Port of Spain [Trinidad and Tobago], September 1 (ANI): West Indies batter Shimron Hetmyer on Tuesday completed 7,000 runs in T20 cricket before smashing an unbeaten 111 to guide Guyana Amazon Warriors to a nine-run victory over Trinbago Knight Riders in a rain-hit Caribbean Premier League 2026 clash here.
Hetmyer became the latest batter to cross the 7,000-run mark in the shortest format during his match-winning knock, which came off just 43 balls and included eight fours and nine sixes.
The 29-year-old now has 7,096 runs from 352 T20 matches at an average of 26.67 and a strike rate of 145.05. His tally includes two centuries and 35 half-centuries, with 485 fours and 413 sixes.
His unbeaten 111 was also his highest score in T20 cricket.
Coming in with Amazon Warriors struggling at 19 for two after the match was reduced to 16 overs per side, Hetmyer launched a spectacular counterattack. He reached his fifty from just 27 balls before bringing up his century in 40 deliveries, according to Cricinfo.
Hetmyer found an able ally in Romario Shepherd, who smashed 27 off seven balls, including two fours and three sixes. The pair's late assault helped Amazon Warriors collect 94 runs in the final five overs and post 185 for five.
Chasing a revised target of 182, Trinbago Knight Riders made a flying start through captain Nicholas Pooran and Alex Hales. Pooran struck 43 off 16 balls, while Hales scored 55 from 24 deliveries as TKR threatened to chase down the target.
However, Pooran fell at the start of the seventh over and Mohammad Nabi struck three balls later, trapping Jyd Goolie lbw for a duck. Imran Tahir then dismissed another batter in the following over, leaving TKR reeling at 68 for five.
Hales continued to keep the chase alive and, after hitting a few sixes, reduced the equation to 40 runs from the final 12 balls. Shamar Joseph, though, produced a 144.1kph yorker to dismiss the dangerous opener and effectively end TKR's hopes.
TKR managed 30 runs from the final two overs but finished on 172 for seven, falling nine runs short under the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern method.
Nabi was the standout bowler for Amazon Warriors, returning figures of three for 20 from his three overs. Glenn Phillips also produced a memorable moment in the field, completing a one-handed catch at deep midwicket after briefly losing sight of the ball to dismiss Sunil Narine for one.
The victory extended Amazon Warriors' unbeaten start to the tournament, with four wins from four matches, and lifted them to second place in the points table. Antigua and Barbuda Falcons lead the standings with nine points, while Trinbago Knight Riders are fifth after five defeats from seven matches.
Hetmyer, who has represented the West Indies in 16 Tests, 59 ODIs and 85 T20Is, has scored more than 4,000 runs in international cricket. He has five ODI centuries and 19 international half-centuries to his name. (ANI)
CPL 2026: Shimron Hetmyer joins 7,000-run club in T20 cricket after unbeaten 111 in Amazon Warriors' win
