Tridents vs Trinbago, Qualifier 2 at Tarouba, CPL, Oct 10 2019 - Match Result

12:23 a.m. Just like 2018 when an American bowler propelled his team to the CPL Final at Brian Lara Academy, it's happened again in 2019. Last year it was Ali Khan for TKR, this time around it's Hayden Walsh Jr. for Barbados Tridents, who are back in the final for the first time since 2015. Another American opened the batting on that occasion, Steven Taylor, but can Walsh Jr., Nurse, Holder and the rest of the gritty Tridents unit deny perfection by the Guyana Amazon Warriors? We'll find out starting at 5 p.m. on Saturday night! Until then, I'm Peter Della Penna signing off on behalf of Deiva Muthu and the scoring team. Take care!

Tridents captain Jason Holder: "The beauty of our performances so far in this tournament is we've held on in close games. We also lost some close games but the majority of our games we held our nerve and been able to come out on top. We've scrapped for a lot of wins. It's not ideal but I think it shows the character of the side. I think our bowlers were outstanding and I think the fielding had a lot to do with it too. The guys held our chances and we were clinical in the field. [Reifer and Nurse] played outstanding. It's not easy in these conditions. Both sides struggled with a wet ball but credit to Ashley and Raymon. They held their shape, got a few over the rope and got us to a really good total. History will show 150 is a par total here and at the halfway stage we were always backing ourselves to defend 160. We've done really well to get ourselves in this position. The difference for us in getting this far in the tournament is sticking together. We had a few team activities, team dinners and have been building a really nice family. Hopefully the guys can continue that over the next few days, rest up, recover and come back for the final on Saturday."

TKR captain Kieron Pollard: "We're not gonna use that as an excuse [in reference to the 75-minute delayed start waiting for the Tridents team bus to arrive.] At the end of the day we came out and we got a full 40 overs of cricket and the Tridents were triumphant and we wish them luck in the final. Having said that, when you look at our performance throughout the season, I think we deserved to lose this game tonight. You can't turn up in a semi-final and drop a couple catches like that, simple errors, and not execute in a big game like that. It cost us in the end. It was crucial me getting runout but going back to how our tournament has been, we don't deserve to be in the final if we're honest with ourselves. A lot of us in the dressing room have to go back and look at our own personal performances and see if we have done the team justice. It's a matter of going back to the drawing board and seeing where we need to improve as a team and not just thinking you have the best team on paper."

Ashley Nurse is deservedly named Man of the Match: "It's been what it is through the tournament. I've been more or less playing as a batsman. Whenever I get the opportunity I just try to go out and do my best for the team. Everyone has a role to play. We have a great bowling team. If the captain doesn't need my services on the night, it's up to him. I always do my work in the nets and keep my head up. When you come to bat in the 17th or 18th over, I just throw caution to the wind and fortunately it came off."

11:57 p.m. To quote the late Pat Summerall after the NY Giants beat the San Francisco 49ers 15-13 on Matt Bahr's last-second field goal in the 1990 NFC Championship Game at Candlestick Park.... "THERE WILL BE NOOOOOOO THREE-PEAT!" The Tridents complete an incredible season-sweep, beating TKR three times this season over the two-time defending champs. Hayden Walsh Jr. played a role with the ball taking two wickets and a dramatic momentum-shifting runout of Kieron Pollard, but Ashley Nurse... Ashley Nurse! For so long a passenger this season in the Tridents XI takes charge of the wheel with the season on the line and bashes a crucial lower-order cameo, helping Tridents to 42 off the last two overs, before taking two wickets in the chase to torpedo TKR's hopes of getting back to the CPL Final on home soil.

Ali Khan enters... just his third career CPL innings.

Prasanna alertly told Jordan to stay put while the ball was in the air so the hot hand will be on strike to start this final over as Pierre enters off strike. Reifer to bowl it.

Now back over the stumps.

Goes around the stumps.

Aravinth Subram: "Javon Searles - Have seen him around for a while. Has he played any noteworthy innings thus far?" This one is about to be, for better or worse.

Around the wicket for the last ball.