Hetmyer blitz spoils TKR’s Independence Day party

Shimron Hetmyer turned a rain-shortened Caribbean Premier League match into a personal showcase, smashing 111 not out from 43 balls as Guyana Amazon Warriors defeated Trinbago Knight Riders by nine runs on Trinidad and Tobago’s Independence Day.

Hetmyer reached his century from 40 deliveries, equalling the fastest hundred in CPL history. His innings included eight fours and nine sixes, while Romario Shepherd added 27 not out from seven balls. The pair combined for 85 runs in the final four overs, lifting Guyana to 185 for five from 16 overs after the interruption.

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Yeah, it's tough to lose. You know how T20 cricket goes. We've been struggling this year to put a perfect game together and get on the right side of the results, but that's just T20 cricket.

The Warriors had initially struggled against TKR’s spin attack. Akeal Hosein and Sunil Narine dismissed Glenn Phillips and Shai Hope before rain stopped play with Guyana on 22 for two. After the restart, Hetmyer changed the match with an aggressive assault in his 100th CPL appearance.

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It’s been very challenging for us. We’ve tried a lot of different bowlers. Obviously, Lahiru flew in yesterday from Sri Lanka and played today, which is a great effort. But we’ve struggled big time when it comes to the fast-bowling department, and we’ve paid some expensive prices there.

TKR faced a revised target of 182 and finished on 172 for seven. Alex Hales struck 55 from 24 balls, while captain Nicholas Pooran made 43 from 16, including four sixes. Pooran said the team had struggled to produce a complete performance this season and identified pace bowling as a major weakness.

“It’s been very challenging for us,” Pooran said. “We’ve struggled big time when it comes to the fast-bowling department, and we’ve paid some expensive prices there.”

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Honestly, there wasn't really much discussion inside, to be fair. We knew the uphill task we had, coming here and beating TKR in Trinidad.

Hetmyer said the Warriors kept their approach simple during the rain delay: “If the ball is in your area, put it away; if not, try as much as possible to rotate the strike.” He also credited advice from people close to him during a difficult period away from the game, saying he was trying to stay at the crease long enough to attack in the closing overs.

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The plan was for us to just go back out with a positive mindset: if the ball is in your area, put it away; if not, try as much as possible to rotate the strike.