A heart-pounding thriller of a match is what the Guyana Amazon Warriors (GAW) produced on Friday night at the Sir Viv Richards Stadium in Antigua, to start their title defence on an exciting note.
The never-say-die attitude and a lengthy batting depth from the Amazon Warriors helped the 2023 champions to send a strong message to the rest of the Republic Bank Caribbean Premier League 2024 contenders.
With 16 required by the Warriors off the last over, and with a dot ball to start, two consecutive boundaries and what appeared to be a wide ball followed. Eight was still required off two deliveries, and Dwaine Pretorious found the boundary once again.
With 4 runs needed off one delivery, Pretorious launched Mohamed Amir into the stands to really relieve the pressure off the Warriors and their supporters for the first time in their batting innings.
Following their decision to bowl first, the Warriors’ bowling innings was filled with highs and lows, as Antigua and Barbuda Falcons took a few overs to find their rhythm, and lost it again in the face of Gudakesh Motie’s mastery.
.After a stellar effort from Shai Hope inside the circle to have Teddy Bishop run out for 9 runs in the second over, the pair of Fakhar Zaman and Kofi James took a liking to Shamar Joseph and Imran Tahoe’s bowling.
(Photos by Ashley Allen – CPL T20/CPL T20 via Getty Images)
The big shots began with a pair of boundaries off Dwayne Pretorious in the third, and graduated to two 18-run overs in the 4th and 6th. Romario Shepherd tamed the Antiguan rage, and by time Gudakesh Motie finally ambled up to the crease for the 10th, it signalled the falling of Antigua’s second wicket in James for 37 runs.
In fact, Motie showed the Falcons exactly how he ascended to the third position in the ICC T20 bowling rankings. The left- arm spin-bowling Guyanese got into a habit of taking wickets at the beginning of his overs, so much so that when he was deposited over the ropes by Antigua’s 17- year-old wonder boy Jewel Andrew, he gestured to his teammates to remain calm, and had Andrew caught on the boundary in the very next ball.
Imad Wasim began to look threatening, and benefitted from a number of midfield and cheeky shots that allowed the runs to flow; and Joseph was often the victim in what turned out to be an off-day for the Baracara native.
Motie ended with a stellar 3-25 from his four overs, while Pretorious claimed the only other non-run-out wicket, conceding 33 runs in his full complement of overs.
Zaman and Wasim each contributed 40 to Antigua’s total at their own pace, to get the hosts to 168-6 at the end of 20 overs.
Having done so well with the ball, the confidence of the Warriors’ camp in Motie overflowed to the second innings, wherein the Berbician donned the pitch- hitter’s cap.
The experiment accounted for only one six, as Motie was cleaned up by former teammate Chris Green in the subsequent delivery.
