Quentin Sampson’s belligerent 11- ball blitz solidified the Guyana Amazon Warriors’ place at the top of the Republic Bank Caribbean Premier League (CPL) standings in a tense encounter with the St. Lucia Kings at the Guyana National Stadium, Providence on Wednesday night.
Sampson muscled 1 four and 5 sixes for a quick- fire 37 that proved to be just what the hosts needed after a slow chase.
Sensational Sampson
Chasing 120, the agonizingly slow start to the chase from the opening pair was exacerbated by Mavendra Dindyal’s wicket, chipping down the track to Roston Chase in the fourth over. Not quite middling the shot, Pienaar trotted in from long- on to take a simple catch.
Seemingly trying to avoid a collapse similar to the night prior, Shi Hope and Glenn Phillips took their time to do the hard yards, producing a 53- run (58 balls) partnership for the second wicket. The boundaries were few and far between but the pair’s running between the wicket made up for the snail’s pace at which they went.
By the 12th over, Phillips had enough of the go- slow, freeing his arms with a maximum over deep square. A boundary in the ensuing over off Theekshana’s bowling followed but he had hit one too many, playing Theekshana’s next delivery too early to be castled for 37 off 40 balls.
The St. Lucia Kings enjoyed the next two overs on top of the battle, as they removed Hope and Mehidy Hasan Miraz for 21 and 1 respectively. At 72.4, the Amazon Warriors were staring down a required run rate of almost 10 an over, going at just 4.80.
With Shimron Hetmyer and Quentin Sampson at the crease, there was still a mountain of hope for the hosts.
Samspon was, evidently, playing on a different surface as compared to the batters that struggled before him. He displayed his biblical power, muscling several maximums to bring the Amazon Warriors equation down to a manageable stage.
But he just couldn’t stop hitting sixes, blasting Matthew Forde over long on and into the Red Stand for the match- winning maximum.
Five- star Tahir
Taking first strike, Tim Seifert never looked up to the task on Wednesday evening and when the first ball of Dwaine Pretorius’ second over rapped him high on the pads, he decided against the review and walked back to the dugout for 4.
Kamil Pooran had a timid start, finding the boundary just once in the first over, even with 6 fielders manning the offside as he opened the face off his bat.
However, the Trinidadian batter continued to play a brave innings, piercing that side of the field time and time again, to find the boundary and when that wasn’t daring enough, he cleared the ropes in what was becoming an entertaining knock, much to the Guyanese crowd’s dismay.
Pooran persisted as he watched John Campbell come and go for 12 of 8 after taking a hit down town to find a safe pair of hands in Quentin Sampson at long off; gifting Mehidy Hasan Miraz his maiden wicket for the Amazon Warriors in his very first over.
Imran Tahir’s familiar run to the grass mound, arms outstretched and cheers bellowing came in the 8th over as he downed the big fish of the night, Pooran. Umpire Chris Taylor took a beat before raising the finger, met with a look of defeat from Pooran who went for the review.
Eventually, he had to walk back to the dressing room for 43 off 35 balls, having hit 6 fours and 2 sixes as the review projected that the ball would crash into the top of leg stump.
It didn’t take Tahir long to take off sprinting again as Roston Chase took a hit on the pad in the 10th over. This time though, the Kings’ Captain walked without considering the review.
It was a baptism of fire for local boy Kemol Savory who was making his debut for the St. Lucia Kings, coming in with his team at 64-4. The score was soon 69-5 as savory’s debut was short lived, becoming Miraz’ second victim of the night.
The Essequibo native would have done well to call for the review though as ball tracking revealed the likelihood if it missing the leg stump.
The Amazon Warriors debutant continued to impress, baiting Charith Asalanka into an indecisive shot which only went as far as Shai Hope behind the stumps for a caught behind.
In spite of the questions on whether or not Asalanka made contact with the ball, the Kings’ wickets continued to fall quickly. Captain Tahir had his third in his third over, rocking back McKenny Clarke’s stumps for a duck.
At 73-7, the Kings were in all sorts of trouble.
Matthew Forde didn’t do much to ease his team’s woes, opting to leave alone the last delivery of Tahir’s 3rd over which produced sharp turn, zipping into his off stump.
73-8; more trouble for the Kings.
Miraz was able to close out his four over spell quietly in the ensuing over, ending with 3-13. But for Imran Tahir, 4 wickets were not quite enough. Tahir pulled out the wrong’un against Joshua Bishop and almost instantaneously broke out the appeal which was given by the umpire without a second thought. For the fifth time that night, Tahir raced to the front of the grass mound, replicating the Cristiano Ronaldo ‘Siuuu’ in celebration of his fifth scalp that night.
Glenn Phillips’ experimental over was punished by Obus Pienaar who dispatched two fours and a six in the 16- run spell. When more spin could not answer their questions, the Amazon Warriors turned back to pace, which took a while to seal the innings.
The partnership between Pienaar and Maheesh Theekshana costed the Amazon Warriors 38 runs in 29 deliveries.
Soon enough though, Tahir was again involved, taking a regulation catch at long off to dismiss Pienaar for 35 off 28 and bring the Kings’ innings to a close on 119 after 18.5 overs.
The Republic Bank CPL will continue with a battle between the Barbados Tridents and St. Kitts and Nevis Patriots from 19:00hrs today.
However, the Amazon warriors will close out their home leg with an anticipated clash against the Trinbago Knight Riders on Friday, September 11 from 19:00hrs.
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