“Warriors won’t dwell on batting collapses,” says Hetmyer

Guyana Amazon Warriors batter Shimron Hetmyer believes the team’s aggressive approach in the power play has been a major factor behind their success in the ongoing ExxonMobil Global Super League (GSL) T20, while stressing the importance of maintaining a positive mindset despite recurring middle-order collapses.
Speaking after the Warriors’ 53-run victory over the Lahore Qalandars at the Guyana National Stadium, Providence on Sunday, Hetmyer admitted that the opening overs remain the best opportunity for batters to score freely before conditions become increasingly challenging.
“I think as we go on, the power play is more important, because the newer ball comes onto the bat a little bit better and it doesn’t spin as much. For us, it was actually a pretty decent one. Losing a couple of wickets in clusters doesn’t really help, but at the end of it, I think we still came out with a decent-enough score that we could defend,” Hetmyer explained.

The Warriors have enjoyed an unbeaten start to the tournament, but have also experienced periods where wickets fell in quick succession after promising starts. However, the left-hander believes there is no reason for the team to become concerned.
“I guess because of the nature of the tournament, you don’t want to dwell too much on it. You just want to take one game at a time and keep going,” he reasoned.
Hetmyer added that the key for the batting unit is to remain confident rather than allowing previous dismissals to affect their approach.

The batsman explained, “For us, it’s really and truly just about hitting the ball. We shouldn’t go into a negative mindset thinking anything can happen in the middle overs. As a team, we just need to continue doing the good things well and try as best as possible to stay at the crease for as long as possible.”
The Warriors successfully defended 164 against the Qalandars, bowling them out for 111, and Hetmyer credited the team’s resilience and disciplined bowling for sealing another convincing victory.

“I think in Guyana it’s more of a one-off when bowlers really struggle. Last night was one of those nights where we were put under pressure just a little bit, but tonight it was about the fighting spirit that we have in this team.”
He singled out left-arm spinner Gudakesh Motie, whose match-winning spell of 4 for 19 dismantled the Lahore middle order.
“For us, it was about putting the ball in the right areas for as long as possible and waiting for the rewards. I think Motie did that really well tonight. He kept putting the ball in the correct areas and eventually got the rewards.”
The Warriors remain unbeaten after three matches and sit atop the Global Super League standings as they continue their pursuit of a place in the August 1 final. They will be back in action on Wednesday, July 29, from 19:00h against the Perth Scorchers XI in their final preliminary game.