Pretorius hails Warriors’ never-say-die spirit

Veteran all-rounder Dwaine Pretorius credited the Guyana Amazon Warriors’ relentless bowling attack and unwavering belief after the defending champions produced one of the most remarkable victories in the history of the ExxonMobil Guyana Global Super League (GSL), successfully defending just 85 to defeat the San Francisco Unicorns by six runs and retain their title.
Speaking after the thrilling triumph at the Guyana National Stadium, Providence, East Bank Demerara (EBD), Pretorius admitted the Warriors knew their modest total would be difficult to defend, but remained confident in the quality of their bowling unit.
“We knew it wasn’t going to be easy,” the Player of the Match said, “But we also knew our spin attack is next level. It was all about getting that first breakthrough.”
The South African all-rounder explained that dismissing the Unicorns’ leading run scorer, Tim Robinson, early in the innings gave the Warriors renewed belief that an unlikely victory was possible.

“Robinson had been their most dangerous batter throughout the tournament, so getting him early was massive. We kept saying to each other, ‘one more wicket, one more wicket’, and every breakthrough gave us more confidence. Credit must go to our bowling unit. Over the last four years, they have been incredible.”
Pretorius also reflected on the crucial lower-order partnership he shared with Matthew Forde after the Warriors had slumped to 29 for 8. The pair added 41 valuable runs to lift the total to 70 before Forde was dismissed for a fighting 28.
He noted that while the Warriors boast one of the deepest batting line-ups in the competition, the circumstances demanded resilience rather than flair.
“Forde and I just decided we had to dig in. We knew we would have to battle, try to upset their lengths and stay positive with our footwork. Fortunately, it came off.”
Pretorius revealed that when Captain Imran Tahir joined him at the crease, the target was to somehow push the total to 100.
“I told Tahir that if we could get to 100, you never know what might happen. Unfortunately, his shot didn’t come off. Walking off, I honestly felt we probably needed another 10 or 15 runs to have a realistic chance.”
Despite falling short of that mark, Pretorius said the Warriors’ never-say-die attitude once again proved decisive.
“The Warriors did what the Warriors always do they never give up. When you come to Guyana, you know you’re going to be in a fight.”
That fighting spirit was on full display as the Warriors bowled out the Unicorns for 79, completing a stunning six-run victory to secure back-to-back ExxonMobil Guyana Global Super League titles in front of a jubilant home crowd.