CPL 2019, Standout player, biggest takeaway, best team – Hayden Walsh Jr, Raymon Reifer and Barbados Tridents

A fine CPL 2019 is done and dusted. There was, as always, plenty of excitement and disappointment, but what stood out was the cricket. Guyana Amazon Warriors won an incredible 11 matches in a row, but lost the most important one – the final – to Barbados Tridents. It’s one of the cruel twists of the sport, but it was in keeping with a fine tournament.

Standout player – Hayden Walsh Jr
Walsh Jr has emerged as a fine leg-spinner for Barbados, and was instrumental in the side’s late burst towards the knockouts. He took two wickets in the final as well to end as the highest wicket-taker, with 22 wickets in just nine matches, at an average of 12.68. That’s six wickets more than the next highest wicket-taker – Imran Tahir of Guyana – and as far as emergence as a cricketer goes, it can’t get too much better than this. USA have a fine cricketer in him, and his tears after being named Player of the Tournament was moving.

Standout moment – Barbados win the final
It was a fine comeback from Barbados. Having looked unlikely to make the knockouts after the first half of the tournament, they put together a string of wins to ensure they finished second. They then lost the first Qualifier to Guyana, and were left needing victories over Trinbago Knight Riders, the defending champions, and Guyana in the final to secure the trophy. Incredibly, they did that. It was a lesson in perseverance and hope, and the tournament was the richer for it. 

Biggest takeaway – Victory streaks don’t matter
Guyana had a stellar tournament, going unbeaten in the league phase – winning all ten matches – and then made it 11 wins in a row after seeing off Barbados in Qualifier 1. Unfortunately, all of it went in vain. They will go down in history as runners-ups of this tournament, and their incredible run of victories will be forgotten. That’s the unfortunate truth. There’s no denying what a fine feat it was, but what does it mean in the end?

Standout quote – “Didn’t know it was the best CPL final figures, but just another achievement.”           
– Raymon Reifer after taking 4/24 to turn the match Barbados’ way in the final.