Rahkeem Cornwall blasts Barbados Royals into CPL final

The opener scored 91 runs off 54 balls to help his side to a convincing 87-run win over Guyana Amazon Warriors

Providence: Barbados Royals 195-5, Guyana Amazon Warriors 108 – Barbados Royals won by 87 runs

Scorecard

Rahkeem Cornwall starred with the bat as Barbados Royals advanced straight through to the 2022 CPL final with a convincing 87-run win over Guyana Amazon Warriors.

The Warriors were on a four-match winning streak heading into the qualifier fixture and had defeated the Royals by five wickets just two days earlier. However, on this occasion, they had no answer for the powerful hitting of Cornwall, and later Azam Khan.

Batting at the top of the order, Cornwall smashed a season's best 91 off 54 deliveries, including 11 sixes and two fours, and enjoyed a 90-run (51 balls) third-wicket stand with Khan before eventually falling to Shakib Al Hasan in the 17th over: Barbados Royals 153 for 3.

Khan, who had batted steadily during their partnership, then burst into life, putting on 31 runs off 12 deliveries with Jason Holder for the fifth wicket – 19 of which came from the eight deliveries he faced – to take the Royals beyond the 190-mark. He departed for 52 (35) in the final over, with his side closing on 195 for 5.

^{Azam Khan also scored a swift half-century for the Royals [CPL/Getty Images]}

Romario Shepherd, Junior Sinclair, Imran Tahir and Shakib were the wicket-takers for the Warriors but it was a rough day for the bowling attack, with 17 sixes conceded.

In reply, the home side were in disarray inside the powerplay, losing all of their top order and slipping to 32 for 4.

Captain Shimron Hetmyer (37 off 29) attempted to hold the innings together but with no support from the middle or lower order, a heavy defeat was never too far away and the Warriors were skittled for 108 in the 18th over.

Ramon Simmonds was the standout performer with the ball, picking up 3 for 17, while Cornwall and Mujeeb Ur Rahman collected two apiece and Kyle Mayers, Hayden Walsh and Holder shared the remaining wickets.

The Royals will face the winner of Guyana Amazon Warriors versus Jamaica Tallawahs, who defeated St Lucia Kings by 33 runs in the eliminator, in Saturday's final.