Exxon Mobil Guyana Global Super League: Hampshire Hawks clinch victory in Super over

A nail-biter was on the cards at the Guyana National Stadium, Providence, East Bank Demerara (EBD) on Wednesday night as the Hampshire Hawks and Rangpur Roders took it down to the wire in a low- scoring thriller.

Bowling well enough to restrict their opponents to a small roar, the Rangpur Riders of Bangladesh looked well on their way to a comfortable victory but as the game usually goes, a couple of quick wickets changed the complexion of the chase.
Things became so tense however that just two games into the inaugural edition of the ExxonMobil Guyana Global Super League (GSL) T20, the first super over was witnessed.

After opting to bat first, the Hampshire Hawks got off to a slow start and much like the team batting first in the tournament’s opening game on Tuesday, they were haunted by a flurry of close wickets that fell in the death over, preventing the Hawks from going on to post a big score.
If it were not for Shan Masood’s aggression and handy knock for rotations the strike, the England- based outfit would have found themselves in hot water.
Tom Prest was the first to fall for 12 runs in the fourth over. Three balls later, Joe Weatherley went for a duck, closing out a productive over for Zack Chappell.
However, Chappell would not stop there, going on to claim the first five- wicket haul of the GSL T20 and rivaling Masood’s half- century for the highlight of the segment.

Ali Orr and Masood’s were able to build a 49- run partnership before the former fell for 28 but Masood’s went on to slam 3 fours and 2 sixes in his 56 from 41 balls. Padded by Toby Albert’s 11 and James Fuller James Fuller’s 11; the Hawks got up to 132 before being bowled out.
Chappell finished with 5-23 from 4 while Harmeet Singh snared 2-13 from 2 overs.
The Rangpur Riders got off to a flyer in the chase accumulating 39 runs writhing the first four overs. However, a handful of wickets in close succession halted their pace with a pair of fresh batters now at the crease.
Opener Steven Taylor took advantage of Sonny Baker’s pace to find the boundary a few times in the second over. As Taylor steamed ahead, he found himself caught inside the circle for 20 from 12 deliveries in the 5th over while his fellow opener Soumya Sarkar departed in the very next over for 27 off 20 balls.
Rangpur Captain Nurul Hasan did a good job of steadying the ship again, alongside Wayne Madden. However, an ill- play shot from Hasan saw him departing for an almost run- a- ball 24. Khushdil Shah picked up where his Captain left off with 25 runs in 20 balls. But when Shah was run out cheaply in the last ball of the 17th over and the cardinal sin of ball- watching saw Madsen suffering a similar fate in the following over; it was finally, game on!
The Hawks persisted in their fight back, keeping their lines tight and as a reward Chris Wood castled Mahedi Hasan on the last ball of the 19th over, leaving the Riders 7 runs to get from 6 balls, with 3 wickets in hand.
A pair of singles and a wicket in the last over set up an interesting last 3 balls of the innings, with the Riders still needing 3 runs. But alas, the Bangladeshi team could only eek out 2 more runs for leveled scores.

Super Over
Wood took the ball for the Hampshire Hawks while Taylor and Shah made a return to the crease for the Riders. Between them, they managed 12 runs in the over, consisting one six and an ambitious extra run off the last ball, costing Shah his wicket.
Obviously, the man with the five- for took up the ball for the Riders. Though James Fuller smashed Chappell for a maximum off the first ball, the bowler’s revenge was instant, claiming a caught and bowled in the very next ball. But, Chappell missed his length in the penultimate ball, going over the ropes again at the behest of Liam Dawson.
The ExxonMobil Guyana Global Super League (GSL) continues tomorrow, Friday, November 29 with a battle between the Guyana Amazon Warriors and Victoria from 19:00hrs.