Pretorius' Late Blitz Outshines Pollard's Record Knock as Amazon Warriors Clinch Last-Over Thriller

Pretorius' Late Blitz Outshines Pollard's Record Knock as Amazon Warriors Clinch Last-Over Thriller

In a dramatic clash at Providence, Dwaine Pretorius held his nerve under pressure to guide Guyana Amazon Warriors to a thrilling three-wicket victory over Trinbago Knight Riders in the 2025 Caribbean Premier League. His late-innings heroics trumped a sensational knock by Kieron Pollard, who had earlier smashed the fastest half-century of this CPL season.

Chasing 168 for victory, the Amazon Warriors appeared to be in trouble after losing set batters Shai Hope (53) and Shimron Hetmyer (49) by the 16th over. With 38 required off 18 balls, the equation looked steep — until Pretorius, building on his fine form from a 53* against Barbados Royals two days ago, turned the game on its head.

Facing Andre Russell in the 18th over, Pretorius unleashed consecutive sixes to reduce the equation from 19 off 12 to a manageable 12 off the final over. He then hammered Kieron Pollard over wide long-on for another maximum, easing the tension in the Amazon Warriors dugout. They completed the chase with a ball to spare, keeping their playoff hopes alive and lifting themselves to fourth on the points table, just a point behind Antigua and Barbuda Falcons — with three games in hand.

Earlier, Pollard had almost single-handedly carried Trinbago Knight Riders to a competitive total. Coming in with the score at 100 for 4 in the 16th over, the veteran allrounder launched an explosive assault. He reached his half-century off just 17 balls — the fastest of the season — finishing unbeaten on 54 off 18 balls, with four sixes and five fours.

Pollard’s carnage included two consecutive sixes off Romario Shepherd and a 103-metre monster hit off Imran Tahir. He also capitalized on the final over, taking 21 runs off Shepherd with a sequence of 6, 6, 4, 4 to push the Knight Riders to 167 for 5.

Despite that, TKR’s innings started sluggishly after being put in to bat. They were 40 for 3 at the end of the powerplay, with Alex Hales and Nicholas Pooran falling early to Romario Shepherd and Moeen Ali respectively. Bravo attempted to revive the innings with 33 off 35 but holed out just when acceleration was needed.

In response, the Amazon Warriors also had a shaky start. Akeal Hosein struck early, removing Moeen Ali and Keemo Paul in quick succession. But Hope and Hetmyer counterattacked impressively, with the latter smashing three sixes in an over off Usman Tariq. At 66 for 2 after six overs, the Warriors looked in control, but Sunil Narine (2 for 12) applied the brakes again, removing both set batters.

Just when the match seemed to be slipping away, Pretorius stepped up, showing composure and clarity against yorkers and slower balls, ensuring the hosts snatched a vital win in the closing moments.

With this victory, Guyana Amazon Warriors not only kept their playoff aspirations alive but also dented TKR’s momentum, despite the latter already having secured a place in the final four.

Key Performers:

  • Dwaine Pretorius (Guyana Amazon Warriors): 26* (match-winning cameo) & 1-36

  • Kieron Pollard (Trinbago Knight Riders): 54* off 18 balls (Fastest 50 of CPL 2025)

  • Shai Hope (Guyana Amazon Warriors): 53

  • Sunil Narine (Trinbago Knight Riders): 2-12 in 4 overs

  • Moeen Ali (Guyana Amazon Warriors): 1-11 in 4 overs

The Amazon Warriors will now look to carry this momentum into their remaining three fixtures, with playoff qualification well within reach.