Barbados Royals opened their 2025 Republic Bank Caribbean Premier League (CPL) home leg with a four-wicket win defeat to Guyana Amazon Warriors last night at Kensington Oval.
Having lost the toss, the hosts posted 165-5 from their 20 overs thanks to a middle-order rescue act helmed by captain Rovman Powell who scored a commanding half-century that included six sixes. He was ably assisted by new signing Rassie van der Dussen’s 45 and opener Brandon King’s 39.
In reply, the Warriors narrowly secured victory at the death, reaching 170-6 with two balls to spare. Homegrown star Shai Hope shone for the visitors, anchoring the chase with an unbeaten 62 off 49 deliveries which included five fours and one six. Eathan Bosch and Ramon Simmonds were exceptional in the power play, limiting the Warriors to 30-4. They would finish with figures of 3-35 and 2-27 respectively, but once they came off, so did the wheels for the hosts. Player of the Match Dwaine Pretorious took a liking to spinners Jomel Warrican and Chris Green, hitting two sixes off each and two fours off Warrican as he romped to 53 off 34 balls. That swashbuckling innings swung the momentum away from the hosts, and after two rain delays, it never returned. With midnight looming, Quentin Sampson, who compiled a tidy unbeaten innings of 33 runs, put Royals fans out of their misery with a lofty blow off Green’s bowling into the Party stand to subject the hosts to their fourth defeat in five matches.
Barbados Royals remain bottom of the table with one point while the Warriors move up to fourth place in the CPL table with six points from their five matches. They also have the bonus of three matches in hand.
