CPL 2024, Match 31 Review: David Miller's heroics power Barbados Royals to Qualifier 2 after dramatic night in Guyana

An unfortunate floodlight failure at the National Stadium in Providence, Guyana saw a reduced over match in the Eliminator game of the 2024 Caribbean Premier League (CPL). 

A two-hour delay whilst the light was fixed saw the Barbados Royals set a revised target of 60 runs in five overs. The Royals made short work of the chase, David Miller almost single-handedly getting his side over the line with four balls to spare by hitting a brutal 17-ball fifty that included five sixes and three fours. 

Trinbago Knight Riders won the toss and batted first, amassing 168/3 off 19.1 overs before the lights went out. Nicholas Pooran scored a masterful 91 not out off 60 balls to anchor their efforts with captain Kieron Pollard and Andre Russell adding support at the end of the innings with 17 and 20 runs respectively. Jason Roy assisted Pooran from the top of the order with 25 off 17 balls after the early dismissal of Sunil Narine – bowled by Theekshana off the third ball of the match.

Although not picking up many wickets, the Royals bowled well to limit the damage and keep the Knight Riders in check, a target of 163 would be chaseable if their own batting card fired. 

After it looked like their 2024 campaign was going to be cruelly derailed by the floodlight failure, the Royals would have been mightily relieved to get back on the park and have the chance to keep their destiny in their own hands. 

Their revised chase was a frenetic and exhilarating affair. Sunil Narine cleaned up Quinton de Kock with the third ball of the first over, a beautifully flighted delivery that clipped the bails and left the batter bamboozled. The ball before had been clobbered for four runs by de Kock and David Miller hit the next delivery after the wicket for a towering six over midwicket. It was a sign of things to come. 

Miller came into his own in the shortened chase, cutting Chris Jordan away for four over point before slog-sweeping Narine for a huge 106-metre six off the next over. With two overs left, the Royals needed 25 runs to progress. Miller kept his cool, consecutive fours off overpitched deliveries from Jordan were followed by a full toss by the beleaguered bowler who was clubbed for six down the ground. The penultimate over costing the Knight Riders 17 runs. 

With 8 needed off the last over Miller smashed back-to-back sixes off Terence Hinds to finish the match in emphatic fashion, claiming the Player of the Match award and booking the Barbados Royals a place in the second eliminator after a dramatic night in Guyana.