ExxonMobil GSL: Gurbaz, Tahir, and Pretorius lead GAW to a 66-run win

Tension blanketed the Guyana National Stadium at Providence, East Bank Demerara (EBD), on Friday night as ‘Warrior Nation’ waited with bated breath to witness their home team bring up a victory in their second match of the ExxonMobil Guyana Global Super League (GSL).

The Amazon Warriors, after setting the visitors, Central Stags, 159 to win, pulled off an exceptional bowling display, led by their captain, Imran Tahir, to seal the 66-run victory.

Dwaine Pretorius got their second innings off to a lightning start, castling Dane Cleaver for 6 in just the 4th ball. Things only got better for the Amazon Warriors when Pretorius repeated the feat two overs later to remove Dean Foxcroft.
Pandemonium broke out as Gudakesh Motie, in that very over, sent back the ball from near the boundary in quick time, and with a clean take and hit at the stumps from Johnson Charles, brought up the Central Stags’s third wicket for just 20 runs.
The New Zealand visitors found themselves four down by the next over, being served up by Imran Tahir, and it was then that the Amazon Warrior fans knew that it would be a night of celebration.

The runs were few and far between for the New Zealanders in the next few overs, while the boundaries were non-existent up until the 9th over.
Likely familiar with the Guyanese conditions, Matthew Forde showcased his West Indian flair for the Guyanese crowd, but it was all over by the 11th when David Wiese won the war. Forde’s 17-ball 24 was the second highest on the scoresheet for the Central Stags, who just couldn’t stand up to the Guyanese bowling attack.
Tahir’s second double-wicket strike in an over this tournament brought his tally to 4 wickets, and by that point, there was little else for Pretorius and Wiese to do to clean up the tail.
Tahir ended with 4-23 from 4, and Pretorius 3-18 from 4, routing Central Stags for 92 in 14.2 overs.
Earlier in the encounter, the hosts again lost the toss, but their third-wicket partnership soon compensated for a less than stellar start. Contrary to his explosive innings the night prior, Johnson Charles could not muster one six in his 6-ball 8 before going back to the dugout after the Dhoni Matthew Forde’s bowling to the wicketkeeper, Dane Cleaver.

Moeen Ali entered the crease and soon departed, making way for what would become the highest third-wicket partnership in the history of the Global Super League.
Jewel Andrew joined opener Rahmanullah Gurbaz at the crease, and between the two, some excellent running between the wickets went on display at the Providence team. The quick-paced duo packed the twos into the overs where they couldn’t find the boundary for an 84-run partnership.
In that time, Gurbaz brought up his first half-century of the tournament, while Andrew came within 5 runs of the milestone. Ironically, however, a moment of lapse between the two saw Andrew being run out while the two attempted a quick single. Andrew ended with 45 off 29 balls, striking at 155 and producing 3 fours and 1 six.
One over later, the Amazon Warriors’ woes grew when Gurbaz became the victim of a convincing LBW decision, ending his innings on 58 off 47 balls.
Thereafter, the host’s run rate reduced significantly, and the boundaries seemed to dry up as the new batters struggled to find their form in the final 5 overs of the innings.
Shimron Hetmyer contributed one maximum in his 12, and Sherfane Rutherford 3 fours in his 16, but their efforts were only good enough to get the hosts up to 158-6 in their 20 overs.
Angus Schaw claimed 2-24 from 3, while Matthew Forde also picked up 2 scalps.
The Amazon Warriors’ next challenge will come against the Dubai Capitals on Sunday, July 13, at 19:00 hrs.