ExxonMobil Guyana GSL: Amazon Warriors storm into final with emphatic win

A berserk blitz from Shimron Hetmyer, magical spin from Gudakesh Motie and another comprehensive win from the Guyana Amazon Warriors (GAW) sent the Guyana National Stadium into an uproar on Wednesday night as the local franchise pulled off a 4-wicket win against the Hobart Hurricanes to seal their place in the ExxonMobil Guyana Global Super League (GSL) T20 final.
Brimming with anticipation, the almost-capacity crowd at Providence were treated to some of the best of their local players in the emphatic win.
Their third magical bowling performance on the trot; this time around, the Amazon Warriors were able to display their ability to stifle their opposition early on. It looked to be a beating for the hosts in the powerplay after the Hobart Hurricanes won the toss and opted to bat first, going on to slam 14 runs off Dwaine Pretorius’ bowling in the first over.

Moeen Ali, however, was having none of it, serving up a doozy to Bhanuka Rajapaksa on the second ball of his spell, which carried to Shimron Hetmyer at slip. The breakthrough was made even more significant after the Hurricanes’ successful LBW review when Rajapaksa was given out off Ali’s first ball.
The England international dented the Hurricanes’ top order even further; two balls later, he castled Jake Doran for a duck.
It appeared as though the men from down under took a special liking to the lace deliveries, as Pretorius was again punished, going for a hat trick of boundaries off Ben McDermott’s bat. However, the South African quick soon had his revenge, rocking back McDermott’s stumps for a feisty 21 off 9 balls.
There was an ensuing drought in the wickets for the Amazon Warriors as the Hurricanes’ Nikhil Chaudhary and Macalister Wright steadied the ship for the visitors.

The Hurricanes were by then striking at an imposing 9 runs an over, an early cause for concern for the hosts. Their solution was found in the Berbician spin magician, Gudakesh Motie, who sent both set batters in Chaudhary and Wright back to the dugout for 21 and 16 runs, respectively.
With the Hurricanes on the ropes at 68-5, Warrior Nation were sent into a frenzy as their billowing roars continuously penetrated the night sky.
Former Amazon Warrior Odean Smith looked to make an impact, dispatching his former captain for two boundaries in his third over. But Tahir had the last laugh when his delivery deflected from Smith’s thigh into the stumps, ending his innings at 8 from 7 deliveries.

Warriors again loosened the noose for a brief period, allowing an aggressive-looking pair in Mohammad Nabi and Fabian Allen to strike up a 35-run partnership, the second-highest of their innings. Allen led the charge, blasting 2 sixes and a four for 28 off 20, while Nabi hit an almost run-a-ball 22 before getting out to a cheeky caught and bowled off David Wiese’s bowling; almost an exact replica of his wicket the night prior against the Central Stags.
By the time Tahir had trapped Allen lbw, it only took Motie one ball in his fourth over to clean up the remainder of the Hurricanes’ line-up to end with figures of 3-9 from 3.1 overs. Both Tahir and Ali picked two scalps each.
Warrior Nation experienced the highs and lows of emotions, all in the very first over, when it was the Warriors’ turn to bat. Dubbed a true West Indian way to get out, Johnson Charles launched Billy Stanlake into the stands for a maximum but had his middle stump uprooted the very next ball while attempting another big shot.

Rahmanullah Gurbaz, again, did not find favour, falling victim to an LBW decision, while Evin Lewis departed in an identical manner not too long after.
The highlight of the Amazon Warriors’ inning came when Shimron Hetmyer made his way to the crease, racing to 33 from 8 balls. After taking only a single off his first two deliveries faced, Fabian Allen became the unfortunate bowler to face Hetmyer’s wrath.
Hetmyer launched Allen over the long-on boundary in the first shot, hitting the hospitality boxes. Then, Odean Smith made the grave mistake of misjudging Hetmyer’s shot on the long-off boundary, tipping the ball over for a second six. Hetmyer brought up the hat trick of sixes with a shot into the ‘Green Stand’, and the fourth followed soon after.
Hetmyer, likely in his exuberance at the feat before him, pulled out of the shot on the fifth ball, sending the ball down to fine leg for a two. Kicking himself already, Hetmyer took his biggest shot of the night for 5 maximums in the over. Hetmyer compensated for missing the 6 sixes with a shot that disturbed the glass on the Providence Media Centre. However, Hetmyer did as Hetmyer does, resorting to his familiar hook shot, which got him caught on the boundary for an entertaining 39 off 10 balls.
By that time, the Amazon Warriors had already put a dent in their required runs; Hetmyer pulled the team from a slump at 43-3 in 9 overs to 87 in 12.
With the required runs much more manageable and the jitters of a struggle now behind them, Moeen Ali and Gudakesh Motie cruised along. Though Motie had a soft dismissal for 19 from 13, the damage was already done, and the Amazon Warriors were already within sight of the final spot.
Ali finished unbeaten on 30, having played a handy anchor role for the Amazon Warriors, leading them to their target in 16.3 overs.  On the other hand, the Hurricanes’ beat bowler was Stanlake, claiming 3-21 in 3.3 overs. He was supported by Usama Mir with 2-29 from 4.
Being the only two teams to have won 3 games thus far in this year’s preliminary stage, the Guyana Amazon Warriors and Rangpur Riders will face each other for a second time this season in the ExxonMobil Guyana GSL grand finale on Friday, July 18, bowling off at 19:00 hrs.