-face Tallawahs this afternoon

IMPRESSIVE left arm swing bowling from Man of the Match Krishmar Santokie, backed by an authoritative innings from Martin Guptil, the Guyana Amazon Warriors came away with a comfortable nine wicket victory over St. Lucia Zouks at the Guyana National Stadium, Providence last night.Winning the toss for the third successive time, Denesh Ramdin had no hesitation in asking the Darren Sammy led Zouks to take first strike, a move that paid dividend as he reduced them to 80 for 8 in the 16th over, before they rallied to 117 all out off 19.2 overs.
This was due mainly to some pugnacious hitting from Sohail Tanvir 32 (24balls, 3×4; 1×6) and a brisk 21 from Mervin Matthew (11balls, 2×6, 1×4), as Santokie who ended with 4 for 11 and Sunil Narine 2 for 21 combined to dismissed the opposition.
Guptil, who stroked an unbeaten 50 (47balls 3×6, 2×4) and Lendl Simmons (32) posted 77 for the first wicket before Sammy bowled Simmons with the first delivery of the 10th over, enabling Guptil and Hafeez (17*) to score the remaining 41 runs from 5.5 overs, to see their team home with Guptil ending the contest with his third six over long off, off the bowling of Tanvir.
Earlier in the contest and with the spectators streaming in, especially in the mound stand, the home team rocked their opponent’s batting line up, sending back Henry Davids (04), Andre Fletcher (04 and Johnson Charles (13, 2×4), to be 29 for 3 after six overs.
The demise of Keddy Lesporis (11), who was run out by the full length of the pitch, thanks to an alert Guptil, whose return from midwicket was accurate to Hafeez, did little to the Zouks’ cause as they were 34 for 4.
A tricky shot for four to third man from Sunil Ambris (13) off Narine posted the 50 for the Zouks in the ninth over, but they slipped further into oblivion shortly after to be 58 for 6, losing Roelef van Der Merwe (06) and Sammy (02).
Tanvir and Ambris pushed the score to 79 before Jimmy Neesham bowled Ambris, but Tanvir in partnership with Matthew, continued to fight back for his team, hitting Neesham for six, before Guptil held a well-judged catch low down to his ankle coming in from deep midwicket, to remove Tanvir.
Beaton was entrusted with the penultimate over, one that saw Matthew hitting him for two sixes back over his head to push the score past the 100 run mark, before Santokie wrapped up the innings when he induced Matthew to pick out Guptil at midwicket, with four balls to go in the final over.
Unlike their partnership against the Red Steel when chasing a similar target, Simmons and Guptil settled in to post 77 for the first wicket, with Guptil hitting Tino Best over long on for six, followed by a four through midwicket off the next delivery.
Sammy replaced Best with Matthew and Guptil welcomed him into the attack, with a six back over his head which was estimated to travel a distance of 85metres, whilst Simmons ended the same over, the fifth of his team’s innings with two fours to push the score to 42.
A six from Simmons off Shane Shillingford raised the 50 for the Amazon Warriors in the sixth over, while Sammy thought he saw enough and introduced himself into the attack, removing Simmons with his first ball.
Guptil continued to soldier on in partnership with Hafeez, posting the 100 by pulling a short ball from Tanvir through midwicket for his second four in the 14th over and fittingly finished the game with his third six over long off, this time off Tanvir.
The action will continue this afternoon at the same venue, when the Amazon Warriors who lead the points table with six points from their three victories to date, face the defending champions Jamaica Tallawahs from 16:00hrs.

Scorecard

St. Lucia Zouks Innings
J Charles b Permaul 13
H Davids b Santokie 04
A Fletcher c Neesham b Santokie 04
K Lesporis run out (Guptil/Hafeez) 11
S Ambris b Neesham 13
R Van der Merwe b Beaton 06
D Sammy c Barnwell b Narine 02
S Tanvir c Guptil b Santokie 32
S Shillingford lbw b Narine 00
M Matthew c Guptil b Santokie 21
T Best not out 03
Extras (lb1, w7) 08
Total (all out off 19.2 overs) 117
Fall of wickets: 1-6, 2-16, 3-29, 4-34, 5-52, 6-58, 7-79, 8-80, 9-94, 10-117
Bowling: Hafeez 4-0-24-0 (w1) Santokie 3.2-0-11-4 Permaul 3-0-15-1 Narine 4-0-21-2 (w2) Beaton 3-0-30-1 (W1) Neesham 2-0-15-1 (w1)

Amazon Warrior Innings
L Simmons b Sammy 32
M Guptil not out 50
M Hafeez not out 17
Extras (w6, b4, lb10) 20
Total (for 1 wkt off 16 overs) 118
Fall of wickets: 1-77
Did not bat: L Johnson, D Ramdin, C Barnwell, J Neesham, V Permaul R Beaton S Narine K Santokie
Bowling: Best 4-0-20-0 Tanvir 4-0-28-0 Matthew 1-0-17-0 Shillingford 3-0-18-0 (w2) Van der Merwe 2-0-14-0 Sammy 2-0-8-1

(By Calvin Roberts)