice before he was caught at short third-man off Reifer for just a single and things got worse for the Warriors when Shimron Hetmyer holed out to long-on for just nine to give Reifer a second wicket.

Shoaib Malik then smashed a long-hop from leading 2019 Hero CPL wicket-taker Hayden Walsh Jr straight to Reifer on the midwicket boundary to leave his side in real trouble at 53 for three.

When Brandon King yorked himself and was smartly stumped by Shai Hope off Ashley Nurse for 43, the game had swung decisively the Tridents’ way.

Nicholas Pooran raced out of the blocks with two fours and a six, but Nurse and death-bowling specialist Harry Gurney strangled the life out of the Warriors’ run-chase.

Just eight runs came from three overs after the loss of King, and it felt like something simply had to give as the required rate spiraled north of 14 per over.

Guyana Amazon Warriors celebrate as Shai Hope (left) of Barbados Tridents is dismissed.

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