Heroics of Mohammed, Smith lead Amazon Warriors to dramatic, thrilling win
Hero Caribbean League 2016…
By Akeem Greene
Asteely 29-ball 42 by Jason Mohammed and a blazing half-century by Dwayne Smith led the Guyana Amazon Warriors to a thrilling four-wicket win over St Kitts and Nevis Patriots on Thursday at Warner Park, in match
Dwayne Smith pulls during his attacking innings of 62
two of the 2016 Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL).
Set 165 to win from their allotted overs, the Warriors fell into some deep trouble but Mohammed shepherded the innings after recovereing from a slow start, hitting six fours to take his team to victory in the cliff-hanger with one ball to spare.
Needing 20 from 12 balls, Mohammed and Sohail Tanvir took 13 runs off the 19th over which left them seven to get from six; Tanvir fell and it was now six from 3 balls, but Mohammed slapped Krishmar Santokie over backward point for four which inevitably sealed the match for the two-time runners-up. .
The Warriors’ innings got off to a blazing start with openers Dwayne Smith and Martin Guptill seizing on any opportunity to score. Smith muscled the ball to the ropes, while Skipper Guptill looked the more elegant, playing some attractive drives and flicks to put the team in hot pursuit of the target.
The Warriors raced to 62 without loss inside the first six overs, but the captain fell just as he was beginning to look threatening. Smith’s rampage continued, reaching the half-century mark by clobbering Samuel Badree for six over mid-wicket.
The carnage came to an end when the right-hander lofted a shot to cover, falling for a splendid 62 (3x4s; 5x6s) from 36 balls, but the team suffered a collapse as Chris Lynn (06), via the run out route, and Christopher Barnwell (05) went in quick succession to put the Warriors in serious trouble at 100 for 4, requiring 65 from 44 balls.
Wicketkeeper Antony Bramble added some impetus to the innings with a flashy 14 to turn the tide in the Warriors’ favour and laid the platform for Mohammed’s valiant fight ack.
Earlier, the Warriors won the toss and elected to bowl first which brought immediate success, as Tanvir got the vital wicket of Lendl Simmons without scoring. A short rain-delay occurred, but upon resumption, the medium pace of Smith leaked runs and the momentum began to flow with the Patriots.
Seamer Rayad Emrit came into the attack and disturbed the stumps of the dangerous Evin Lewis, and it became two wickets in two balls when Barnwell produced a superb piece of fielding in the deep to run out Jonathan Carter.
Captain Faf du Plessis was beginning to look extremely threatening with some thumping pull shots and crisp drives, before he smashed the ball straight to Guptill at extra-cover and the Patriots slipped to 54-4 inside 10 overs.
The Australian Brad Hodge and Devon Thomas stemmed the flow of wickets with a counter-attacking partnership of 60 from 32 balls to put the pressure back on the Warriors. Thomas was extremely aggressive, hitting some sweetly timed sixes straight down the ground.
The skiddy leg-spin of Adam Zampa brought the end of the partnership when he dismissed the experienced Hodge for 32 (4x4s; 1×6), but Thomas continued his merry way with his pugnacious batting display, eking out runs off some loose bowling by the Warriors.
Tanvir seemed to be the man with the golden arm, as he uprooted the stumps of Thomas after he attempted some innovation at the crease, falling for 38 (1×4; 6x4s) off just 17 balls.
The runs kept flowing for the home team, but the wickets kept tumbling at the same time, as World T20 Champion Carlos Braithwaite came and hammered his first ball to the boundary, but that proved to be the only theatrics from him for the night since he soon departed for five. All-rounder Thisara Perera made a rally with a quick fire 20 which allowed the Patriots to post a respectable total.
The Amazon Warriors’ next match is against the defending champions Trinbago Knight Riders on July 2 at the Queen’s Park Oval from 21:00h. ([email protected])
