Category: CANA News

Rovman Powell’s superb cameo at the death carried his Jamaica Kingsmen to a thrilling five-wicket win over the Guyana Amazon Warriors and into the final of the Republic Bank Caribbean Premier League here on Friday.

Player-of-the-Match Powell’s unbeaten 40 off 17 balls with four sixes and two fours powered the Kingsmen to 207 for five with two balls remaining, in pursuit of the Amazon Warriors’ competitive 206 for four at Kensington Oval.

It was the highest successful run chase in CPL playoff history and catapulted the newly renamed franchise into its first final.

The result marked a stunning turnaround for a Kingsmen side that lost its first three matches and looked destined to miss the playoffs.

Alternatively, the loss for the Amazon Warriors was their third straight and will be a hard pill for the franchise to swallow after they won their first six games in dominant fashion to install themselves as favourites to lift the title.

Powell’s heroics overshadowed Shimron Hetmyer’s brilliant 102 not out off just 45 balls, which helped to propel the Amazon Warriors to a formidable total before a mainly Guyanese crowd at The Mecca.

The Amazon Warriors got off to a slow start, losing the wickets of Mohammad Haris and Mavendra Dindyal for nine runs apiece to slip to 20 for two in the fifth over.

However, Shai Hope and Hetmyer forged a superb 96-run partnership for the third wicket that gave them a solid foundation to launch from, after being only 37 for two at the end of the power play.

At the halfway stage they had recovered to 75 for two, and the pair signaled their intentions by scoring 20 runs off the 11th over bowled by Saim Ayub.

Hetmyer reached his 16th CPL half century off only 20 balls by smashing wrist spinner Vitel Lawes for a four and six in the next over.

Hope perished soon after, caught at deep midwicket for a well-played 40 off 33 balls, to leave the score 116 for three in the 13th over.

Hetmyer then shared a 65-run stand with Quentin Sampson who scored a brisk 29 off 17 balls, to put the Amazon Warriors on track for a mammoth score.

Sampson was eventually caught at long on off the bowling of Andre Russell in the 18th over, and it looked as though Hetmyer would fall just short of his second century of the season.

He was on 92 with two balls remaining in the innings, but hit Russell for a six over midwicket and then steered him for a four over third man to reach the milestone off the last ball.

In all, he hit eight sixes and four fours, and became the second man behind Dwayne Smith to score two centuries in a single CPL season.

Despite the daunting task at hand, the Kingsmen’s opening pair of Maaz Sadaqat and Kirk McKenzie put on 42 runs in three overs, before Sadaqat was dismissed by pacer Dwaine Pretorius for 41 off 17 balls.

Keacy Carty and McKenzie continued to keep track of the run rate during a 48-run partnership in five overs, until captain Imran Tahir broke the stand by having the latter caught for 34 off 20 balls.

Still the Kingsmen pushed on, with Carty and Ayub adding 62 runs in seven overs to carry them to 152 for two at the start of the 15th over.

Pretorius returned to have Ayub caught at short fine leg for 23 off 17 balls and Carty was unlucky to be run out for 56 off 40 balls at the non-striker’s end after a ball ricocheted off left-arm spinner Khary Pierre’s foot and onto the stumps with him short of his ground, to leave the game interestingly poised at 172 for four in the 17th over.

With 34 runs needed off 18 balls, Powell hit Tahir for a six and four in the 18th over, and dished out the same treatment to pacer Shamar Joseph in the penultimate over that went for 13 runs, to leave the Kingsmen requiring six runs from six balls.

Romario Shepherd bowled two wides and then had Andre Russell caught behind, but new batter Hassan Khan picked up two runs off the third and fourth balls respectively, to seal the result.

The Kingsmen will face the Antigua and Barbuda Falcons in Sunday’s final at the same venue.

A forensic accountant has testified that his analysis of certified Statements of Poll (SoPs) from Guyana’s 2020 elections found a 20,243-vote difference between the figures recorded for APNU+AFC in Region Four and those contained in a March 5 Form 24 declaration.

Terrence Jaskaran, a chartered accountant who was engaged by the Ministry of Home Affairs as a forensic audit consultant and attached to the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) Headquarters, gave evidence on Friday in the ongoing trial arising from the March 2, 2020 General and Regional Elections. Jaskaran told the court that he was asked by Police Officer Nigel Stephens to conduct a tabulation and analysis of certified copies of SoPs from the elections and compare the figures with declarations contained in Form 24.

He said he accompanied Stephens and a police prosecutor to the office of the Registrar of the Supreme Court of Judicature, where copies of the Region Four SoPs were made and certified. Jaskaran said he observed the certification process.

He began the analysis at CID Headquarters on June 3, 2021, using Excel spreadsheets to record the votes on each SoP by ballot box and political party. He then totalled the figures and compared them with the corresponding Form 24 declarations.

For the Region Four General Election, Jaskaran testified that his analysis of the certified SoPs recorded 116,215 votes for APNU+AFC.

That figure was compared with 136,458 votes recorded for APNU+AFC in the March 5 Form 24 declaration, representing a difference of 20,243 votes.

The March 13 Form 24 declaration recorded 136,057 votes for APNU+AFC, compared with the 116,215 votes in Jaskaran’s SoP tabulation, a difference of 19,842 votes.

For the PPP/C, the certified SoPs recorded 80,288 votes, compared with 77,329 votes in the March 5 Form 24 declaration, a difference of 2,959 votes. The March 13 declaration recorded 77,231 votes, representing a difference of 3,057 votes from the SoP total.

Jaskaran also outlined variances involving several of the smaller parties that contested the elections.

His evidence was confined to the numerical comparison between the certified SoPs and the Form 24 declarations. When his report was tendered, the court indicated that his testimony would be limited to those comparisons.

Despite objections from defence attorneys, Magistrate Faith McGusty accepted Jaskaran as an expert in forensic analysis, accounting and auditing. The defence had questioned whether his professional experience extended to auditing election results, while the prosecution argued that his role was to analyse and compare the numerical information contained in the election documents.

Jaskaran told the court that he has worked in accounting, finance and forensic auditing for more than a decade. He is a Fellow of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) in the United Kingdom, a member of the Forensic Certified Public Accountant Society in the United States, and a practising chartered accountant and registered member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Guyana.

His testimony was adjourned until Monday, when he is expected to continue giving evidence on the March 13 Form 24 declaration and the corresponding PPP/C figures.

Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli have been named in India’s One Day International squad to face West Indies in a three-match series later this month.

The duo has been included in a 15-man ODI squad, but will not feature in the following five-match T20I series.

The BCCI announced the squads recently, with pacer Auqib Nabi receiving his maiden ODI call-up after being part of the Test squad for India’s tour of Sri Lanka in August, although he did not make his debut, while batter Naman Dhir has also earned his maiden call-up.

Ruturaj Gaikwad returns to the Indian set-up after last featuring in an ODI during the home series against South Africa last year, while Ravindra Jadeja is also back in the ODI fold after having last featured in the ODI series against New Zealand in January.

In the T20I squad, Mayank Yadav returns to the India set-up after missing the T20I series against Afghanistan. Kuldeep Yadav and Prince Yadav have also been recalled, strengthening the bowling unit.

INDIA’S ODI SQUAD: Shubman Gill (captain), Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Ruturaj Gaikwad, KL Rahul, Dhruv Jurel, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Prasidh Krishna, Gurnoor Brar, Mohammed Siraj, Auqib Nabi, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Naman Dhir.

INDIA’S T20I SQUAD: Shreyas Iyer (captain), Abhishek Sharma, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Ishan Kishan, Sanju Samson, Tilak Varma, Shivam Dube, Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Ravi Bishnoi, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Arshdeep Singh, Prince Yadav, Mayank Yadav.

A forensic accountant has testified that his analysis of certified Statements of Poll (SoPs) from Guyana’s 2020 elections found a 20,243-vote difference between the figures recorded for APNU+AFC in Region Four and those contained in a March 5 Form 24 declaration.

Terrence Jaskaran, a chartered accountant who was engaged by the Ministry of Home Affairs as a forensic audit consultant and attached to the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) Headquarters, gave evidence on Friday in the ongoing trial arising from the March 2, 2020 General and Regional Elections. Jaskaran told the court that he was asked by Police Officer Nigel Stephens to conduct a tabulation and analysis of certified copies of SoPs from the elections and compare the figures with declarations contained in Form 24.

He said he accompanied Stephens and a police prosecutor to the office of the Registrar of the Supreme Court of Judicature, where copies of the Region Four SoPs were made and certified. Jaskaran said he observed the certification process.

He began the analysis at CID Headquarters on June 3, 2021, using Excel spreadsheets to record the votes on each SoP by ballot box and political party. He then totalled the figures and compared them with the corresponding Form 24 declarations.

For the Region Four General Election, Jaskaran testified that his analysis of the certified SoPs recorded 116,215 votes for APNU+AFC.

That figure was compared with 136,458 votes recorded for APNU+AFC in the March 5 Form 24 declaration, representing a difference of 20,243 votes.

The March 13 Form 24 declaration recorded 136,057 votes for APNU+AFC, compared with the 116,215 votes in Jaskaran’s SoP tabulation, a difference of 19,842 votes.

For the PPP/C, the certified SoPs recorded 80,288 votes, compared with 77,329 votes in the March 5 Form 24 declaration, a difference of 2,959 votes. The March 13 declaration recorded 77,231 votes, representing a difference of 3,057 votes from the SoP total.

Jaskaran also outlined variances involving several of the smaller parties that contested the elections.

His evidence was confined to the numerical comparison between the certified SoPs and the Form 24 declarations. When his report was tendered, the court indicated that his testimony would be limited to those comparisons.

Despite objections from defence attorneys, Magistrate Faith McGusty accepted Jaskaran as an expert in forensic analysis, accounting and auditing. The defence had questioned whether his professional experience extended to auditing election results, while the prosecution argued that his role was to analyse and compare the numerical information contained in the election documents.

Jaskaran told the court that he has worked in accounting, finance and forensic auditing for more than a decade. He is a Fellow of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) in the United Kingdom, a member of the Forensic Certified Public Accountant Society in the United States, and a practising chartered accountant and registered member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Guyana.

His testimony was adjourned until Monday, when he is expected to continue giving evidence on the March 13 Form 24 declaration and the corresponding PPP/C figures.

Several immigrant advocacy groups in New York have filed a federal lawsuit challenging a new Trump administration rule that expands the circumstances in which public benefits can be considered when determining whether some immigrants qualify for lawful permanent resident status.

The lawsuit, filed on Friday in the US District Court for the Southern District of New York, seeks to have the rule and related guidance vacated.

The plaintiffs are Make the Road New York (MRNY), the New York Legal Assistance Group (NYLAG), the Association to Benefit Children (ABC), and African Communities Together. They are represented by Democracy Forward, The Legal Aid Society and the Center for Constitutional Rights. The new rule, which took effect on Friday, allows US immigration authorities to consider a broader range of public benefits when assessing certain applications for permanent residency. The rule applies to relevant applications for admission and adjustment of status filed from that date.

The plaintiffs allege that the rule and related guidance violate the US Administrative Procedure Act and conflict with the Immigration and Nationality Act.

MRNY said the new policy departs from the long-standing interpretation of the public charge provision by allowing consideration of benefits including health insurance, food and housing assistance, Head Start, the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), the Earned Income Tax Credit, the Child Tax Credit and Pell Grants.

The organisation said the rule could discourage immigrants and their families from accessing benefits for which they are eligible.

MRNY also alleges that the policy gives Department of Homeland Security officers broad discretion in making public charge determinations and could result in harmful effects on immigrant communities.

The organisation said DHS acknowledges that the rule could have a ‘massive chilling effect’ on the use of public benefits by non-citizens, including some people who are not subject to the rule, as well as US citizen children.

MRNY said the lawsuit challenges the rule on several grounds, including that it is arbitrary and capricious and exceeds the administration’s legal authority.

The organisation also cited a 2019 attempt by US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) and DHS to broaden the public charge standard. According to MRNY, federal appeals courts found aspects of that policy unlawful and beyond the agencies’ authority.

MRNY Co-Executive Director Rebecca Telzak told the Caribbean Media Corporation (CMC) that the new rule would cause harm to immigrant families and public services.

‘Despite the rule changes not yet in effect, we have witnessed the chilling effect on immigrant communities; and even among those who are categorically exempt or will not be impacted, their fears have led to questioning unnecessary disenrollment from critical public benefits,’ she said.

Susan Welber, supervising attorney at The Legal Aid Society, said the rule could affect households that rely on government assistance to supplement their income.

Angelo Guisado, a senior staff attorney at the Center for Constitutional Rights, criticised the administration’s policy and said it would disproportionately affect poor people, Black and Brown people and immigrants.

Skye Perryman, president and chief executive officer of Democracy Forward, said the administration did not have the authority to penalise people for accessing assistance for which they and their children are eligible.

Julie Brandfield, director of NYLAG’s Legal Health Unit, said the organisation expects the rule to affect more New Yorkers seeking access to public benefits while pursuing permanent residency.

The case is Make the Road New York et al. v. USCIS et al.

When the Antigua and Barbuda Falcons and the Jamaica Kingsmen clash in the final of the Republic Bank Caribbean Premier League at Kensington Oval on Sunday, history will be made regardless the outcome.

The Moeen Ali-led Falcons will be seeking their first ever CPL title, while the Jamaican franchise will be hoping to lift their first title since being renamed.

If their meeting in the preliminary stage is anything to go by, fans are in for an exciting game that will keep them glued too their seats and televisions.

The two teams met in the very first match of this year’s competition, with the Falcons scraping home by two wickets off the very last ball of the match.

Much has changed since then, with the Kingsmen, led by former West Indies captain Rovman Powell, rebounding from losing their first three matches to make the playoffs by the slimmest of margins on their way to qualifying for the final, while the Falcons produced their best ever performance in the competition by finishing second.

The Falcons have been led by their superb bowling attack, marshaled by fast bowler Alzarri Joseph. It was on show in their Qualifier against the Guyana Amazon Warriors where they bundled out their opponents for just 76, with spinners Sufyam Moqim and Shadab Khan both grabbing four wickets.

Meanwhile, the Kingsmen’s batters have been responsible for their progression, as was evident in chasing down the Amazon Warriors’ formidable total of 206 for four by posting 207 for five in 19.4 overs to advance to the final.

Speaking during a pre-match press conference on Saturday, Ali said he expected a stiff challenge from the Kingsmen.

‘We’re very happy to be in a final and things are going really well. We’ve just got better and better as the tournament’s gone on, played quite consistently and obviously with one more game to go anything can happen.

‘Unless you win the final, coming second doesn’t really matter so much, so it’s a big game against a very, very good side. We felt like Jamaica was the most dangerous side, they’ve got some match winners and they’re a very, very good side so we’re looking forward to a really good game and hopefully win,’ Ali said.

Meanwhile, Powell said his troops would have to come up with a plan to neutralize the Falcons.

‘I think to be honest we’re pleased to be in a final. When we sat down as a group before the start of the competition, we outlined three goals; to see if we can get in the playoffs, and once we got in the playoffs the second goal was to push for the final and the third goal is if we get to the final to see if we can cross the line.

‘When you look at it, it’s been up and down for us. When you look at the start and how we started the competition, I think that as the competition got on, we progressively got better as a team and started to find those winning formulas,’ Powell said.

‘Tomorrow should be a very good game. Antigua is one of those teams that has played the best throughout the entire CPL and that’s why they finished in the top two. They have a lot of match winners so it’s for us to come up with those little plans and see how best we can get over the line.’

Regulars Deandra Dottin and Qiana Joseph have not been included in a West Indies Women’s 15-member squad to tour Zimbabwe for One Day International and T20I series starting next week.

The team, which will play a three-match ODI and T20I series between September 24 and October 7, was announced by Cricket West Indies on Saturday, with the 35-year-old Dottin and 25-year-old Joseph the most notable omissions.

Dottin, a veteran of 158 ODIs and 154 T20Is, has been granted personal leave, while opening batter Joseph has lost her place in the side following a drop in form.

She has played 40 T20Is and averages 16.28, while in 31 ODIs she has a slightly better average of 19.44. They have been replaced by all-rounder and Under-19 World Cup prospect Eboni Brathwaite and Chinelle Henry, who returns to the squad following an injury that impacted her T20 World Cup campaign.

Captain Hayley Matthews will lead the team in the ODI leg before taking personal leave and departing the squad ahead of the T20I series.

The series forms part of the West Indies Women’s continued preparation across both formats, with the team looking to build on the progress made during the Ireland tour and the T20 World Cup campaign.

Head coach Shane Deitz said the tour was a perfect opportunity for the young squad.

‘We are looking forward to this tour of Zimbabwe. They are a side we haven’t played much, and, in their conditions, there will be some challenges.

‘We have a young squad, so this is a great opportunity for some players to step up and take their opportunity at this level,’ Deitz said.

WEST INDIES WOMEN’S SQUAD: Hayley Matthews (captain), Aaliyah Alleyne, Eboni Brathwaite, Shemaine Campbelle, Jahzara Claxton, Afy Fletcher, Jannillea Glasgow, Realeanna Grimmond, Shawnisha Hector, Chinelle Henry, Zaida James, Mandy Mangru, Ashmini Munisar, Karishma Ramharack, Stafanie Taylor.

Series Schedule

1st ODI – September 24 @Harare Sports Club, Harare

2nd ODI – September 27 @Harare Sports Club, Harare

3rd ODI – September 30 @Harare Sports Club, Harare

1st T20I – September 24 @Takashinga Cricket Club, Highfield

2nd T20I – September 27 @Takashinga Cricket Club, Highfield

3rd T20I – September 30 @Takashinga Cricket Club, Highfield

Prime Minister Dr Terrance Drew says the deeper meaning of independence goes beyond self-government, describing it as a responsibility to believe in, build and care for the country.

In an Independence Day message marking St Kitts and Nevis’ 43rd anniversary of independence on Saturday, Drew said the occasion was deeply personal because the twin-island federation was not only the country he serves, but his home.

‘Its people are my people,’ he said, adding that the country’s communities had shaped him, its values grounded him and its possibilities continued to inspire him.

Reflecting on the country’s progress, Drew said its achievements should not be attributed to any single government, institution or individual.

‘I see the work of generations,’ he said, pointing to the sacrifices of the country’s elders, the determination of workers, the ambition of young people, the strength of families and the enduring love of Kittitians and Nevisians at home and abroad.

‘That, to me, is the deeper meaning of independence,’ Drew said.

He said independence was not simply about the freedom to govern the country, but also about the responsibility to believe in and build for itself, care for one another and leave behind a country that is ‘stronger, fairer, and filled with greater opportunity’ than the one inherited.

‘We have achieved so much together. We have faced challenges together. And through it all, we have continued to move forward together,’ the Prime Minister said.

As the country marked 43 years of nationhood, Drew expressed gratitude for its people and confidence in the future.

‘There is so much more we can build, so much more we can achieve, and so much more we can become,’ he said.

Drew ended his message by expressing pride in being a citizen of St Kitts and Nevis and called for the country to remain ‘one people, connected by home, united by purpose, and inspired by endless possibility.’

The House of Representatives has passed the Special Operations Bill, 2026, to give law enforcement additional powers to tackle violent crime in designated areas.

The Bill was approved shortly after midnight, following more than 13 hours of debate in the House on Friday.

It replaces the previous Zones of Special Operations (ZOSO) legislation and establishes seven policing districts across the country.

The Bill now goes to the Senate.

Under the legislation, specific locations within those districts may be declared ‘closed areas’ for limited periods, allowing authorities to impose measures including curfews, cordons, checkpoints, road closures and restrictions on entry and exit.

The legislation also provides for searches without a warrant in specified circumstances.

Wrapping up the debate, Attorney General John Jeremie said the Government was not promising that the legislation would eliminate crime but would regard it as successful if it contributed to a sustained reduction in violent criminal activity.

‘A continuing reduction in the levels of violent criminal activity in our country is what we seek,’ Jeremie said.

He said the ultimate objective was a return to peace, while acknowledging that no legislation could provide a perfect solution to crime.

Jeremie also defended the constitutionality of the measure, pointing to parliamentary scrutiny, judicial oversight and a two-year sunset clause as safeguards.

The Bill does not expressly invoke Sections 4 and 5 of the Constitution or seek passage under Section 13, which would have required a three-fifths majority. It was passed by a simple majority.

That issue was strongly challenged by Opposition MP for Port-of-Spain South, Senior Counsel Keith Scotland, who argued that the legislation infringes fundamental rights and should have been subject to the constitutional requirements for legislation affecting those rights.

Scotland said the Opposition supports stronger policing, intelligence-led operations and efforts to dismantle criminal organisations, but argued that existing laws, including the Offences Against Persons Act, Anti-Gang Act and Firearms Act, already give authorities powers to address criminal activity.

He also criticised the level of executive discretion under the legislation, particularly in relation to curfews, cordons and warrantless searches.

Jeremie rejected those concerns, maintaining that the measures were proportionate to the threat posed by violent crime.

‘There is a legitimate object being pursued, we say, by proportionate measures,’ he said.

He also rejected the suggestion that the creation of seven policing districts would move the country towards a police state.

‘The legislation does establish police districts. But police districts don’t equate to a police state,’ Jeremie said.

Under the Bill, the President may declare closed areas and curfews by Order following an application from the Minister of Homeland Security, once the statutory requirements are met.

Jeremie said the President’s discretion under the legislation is circumscribed and maintained that the powers provided by the Bill are executive in nature.

Rovman Powell’s superb cameo at the death carried his Jamaica Kingsmen to a thrilling five-wicket win over the Guyana Amazon Warriors and into the final of the Republic Bank Caribbean Premier League here on Friday.

Player-of-the-Match Powell’s unbeaten 40 off 17 balls with four sixes and two fours powered the Kingsmen to 207 for five with two balls remaining, in pursuit of the Amazon Warriors’ competitive 206 for four at Kensington Oval.

It was the highest successful run chase in CPL playoff history and catapulted the newly renamed franchise into its first final.

The result marked a stunning turnaround for a Kingsmen side that lost its first three matches and looked destined to miss the playoffs.

Alternatively, the loss for the Amazon Warriors was their third straight and will be a hard pill for the franchise to swallow after they won their first six games in dominant fashion to install themselves as favourites to lift the title.

Powell’s heroics overshadowed Shimron Hetmyer’s brilliant 102 not out off just 45 balls, which helped to propel the Amazon Warriors to a formidable total before a mainly Guyanese crowd at The Mecca.

The Amazon Warriors got off to a slow start, losing the wickets of Mohammad Haris and Mavendra Dindyal for nine runs apiece to slip to 20 for two in the fifth over.

However, Shai Hope and Hetmyer forged a superb 96-run partnership for the third wicket that gave them a solid foundation to launch from, after being only 37 for two at the end of the power play.

At the halfway stage they had recovered to 75 for two, and the pair signaled their intentions by scoring 20 runs off the 11th over bowled by Saim Ayub.

Hetmyer reached his 16th CPL half century off only 20 balls by smashing wrist spinner Vitel Lawes for a four and six in the next over.

Hope perished soon after, caught at deep midwicket for a well-played 40 off 33 balls, to leave the score 116 for three in the 13th over.

Hetmyer then shared a 65-run stand with Quentin Sampson who scored a brisk 29 off 17 balls, to put the Amazon Warriors on track for a mammoth score.

Sampson was eventually caught at long on off the bowling of Andre Russell in the 18th over, and it looked as though Hetmyer would fall just short of his second century of the season.

He was on 92 with two balls remaining in the innings, but hit Russell for a six over midwicket and then steered him for a four over third man to reach the milestone off the last ball.

In all, he hit eight sixes and four fours, and became the second man behind Dwayne Smith to score two centuries in a single CPL season.

Despite the daunting task at hand, the Kingsmen’s opening pair of Maaz Sadaqat and Kirk McKenzie put on 42 runs in three overs, before Sadaqat was dismissed by pacer Dwaine Pretorius for 41 off 17 balls.

Keacy Carty and McKenzie continued to keep track of the run rate during a 48-run partnership in five overs, until captain Imran Tahir broke the stand by having the latter caught for 34 off 20 balls.

Still the Kingsmen pushed on, with Carty and Ayub adding 62 runs in seven overs to carry them to 152 for two at the start of the 15th over.

Pretorius returned to have Ayub caught at short fine leg for 23 off 17 balls and Carty was unlucky to be run out for 56 off 40 balls at the non-striker’s end after a ball ricocheted off left-arm spinner Khary Pierre’s foot and onto the stumps with him short of his ground, to leave the game interestingly poised at 172 for four in the 17th over.

With 34 runs needed off 18 balls, Powell hit Tahir for a six and four in the 18th over, and dished out the same treatment to pacer Shamar Joseph in the penultimate over that went for 13 runs, to leave the Kingsmen requiring six runs from six balls.

Romario Shepherd bowled two wides and then had Andre Russell caught behind, but new batter Hassan Khan picked up two runs off the third and fourth balls respectively, to seal the result.

The Kingsmen will face the Antigua and Barbuda Falcons in Sunday’s final at the same venue.