The semi-finalists were spotted even as defending champion Barbados Tridents and St Kitts & Nevis Patriots exited from the Hero CPL even before finishing their quota of ten league matches.

With three teams yet to play two matches each and two of them with one match each in hand, the four semi-finalists have been finalised. Trinbago Knight Riders, Guyana Amazon Warriors, St Lucia Zouks and Jamaica Tallawahs are assured of a last four berth with final positions dependant on the games left.

Guyana Amazon Warriors secured their semi-final berth outplaying Tridents, while the match between Patriots and Jamaica Tallawahs was rained after just over five overs.

Barbados Tridents’ eliminated

Defending champions Barbados Tridents’ were knocked out of their Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL) as they failed to get to three figures once again and were outplayed by Guyana Amazon Warriors.

Sent in to bat, Tridents were never allowed to settle down once Romario Shepherd came on as the first change after Chris Green and Kevin Sinclair bowled the first two overs. Shepherd sent back Johnson Charles first and off the next Rashid Khan was held by a sprinting Brandon King who ran 20 yards to his left from deep square leg and held a diving catch. Greaves averted a hat-trick. Rashid

Then Green accounted for Brooks and Imran Tahir dismissed Greaves as Tridents were 28 for four in 6.1 overs.

Kyle Mayers hit Jason Holder for the first six of the day but didn’t last long enough as he fell to Imran Tahir while trying to heave over mid-wicket. Wickets fell regularly amidst infrequent boundaries and Tridents ended their 20 overs for a paltry 89 for nine.

Romario Shepherd shines

Romario Shepherd put paid to a promising start with two wickets in two balls. Charles chipped tamely to Taylor at point, but there was nothing tame about the dismissal of pinch-hitter Rashid Khan, as a fierce pull was brilliantly caught by Brandon King who ran 20 yards to his left from deep square leg and dived full-length.

Michael Santner struck with the second ball after his first one was a wide. He bowled Brandon King with an arm ball that swung into the right-hander. After the first two tight overs, Chandrapaul Hemraj smashed Santner for a six and four in the third over and hit Rashid for two fours and a six in the fourth over of the innings. He left in the next over off Holder but his 29 in 22 balls with three fours and two sixes had ensured Warriors would cruise through.

Shimron Hetmyer (32 in 33) held up the other end and later opened up with Ross Taylor (16 in 22). They carried the Warriors to a comfortable six-wicket win with more than five overs to spare.

The Amazon Warriors ended the league stage on a roll with four wins from four.

The Tridents become the first Hero CPL defending champions not to make the knockouts and with the Amazon Warriors are now guaranteed to avoid the Trinbago Knight Riders in the semi-finals.

Guyana Amazon Warriors 90/4 (Hetmyer 32*, Hemraj 29, Taylor 16*; Holder 2/10, Reifer 1/16, Santner 1/25) beat Barbados Tridents 89/9 (Young 18, Santner 18, Charles 10; Tahir 3/12, Shepherd 3/22, Green 1/17, Sinclair 1/23) by 6 wickets

Player of the match : Romario Shepherd

Rain plays spoilsport in Patriots clash with Tallawahs

Once St Kitts and Nevis Patriots made a healthy start of 46 for no loss in 5.4 overs, the rain came down over Tarouba to stop their innings. That halted their CPL campaign. They have only three points - including one from the washed-out game on Thursday - from nine matches. They also exit early without making the semi-finals.

The Jamaica Tallawahs, meanwhile, remain in fourth place on the table, with seven points from their eight matches.

Openers Evin Lewis and Chris Lynn had given them a good start but it all came to a nought as rains meant no more play.

Hero CPL Table

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