Green and Warriors rearing to continue winning ways

Hero CPL…

ꟷ Patriots aiming to spoil “the party”

By Brandon Corlette

Buoyed by the thrill of winning their CPL 2019 opening match against the St Lucia Zouks at the Guyana National Stadium at Providence on Thursday last, the Guyana Amazon Warriors (GAW) will take on the St Kitts and Nevis Patriots in their second home game tonight from 20:00 hours at the same venue.

The Patriots are no pushovers. In their opening game of CPL 2019, they restricted the champions, Trinbago Knight Riders, to 152; and went down fighting, losing the game by a mere 11 runs. Thus a ferocious battle for supremacy will be enjoined tonight.
On the eve of this match, Chris Green and Rayad Emrit addressed media operatives at the Guyana Marriott Hotel, each reflecting on their respective team’s opening match, and speaking on the way forward.

Emrit, who in previous seasons of the CPL had represented the GAW, contended that St Kitts and Nevis Patriots had had a decent game against the Trinbago Knight Riders.
“I think losing four wickets in three overs did not help the cause, but I think the bowlers did well to restrict the Trinbago Knight Riders to 152 (in) a good effort”, he said.
The Warriors’ Green declared that it was the ideal way to start the tournament for the GAW. “This weekend is very exciting for the team, and the guys that missed out last night will be looking to put on a show,” he predicted.
With Emrit and Jason Mohamed being former GAW players, they may be familiar with the conditions prevailing at the venue. Emrit admitted that their experience may help, but explained that conditions vary at Providence. The right-arm seamer said his side has a lot of confidence, and they play as a team and not rely on individuals.
With the Warriors looking forward to facing their next challenge, a confident Green highlighted that the Providence pitch is getting better, and this suits the GAW line-up. The GAW confidence has been boosted by that first win, he disclosed, and heading into their upcoming matches, “a few players stepped up in the first match, and the others will want to do the same,” Green noted.
In the GAW opening match, Captain Shoaib Malik suffered a blow to his hand when a ball struck by Hetmyer nailed it. Green updated the media on Malik’s condition, and disclosed that the skipper is fine.
Malik had earlier posted on Twitter that the scan he had undergone had shown there was no fracture. Green shed some positive light on the GAW home fortress at Providence, explaining that support received is always good for the team. “The passion, the level of encouragement shown by the fans, means a lot to the team; and last night, to have 10,000 people on a Thursday, was pretty exciting”, Green explained.
Looking forward to tonight’s game, Emrit said he has a lot of fans in Guyana, and will be looking to enjoy the game.
The Warriors, most consistent team in CPL, have a 6-2 head-to-head advantage over the Patriots in eight CPL matches in the history of “the biggest party in sport”; but Evin Lewis, Sheldon Cottrell, captain Carlos Brathwaite and company are anticipated to be bringing their ‘A’ game to “the party” in a bid to undermine the fortunes of the GAW.
St Kitts and Nevis Patriots comprise: Evin Lewis, Shamarh Brooks, Alzarri Joseph, Fabian Allen, Mohammad Hafeez, Laurie Evans, Afif Hossain, Keron Cottoy, Aaron Jones, Carlos Brathwaite (C), Rayad Emrit, Devon Thomas, Sheldon Cottrell, Jeremiah Louis, Dominic Drakes, Akeem Jordan and Usama Mir.
Guyana Amazon Warriors comprise: Shimron Hetmyer, Brandon King, Keegan Simmons, Shoaib Malik (C), Sherfane Rutherford, Chandrapaul Hemraj, Shadab Khan, Chris Green, Keemo Paul, Nicholas Pooran, Anthony Bramble, Ben Laughlin, Romario Shepherd, Odean Smith, Veerasammy Permaul, and Clinton Pestano.