Table-leaders Tallawahs, Warriors square off in Florida

Following a strong start to this year’s tournament, the Guyana Amazon Warriors will have their first overseas match when they lock horns with table-leaders Jamaica Tallawahs in Fort Lauderhill, Florida in Match 11, which bowls off at 20:00h today, Saturday, August 18.

Guyana looked a well-oiled machine, sporting a new-look side with new captain and coaches. The former finalists won two of their three opening home games at Providence, beating St Kitts Patriots and St Lucia Stars in back-to-back games before losing a good game to the Barbados Tridents.

With a few days off since their last match before leaving Guyana, the Warriors will be looking to resume their winning ways come Saturday, but would need to reignite the fire that burned a few matches ago if they are to upset the Tallawahs.
While none of the Warriors has fully fired, they have been exceptional at setting good totals as well as chasing big targets. Openers Chadwick Walton and New Zealander Luke Ronchi have not yet fired on all cylinders, but have managed to play a few good shots and get starts; and with Walton’s knowledge of playing against his country’s franchise and some teammates, each opener would need to get a good score under their belts.
Guyana’s middle-order has been flourishing, with skipper Shoaib Malik getting his feet going with a few good scores, while West Indies player Shimron Hetmyer will most certainly be the player to watch. The Test left-hander is in tremendous form dating back to the ODIs versus Bangladesh prior to the start of CPL.

His fiery match-winning 79 not out in the opening game trumped Chris Gayle’s brutal knock, while he followed up with some brisk knocks of 21 and 22. Hetmyer will be one of the key players to whom the Warriors will look to provide some fireworks.
One major concern for Malik is the form of Jason Mohammed, who has been enduring a tough time with the bat. He managed 16 in the first game before seeing the team home, and 20 not out in game 2; but he fell for a duck in the final match. A good all-rounder and a clean striker, a change of venue could bring out the best in the Trinidadian right-hander.
Another promising star for the Warriors seems to be all-rounder Sherfane Rutherford, who played a mature knock of 48 in a losing cause versus the Tridents, but could likely continue his form and show fans that his whirlwind 134 not out in the Canada T20 tournament was no fluke.
Few worries bother Guyana in the bowling department, as their bowlers have been operating in a pack-like manner, systematically dissecting the opposition’s batting order to restrict or run over teams.

Leading wicket-taker, South African googly-specialist Imran Tahir, could be a handful in the North American conditions; so, too, might be Aussie off-spinner Chris Green, while frontline seamers Sohail Tanvir and Rayad Emrit will want to follow up their good economy returns with more victims.
Jamaica, on the other hand, have been playing purely aggressive cricket, with centurion Andre Russell, among the runs and second on the wicket-takers’ list, leading the franchise for the first time in a positive manner. The Tallawahs, much like Guyana, have a balanced team, and their bowling department have been on a roll thus far.
Bustling fast-bowler Oshane Thomas and experienced left-arm seamer Krishmar Santokie have been among the wickets, and feature in the current top 10 leading wicket-takers with four wickets apiece. Another leading wicket-taker is Australian leggy Adam Zampa, who has been in ripping form with 6 wickets, and could fancy himself against his old franchise.
With veteran Samuel Badree; Guyanese Steven Jacobs, who could also play a role against his old franchise; and classy Imad Wasim, a key player with bat or ball, in the side, the Tallawahs will be up against a potent spin attack.
Tallawahs’ batting will revolve around the dynamic Glenn Phillips, who has scores of 58 and 41 under his belt. International star Ross Taylor smoked a classy 51 not out in the last match after finding some form; while Rovman Powell and Russell will provide power-hitting options in the middle.
This match will be important for Jamaica, who will utilise Florida for their home games, while Guyana will need to rebound from their loss last week and move up from their third place spot come Saturday night.
The Warriors also enter the match with some psychological advantage, beating the Tallawahs twice last season. (Clifton Ross)