BACKED by a belligerent half- century from Andrew Lyght Jr, a Leon Johnson led Rest XI recorded an enthralling five wicket victory over the Amazon Warriors in a practice encounter at the Guyana National Stadium, Providence last Saturday night.
Batting first on a docile track, the Warriors who are preparing for the inaugural Limacol Caribbean Premier League T20 Championships which bowls off tomorrow in Barbados, scored 153 for 6 from their 20 overs, with New Zealand’s all rounder James Franklyn hitting a robust unbeaten 61 and Trevon Griffith 45.
In reply, the Rest XI, whose fielders backed their bowlers during the Amazon Warriors’ innings, got 61 from Lyght Jr. and 27 each from Johnson and Shemroy Barrington to reach 153 for 5 off the final delivery of their 20 overs.
Griffith and William Perkins (03) added 34 for the first wicket, with the former hitting both Seon Daniels (0-22) and Andre Stoll (2-42) for maximums before Perkins holed out to Amir Khan off Stoll, while Ramnaresh Sarwan (07) punched one back to Robin Bacchus (1-12) at 53 for 2.
A well set Griffith was next to go, caught by Derwin Christian off Kellon Carmichael (1-29) for his 45 (32balls, 3×4, 2×6), after he was joined by Franklyn who was content on rotating the strike while the talented Griffith picked out the odd boundaries coupled with the twos and threes for his side, at 71 for 3.
Six runs later, the Warriors lost Denesh Ramdin (02) who was caught and bowled by Khan, before Franklyn and Steven Jacobs pushed them to 124, before Jacobs was caught low down by Christian off Stoll, who came in for some rough treatment by Franklyn in the Warriors’ final over.
After seeing Krishmar Santokie being bowled by Dion Ferrier (1-19) in the 19th over at 132 for 6, Franklyn and Veerasammy Permaul who was unbeaten on 02, added 21 from 9 balls, with Franklyn hitting Stoll for two sixes and a four in the final over, as he took 44 balls to accumulate his unbeaten 61 which was decorated with fours sixes and one four.
When the Rest XI began their reply, Lyght Jr. and Bacchus added 20 for the first wicket before the latter was caught by Perkins off Franklyn for 7 in the fifth over, a demise that brought Barrington to the wicket to join Lyght Jr, with whom he added 75 for the second wicket.
Both batsmen showed signs of tentativeness against Santokie who was given a rest by Sarwan after bowling two overs and conceding one run, at which point Lyght Jr. cashed in and exploded on the Warriors’ bowling attack.
Jacobs, who shared the new ball with Santokie, was hit for a two fours and the same number of sixes in his first three overs which ended, with his figures reading 0-25 and when he was brought back for his final over from the Media Centre End, he conceded 10 runs as Lyght and Barrington went on a rampage.
As Sarwan wrung the bowling changes in his attempt to break the partnership, the two right handers found ways to score freely, with Lyght Jr, who faced nine deliveries before he opened his account, took an additional 30 to post his half century with four fours and three sixes, two of which was struck off Jacobs and the other over midwicket off Permaul.
However, in his haste to hit Permaul over midwicket for another boundary, he lost his footing and saw Ramdin complete a smart stumping, enabling Johnson to join Barrington, following which the duo added 21 from 13 deliveries for the third wicket, before Barrington picked out Anthony Ifill at deep midwicket off Santokie.
Johnson had earlier opened his account with two sweetly times fours off Permaul and Keon Joseph, but lost both Barrington and Christian (03) with his team on 124 for 4, before he added 24 with Ferrier to push the score to 148.
With six needed for victory from the final over that was bowled by Permaul, Johnson holed out to substitute fielder Randy Lindore at long on off the first delivery, but Ferrier (16*) and Khan (01*) got the runs off the next five deliveries to seal the win.
Permaul (2 for 28) led the Warriors who were without the services of Christopher Barnwell, Sunil Narine, Mohammed Hafeez and Lendl Simmons, bowling attack while there was a wicket each for Santokie, Franklyn and Joseph for 23, 29 and 32 runs respectively.
The Warriors go up against Trinidad and Tobago’s Red Steel in their first game on Wednesday, followed by their clash with Jamaica’s Tallawahs two days later and their final encounter at home against St. Lucia Zouks on Sunday.
Batting first on a docile track, the Warriors who are preparing for the inaugural Limacol Caribbean Premier League T20 Championships which bowls off tomorrow in Barbados, scored 153 for 6 from their 20 overs, with New Zealand’s all rounder James Franklyn hitting a robust unbeaten 61 and Trevon Griffith 45.
In reply, the Rest XI, whose fielders backed their bowlers during the Amazon Warriors’ innings, got 61 from Lyght Jr. and 27 each from Johnson and Shemroy Barrington to reach 153 for 5 off the final delivery of their 20 overs.
Griffith and William Perkins (03) added 34 for the first wicket, with the former hitting both Seon Daniels (0-22) and Andre Stoll (2-42) for maximums before Perkins holed out to Amir Khan off Stoll, while Ramnaresh Sarwan (07) punched one back to Robin Bacchus (1-12) at 53 for 2.
A well set Griffith was next to go, caught by Derwin Christian off Kellon Carmichael (1-29) for his 45 (32balls, 3×4, 2×6), after he was joined by Franklyn who was content on rotating the strike while the talented Griffith picked out the odd boundaries coupled with the twos and threes for his side, at 71 for 3.
Six runs later, the Warriors lost Denesh Ramdin (02) who was caught and bowled by Khan, before Franklyn and Steven Jacobs pushed them to 124, before Jacobs was caught low down by Christian off Stoll, who came in for some rough treatment by Franklyn in the Warriors’ final over.
After seeing Krishmar Santokie being bowled by Dion Ferrier (1-19) in the 19th over at 132 for 6, Franklyn and Veerasammy Permaul who was unbeaten on 02, added 21 from 9 balls, with Franklyn hitting Stoll for two sixes and a four in the final over, as he took 44 balls to accumulate his unbeaten 61 which was decorated with fours sixes and one four.
When the Rest XI began their reply, Lyght Jr. and Bacchus added 20 for the first wicket before the latter was caught by Perkins off Franklyn for 7 in the fifth over, a demise that brought Barrington to the wicket to join Lyght Jr, with whom he added 75 for the second wicket.
Both batsmen showed signs of tentativeness against Santokie who was given a rest by Sarwan after bowling two overs and conceding one run, at which point Lyght Jr. cashed in and exploded on the Warriors’ bowling attack.
Jacobs, who shared the new ball with Santokie, was hit for a two fours and the same number of sixes in his first three overs which ended, with his figures reading 0-25 and when he was brought back for his final over from the Media Centre End, he conceded 10 runs as Lyght and Barrington went on a rampage.
As Sarwan wrung the bowling changes in his attempt to break the partnership, the two right handers found ways to score freely, with Lyght Jr, who faced nine deliveries before he opened his account, took an additional 30 to post his half century with four fours and three sixes, two of which was struck off Jacobs and the other over midwicket off Permaul.
However, in his haste to hit Permaul over midwicket for another boundary, he lost his footing and saw Ramdin complete a smart stumping, enabling Johnson to join Barrington, following which the duo added 21 from 13 deliveries for the third wicket, before Barrington picked out Anthony Ifill at deep midwicket off Santokie.
Johnson had earlier opened his account with two sweetly times fours off Permaul and Keon Joseph, but lost both Barrington and Christian (03) with his team on 124 for 4, before he added 24 with Ferrier to push the score to 148.
With six needed for victory from the final over that was bowled by Permaul, Johnson holed out to substitute fielder Randy Lindore at long on off the first delivery, but Ferrier (16*) and Khan (01*) got the runs off the next five deliveries to seal the win.
Permaul (2 for 28) led the Warriors who were without the services of Christopher Barnwell, Sunil Narine, Mohammed Hafeez and Lendl Simmons, bowling attack while there was a wicket each for Santokie, Franklyn and Joseph for 23, 29 and 32 runs respectively.
The Warriors go up against Trinidad and Tobago’s Red Steel in their first game on Wednesday, followed by their clash with Jamaica’s Tallawahs two days later and their final encounter at home against St. Lucia Zouks on Sunday.
