GEORGETOWN, Guyana, Sep 4, CMC – The Guyana Amazon Warriors romped to their fifth consecutive victory in this year’s Republic Bank Caribbean Premier League by comfortably defeating the Jamaica Kingsmen by eight-wickets here on Friday.
Once again, the Amazon Warriors were led by their bowlers, who produced another brilliant display in the field to limit the visitors to 159 for seven at Providence Stadium.
Rahmanullah Gurbaz then scored a half century, and the home side’s other batters also made significant contributions to see them stroll to 160 for two with 16 balls remaining.
The Kingsmen actually did well to get up to their eventual total after Dwaine Pretorius and Khary Pierre made early inroads into their top order.
Pretorius, who was named Player-of-the-Match, trapped opener Kirk McKenzie lbw with the last ball of the day’s first over and also dismissed Keacy Carty by the same route for 18 to leave the Kingsmen 37 for two in the fifth over.
Usman Khan made a pedestrian 10 off 12 balls before he was bowled by Pierre’s left-arm spin, Keemo Paul was run out for 15, and Kingsmen captain Rovman Powell inside edged the very next delivery from spinner Mohammad Nabi onto his stumps to see his side slump to 83 for five.
Four runs later, opener Maaz Sadaqat’s valiant innings of 35 off 34 balls came to an end when he became Pierre’s second wicket.
But Hassan Khan lashed an unbeaten 62 off 29 balls to see the Kingsmen end with a flourish, as they collected 67 runs off the final five overs.
He shared a 55-run partnership with Odean Smith for the seventh wicket, before Smith was run out in the penultimate over for 13.
Pretorius claimed 2-20, while Pierre took 2-21 for the Kingsmen.
The Amazon Warriors wasted little time in putting their feet on the gas with Gurbaz and Mavendra Dindyal putting on 46 runs inside five overs.
After hitting Hunain Shah for consecutive sixes to begin the fifth over, Dindyal was bowled for 33 off 17 balls attempting to hit the bowler out of the ground again.
The dependable Shai Hope then joined forces with Gurbaz and the two put the result to bed during a 68-run partnership that spanned eight overs.
During that stand, Gurbaz reached his 50 off 30 balls by smashing spinner Vitel Lawes for a huge six.
Gurbaz perished when he slapped a full toss from Sadaqat straight into the hands of Powell at cover, after facing 35 balls and striking five fours and three sixes.
But Hope and the no-nonsense Shimron Hetmyer put the contest to bed during an unbroken partnership of 46 runs off 30 balls.
Hope finished unbeaten on 39 off 35 balls, while Hetmyer was not out on 30 from 17 balls.
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