In the recent Caribbean Premier League (CPL) 2023 match held on September 10, history was made as the second-ever Red card in CPL history was issued. This significant incident occurred during the first innings of the thrilling encounter between the Barbados Royals and the Guyana Amazon Warriors, hosted in Trinidad.
The Barbados Royals, led by the seasoned West Indies T20 skipper, Rovman Powell, were found guilty of maintaining a slow over-rate. This lapse led to a punitive measure, wherein they were restricted to having just three fielders outside the circle for the penultimate over and a mere ten players on the field during the final over of their bowling innings.
This year’s edition of the CPL introduced a unique red-card rule aimed at addressing the escalating problem of slow overrates. According to this rule, the fielding side would have to contend with one less fielder if they fell behind schedule as they entered the final over. Additionally, they would be required to field with a fifth and sixth fielder inside the circle if they were lagging behind at the commencement of the 18th and 19th overs.
One of the key players in the CPL, Rahkeem Cornwall, renowned for his recent splendid 45-ball century, had to prematurely exit the field during the last over due to a red card.
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Our second red card 🟥 of the tournament has arrived. This time it’s for the Royals and Cornwall gets his marching orders! #CPL23 #BRvGAW #CricketPlayedLouder #BiggestPartyInSport #BetBarter pic.twitter.com/TPrGTR4Ch6
— CPL T20 (@CPL) September 10, 2023
Thankfully for the Barbados Royals, the penalty they incurred did not prove too costly, as they conceded 20 runs but managed to take five wickets, effectively ending the innings of the Guyana Amazon Warriors.
The Guyana Amazon Warriors, who had a strong start at 107/1 in 11.3 overs, surprisingly struggled to reach 181/9 in their allotted 20 overs. In response, the Barbados Royals were at 116/4 in 14 overs, with a requirement of 66 runs off the final six overs, and their skipper, Rovman Powell, along with the experienced Jason Holder, holding the crease.
This match held significant implications for the Royals, as they found themselves in a virtual must-win situation. With only three wins out of eight games, they currently occupy the fourth spot on the points table. In contrast, the Guyana Amazon Warriors have maintained an undefeated streak throughout the tournament.
It’s worth noting that the CPL had already witnessed the historic issuance of its first-ever Red card earlier in the tournament, during match No. 12 between the Trinbago Knight Riders (TKR) and St. Kitts and Nevis Patriots on August 27. In that instance, TKR captain Kieron Pollard made the decision to send ace spinner Sunil Narine off the field for the final over of the innings.
However, unlike the recent match, TKR faced a heavy price for fielding ten players, as Patriots’ skipper Sherfane Rutherford pummeled Dwayne Bravo for 18 runs in that crucial over, guiding his side to a total of 178/5 in their 20 overs.
In the aftermath of that game, despite TKR emerging victorious, captain Kieron Pollard expressed his discontent with the Red Card rule during the post-match presentation, highlighting its controversial nature.
He said: “To be honest, it will take away the hard work everyone has done (prior to the penalties). We are like the pawns and we are going to do what we are told. We are going to play as fast as we can. If you are penalized for 30-45 seconds in a tournament like this, it is absolutely ridiculous.”
In terms of their on-field displays, TKR has been quite remarkable this season, sitting atop the points standings with five victories and only two defeats in eight matches. Today, they are set to compete against the St. Lucia Kings in their second-to-last league match, which will be part of a double-header taking place at the Brian Lara Stadium in Trinidad.
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