ROSS Taylor and Rovman Powell, were the chief architects in ensuring the Jamaica Tallawahs script an easy eight-wicket win over the Guyana Amazon Warriors in the Hero Caribbean Premier League game last evening at the National Stadium, Providence.

On a surface ideal for batting, both Taylor and Powell struck unbeaten half-centuries, and were too strong for the hosts to handle in a third-wicket unbroken stand of 114 runs.

The target of 174 was not less, but the condition of the pitch was in favour of the batsmen. Overall, the Tallawahs was a better side with its batsmen in better control of the situation and both Taylor (60) and Powell (55), knocks were  add-ons for the visitors.

In the end, the visitors won the chase with 11 balls to spare, and moved up to the second spot in the points table.

Earlier, the Amazon Warriors omitted Captain Rayad Emrit, whose performance and captaincy came under serious scrutiny. Led by Chris Green, the Warriors brought in Keemo Paul for Emrit, while Veerasammy Permual came in for Romario Shepherd, who was surprisingly left out.

Asked to bat first, Jason Mohammed top-scored, notching up his first 50 of the season, 54 off 33 deliveries, but it could safely say it was a collective effort from their batsmen, as they scored 101 in the final 10 overs of the innings.

The Warriors found themselves in a tricky position at 18-1 with opener  Luke Ronchi dismissed to a soft dismissal, off Oshane Thomas, but that did not stop his opening partner, Cameron Delport from playing his natural game, and got the Warriors off to a decent start.

Joined by Shimron Hetmyer, the South African Delport punished some poor deliveries from the Tallawahs’ bowlers as he looked to be aggressive against anything loose.

However, after hitting five fours and a six in his 23-ball, 34, Delport made good contact on a slog sweep, but didn’t get the required elevation, and was caught by Powell at long-on, who timed his jump perfectly for a one-handed catch, off leg-spinner Samuel Badree, at 60-2, at the end of the eight overs.

Hetmyer collaborated with Mohammed to score 61 for the third-wicket. The partnership, which lasted 7.2 overs, did not only give the pair the perfect platform to launch, but set their team up for a strong total, courtesy also of Chadwick Walton’s (16-ball 25),cameo towards the end.

The left-hander, Hetymer, made 48 off 41 balls with four fours and a six before he was taken at deep mid-wicket off debutant Ish Sodhi. In total disrespect to the rules of the game, Hetymer threw his bat in anger.

However, Hetymer’s dismissal did not suck the momentum out of the home team’s innings, as Mohammed, who struck five fours and three sixes and Walton (2×4, 2×6), launched a counter attack, and played a flurry of shots at the back end of the innings.

After a brisk start, where Glenn Phillips made a 17-ball 27 and Johnson Charles 25 off 19 balls, Imran Tahir accounted for both the openers in the space of 14 balls.

The leg-spinner got the better of both batsmen with his trademark googlies, but Ross Taylor and Rovman Powell, then played their part to perfection, and the visitors were well in the game at the half-way stage of the second innings, at 82-2.

The duo then fired in a blaze-of-boundary hitting, and went on, undeterred until the end. The Amazon Warriors and Trinbago Knight Riders clash this evening in the final preliminary game.

Guyana Amazon Warriors innings
L Ronchi † c Powell b Thomas 6
C Delport c Powell b Badree 34
S Hetmyer c de Grandhomme b Sodhi 48
J Mohammed c & b Powell 54
C Walton run out (†Phillips) 25
R Primus b Powell 0
Sohail Tanvir not out 1
Extras: (lb 5) 5
Total: (20 overs, RR: 8.65) 173/6
Fall of wickets: 1-18, 2-60, 3-121, 4-168, 5-172, 6-173
Bowling: O Thomas 4-0-40-1, S Badree 4-0-24-1, S Jacobs 4-0-29-0, I Sodhi 4-0-36-1, C de Grandhomme 2-0-18-0, R Powell 2-0-21-2

Jamaica Tallawahs innings
G Phillips † lbw b Imran Tahir 27
J Charles b Imran Tahir 25
R Taylor not out 60
R Powell not out 55
Extras: (lb 4, nb 2, w 4) 10
Total: (18.1 Overs, RR: 9.74) 177/2
Fall of wickets: 1-40, 2-63