Rain forces no-result in Guyana Amazon Warriors’ opening match

By Brandon Corlette in St Lucia

The groundsmen at the Daren Sammy Cricket Ground had an extremely long day at the office, as rain dominated proceedings in match four of the Republic Bank Caribbean Premier League (RBL CPL).
This encounter was the first match for the Guyana Amazon Warriors, as they were playing hosts St Lucia Kings.
In a reduced affair, Warriors posted 56-2 in their allotted five overs, and then the rain returned to force a no-result. Each team has been awarded one point.

Despite the rain, the Daren Sammy Cricket Ground was packed almost to capacity, and the Guyanese were out in their numbers to see the Warriors in action.
St Lucia Kings had won the toss and opted to bowl first. Warriors left out Kevin Sinclair, Junior Sinclair, Kevlon Anderson, Ronsford Beaton, Matthew Nandu and Hazratullah Zazai.
The match started at 9:30pm, and was reduced to 10 overs per side. The power play consisted of three overs, and five bowlers were allowed to bowl a maximum of two overs each.

Five balls into the reduced game, the rains returned at 9:35pm with Warriors on 4-0. Chandrapaul Hemraj was on three not out and Saim Ayub was yet to get off the mark. Chris Sole, the Scottish speedster, was too hot to handle for Ayub, who was struck on the body before the rain.
The match was then reduced to five overs, and restarted at 10:15pm after the rain interval. Neither Hemraj nor Ayub was fluent in their stroke play, and Warriors were 12-0 in two overs.
Hemraj (04) was then caught at long-on off a sliding Roston Chase with the Warriors score at 14-1. Ayub was then innovative in his strokeplay as Warriors reached 30-1 in three overs.

Azam Khan came at number three and was in shotgun mode. He slammed Alzarri Joseph for a massive six over backward square-leg, and never looked back. Warriors were 49-1 in four overs, and debutant Jair McAllister was given the responsibility to bowl the final over. He was breathing fire and bowling over 140kph in an over that produced seven runs and the wicket of the dangerous Khan, who made 24 from 11 balls.
Ayub was unbeaten on 24 from 16 balls. Sole bowled for 22 runs, and had one wicket in his two overs, while Joseph went wicket-less for 26 runs in his two overs.
After five overs the rain returned, and the hardworking groundsmen were busy again.

The tournament will continue at the Daren Sammy Cricket Ground today, Sunday August 20, with two matches. Jamaica Tallawahs will play Barbados Royals at 10:00h, and Kings will play Patriots at 19:00h. Warriors will play Patriots in St Kitts on August 24.