GUYANA’S Amazon Warriors led by Veerasammy Permaul in the absence of Dinesh Ramdin, yesterday afternoon squeezed past a Rest XI by five runs in their first practice fixture at the Guyana National Stadium, Providence.
Batting first in sweltering heat, the Warriors, who are presently preparing to compete in this year’s second Limacol Caribbean Premier League, posted 136 for 7 from their 20 overs, thanks to 37 from Shimron Hetmyer and 32 from Navin Stewart, while Trevon Griffith and Robin Bacchus contributed 18 each.Ricardo Adams and Keon Joseph took two wickets each for 20 and 36 runs respectively for the Devendra Bishoo led Rest XI, who in reply reached 131 for 6 from their 20 overs, with Andrew Lyght Jr topscoring with 37, while Anthony Bramble contributed 32.
When the Amazon Warriors batted, Griffith and Hetmyer posted 46 for the first wicket before the introduction of Adams saw the demise of Griffith, who after facing 10 balls for his 18, three of which he struck for four, punched one straight back to the bowler, off the first delivery of the 5th over.
Six overs later and Hetmyer, who struck Adams for the first six of the match over wide long on, holed out to Randy Lindore at 77 for 2, which became 97 for 4, following the quick demise of Steven Jacobs (03) and Bacchus.
Some lusty hitting from Stewart, who struck Amir Khan, Devendra Bishoo and Joseph for maximums, took the score to 121 in tandem with Chandrapaul Hemraj (09, 1×4), before Adams took a well judged catch at deep midwicket to remove Stewart off Raun Johnson (1 for 30), while Joseph removed both Hemraj and Permaul (05) in the final over.
When the Rest XI began their reply, Lyght Jr and Shemroy Barrington 17 (22balls, 2×4) pushed the score to 46 before Barrington pushed softly at one from Stewart and picked out the waiting hands of Jacobs at long off.
A dehydrated Lyght Jr and Rawle Browne (03) carried the score to 68, before Browne was caught by Griffith off Bacchus at 68 for 2, followed nine runs later by Lyght Jr who mis-timed a heave off Ashkay Persaud and was bowled having faced 40 balls for his 37, with three fours.
Bramble and Adams pushed the score to 106, before Adams who struck two fours and six in his 15 was run out looking for a second run.
Needing to get 11 off the final over that was bowled by Ronsford Beaton (2 for 34), the Rest XI saw Christopher Pattadin (10) miss the first two balls while he got a single off the third, followed by Bramble’s four to third man, but they fell short as both Bramble and Pattadin perished off the next two deliveries, caught at midwicket as Beaton ended with 2 for 34.
Both sides will play their second and final practice fixture at the same venue from 14:00hrs today, before the Amazon Warriors break camp and head to Grenada for their first game against Antigua Hawksbill this Friday.
Written By Calvin Roberts