In another nail-biting contest, the Guyana Amazon Warriors (GAW) booked their spot in the Republic Bank Caribbean Premier League (CPL) grand final with a commanding all-round performance against the Saint Lucia Kings in Qualifier 1.
Sent in to bat, the Amazon Warriors got off to a lively start thanks to an opening partnership dominated by Ben McDermott’s stroke play. McDermott and Quentin Sampson added 45 runs for the first wicket, setting the tone for the innings. However, David Wiese struck at the end of the powerplay, dismissing McDermott for a well-made 34 off 27 balls, an innings featuring five boundaries and a six.
Wiese struck again, claiming his second wicket of the evening as Sampson fell for a run-a-ball 17, undone by a rash shot. With both openers back in the pavilion, the responsibility shifted to Shai Hope and Shamar Brooks to rebuild the innings. The pair rotated the strike well and punished loose deliveries, guiding the GAW to 77 for 2 at the halfway mark, laying a solid platform for the middle order.
Brooks’ brief stay ended when he was caught on the boundary by Khary Pierre for 6 off 10 balls, giving Alzarri Joseph his first wicket of the night. The Warriors’ woes deepened in the 13th over as Tabraiz Shamsi struck twice – first dismissing Shimron Hetmyer for four, then trapping Hassan Khan lbw for one. Roston Chase followed up by removing Moeen Ali for four, leaving the Warriors reeling at 107 for 6.
Dwaine Pretorius offered a brief spark with a quickfire 17 off 8 balls, but Shamsi returned to finish his spell in style, ending with impressive figures of 3 for 33. Hope, who had anchored the innings, fell for 32 off 29 balls while trying to accelerate the scoring. Romario Shepherd provided late fireworks with 21 off 8 deliveries before being caught at long-on. The innings concluded when Tymal Mills bowled Gudakesh Motie for six, leaving the Amazon Warriors all out for 157 in 19.5 overs.
The home side got off to a dream start with the ball as Pretorius struck in the very first over, uprooting Tim Seifert’s stumps for just one. Shepherd quickly joined the action, removing Johnson Charles for one and putting the Kings on the back foot. Pretorius returned to claim his second wicket, dismissing the in-form Ackeem Auguste for nine, courtesy of a brilliant running catch by Hetmyer in the deep. At three down inside the powerplay, the Kings were in trouble, but Chase and Aaron Jones steadied the innings, taking their side to 37 for 3 after six overs.
Gudakesh Motie tightened the screws, delivering a crucial blow by removing Chase for 18 off 15. On the very next ball, he struck again, dismissing the dangerous Tim David and firmly putting the Kings on the back foot.
Imran Tahir then joined the party, bowling Aaron Jones for 10 as the visitors slipped to 48 for 6 after just eight overs.
Motie wasn’t finished, returning to dismiss Kings’ skipper Wiese, brilliantly caught by a diving Shepherd, reducing the visitors to 49 for 7 in the ninth over. Pierre and Joseph offered brief resistance, putting together a fighting 37-run stand, but Tahir broke the partnership by removing Joseph for 14, finishing with tidy figures of 2 for 22.
Amid the collapse, Pierre stood tall, hitting a valiant half-century off just 29 balls, with three fours and five sixes giving the Kings a flicker of hope. However, it was Motie who had the final say, dismissing Pierre for 50 and sealing the Kings’ fate. Motie finished with superb figures of 4 for 30.
There was late drama as Tymal Mills launched a spirited cameo, smashing 30 off just 17 balls to briefly rattle the home side. His counterattack reduced the equation to 15 needed off the final over, keeping the Kings’ faint hopes alive. But Khan held his nerve, claiming the final wicket and ending the resistance as the Kings were bowled out for 143. The Guyana Amazon Warriors secured a hard-fought victory, booking their place in the CPL grand final.
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