Republic Bank CPL: GAW move into top spot with 35-run win over Kings

Republic Bank Caribbean Premier League (RBLCPL) Champions, Guyana Amazon Warriors, have regained their rightful place at the top of the CPL points table following their fourth consecutive victory at home.
Under the blistering sun on Saturday morning, the St. Lucia Kings became the Amazon Warriors’ latest victims as they failed to chase a +200-run total.
They had been asked to bowl first at the Guyana National Stadium, and the first two overs faced by Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Azam Khan were quiet ones, with Khary Pierre and Alzarri Joseph conceding 5 and 4 runs respectively. However, as the Warriors became more accustomed to the rotation, the run rate shot up significantly, and boundaries began to flow freely.

The situation only got better for the defending champions when Noor Ahmad was introduced into the attack, with a hat trick of boundaries coming in the first five balls. But the Afghanistan native had the last laugh when Khan (26) skied his final delivery and it was comfortably taken by Pierre at short fine leg.
In the blink of an eye, the pair of Warriors in the middle changed completely, as Gurbaz (26) fell prey to David Wiese in the subsequent over.
At the very least, however, Warriors could rest assured with the Hetmyer-Hope pair that fired them to a commanding total three nights prior. This time around, Shimron Hetmyer took control of the partnership and acted as the aggressor, while Hope had added time to get comfortable on the conditions.
Hetmyer ensured there was at least a boundary of some sort in each over, and with Hope pitching in, Warriors’ scoring lingered around ten runs per over.
The Berbician, who took a liking to Shadrack Descarte’s bowling in the 14th over, slammed 16 runs to race past the 50-run mark in just 26 balls. However, Alzarri Joseph exacted revenge on Descarte’s behalf by teasing Hetmyer with a slow off cutter, which he sent flying into the reliable hands of Faf du Plessis to end another exceptional innings of 58 from 20 deliveries.

By that juncture, Hope, with almost a run-a-ball 26, knew that he had to get going. The Barbadian thrashed Khary Pierre’s final over for 24 runs to bring up his second consecutive 50 in just 29 balls. Hope could not convert the score, however, and fell prey to David Wiese in the next over for 56 after a glorious Republic Bank maximum, and there began the Amazon Warriors’ brief lull.
Following Hope’s wicket in the 17th, Keemo Paul, Moeen Ali and Romario Shepherd fell one after the other in each of the remaining overs. The wickets were punctuated by occasional boundaries which got the defending champions up to 207-7 by the end of the innings.

The Royals showed their intent to stay at the top of the table with an aggressive start, but the Amazon Warriors were equally up to the challenge. After Gudakesh Motie’s opening over had gone for 11, and he had dropped a Johnson Charles catch for 6 in the same over, it appeared as though the situation was getting woeful, but the Berbician had his revenge in his next over when he dismissed Charles for 12.
The pendulum again swung in the visitors’ favour when du Plessis slammed 22 runs off Romario Shepherd’s first over, but Moeen Ali ended the party before it could get going by removing Ackeem Auguste in the following over.
Then Captain Tahir came to the party, striking once in each of his first two overs.

To add the cherry on top, Tahir played a part in capturing the wicket of Tim Seifert in the following over, when he dived to his left at short fine leg to pick up a brilliant catch and gift Moeen Ali his second wicket.
Again Tahir took off sprinting, and the spirited Amazon Warriors fans joined their captain in jubilation.
At that point they knew that, with the Kings on 77-5, the Amazon Warriors were confident of another sure victory.
Opposing Captain du Plessis carried his team on his back in fighting several bouts of violent cramps to ensure his team was not bowled out. The South African persisted even after the wickets of David Wiese and Shadrack Descarte, and was able to rely on the experience of Alzarri Joseph in the end.
Joseph proved to be an enduring partner, hitting the second highest score on the team: 25 from 21 deliveries, to support du Plessis’ unbeaten 92 off 59, as the Kings ended their innings on 172-7, being 35 runs short of their target.