EXCELLENT lower- order hitting from Guyanese all-rounder, Keemo Paul (38) and Chris Green (28) ensured that the Guyana Amazon Warriors got to a respectable total of 155-9, while leg-spinner Shadab Khan tightened (3-16) the screws with the ball to ensure they started the Hero CPL 2019 campaign with a 13- run win over the St Lucia Zouks at the National Stadium here in Guyana at Providence.
Pegged as one of the most consistent teams since the inception of the Caribbean Premier League (CPL), the Warriors looked a tad bit rusty as they were sent in to bat by the St Lucia Zouks. Their top and middle order batsmen, with the exception of skipper Shoab Malik (28) and local boy Shimron Hetmyer (24), failed to get going as the Zouks made early inroads.
Opener Brandon King (7) who started the innings with a four off the first delivery of the game, was the first to go caught by wicket-keeper Fletcher off the bowling of Kesrick Williams in the third over. Chandrapaul Hemraj followed suit in the next over, caught off the bowling of Krishmar Santokie for just 14 to leave the Warriors on 25-2.
Hetmyer and Malik then came together to steady the ship with a partnership of 48; Hetmyer looked out of sorts in his knock of 24 (26 deliveries, 4×1) and departed in the 12th over, the first of Obed McKoy’s four victims.
Nicholas Pooran, highly touted as the Warriors trump card, went for a first ball duck; McKoy dismantling his stumps. Sherfane Rutherford hit two quick fours but soon departed for 10, stumped by Fletcher off of mystery leg-spinner, Fawad Ahmed, to leave the Warriors wobbling on 85-5.
In strode Paul, but Malik would soon perish via the same route off the same bowler at 98-6 in the 14th over.
But some exciting batting from Paul and vice-captain Green lifted them out of the doldrums; Paul struck three fours and three sixes in a highly entertaining 38 from just 22 deliveries; two of the fours coming back-to-back off Santokie in the 18th over. However, Paul then holed out the very next over to give McKoy his third wicket with the score on 146.
Chris Green then struck a couple of lusty blows in his enterprising 28 (15 deliveries, 4×2, 6×1) in the 20th over to get his side to a more than challenging total of 155-9 when he was run out off the last delivery of the innings.
McKoy ended with figures of 4-41 from his four overs. He was supported by Fawad Ahmed who took 2-25 (4 overs) while Santokie and Williams took a wicket apiece.
Chasing 156 for victory, the Zouks looked to attack, with a couple of boundaries coming off the first over of Keemo Paul. However, Shadab Khan struck in the third over, bowling Andre Fletcher for 8.
Green, after his heroics with the bat, removed danger-man Rahkeem Cornwall (36) who looked to be taking the game away through some lusty blows; Cornwall went LBW to leave the Zouks on 53-3 in the sixth over.
Shadab then stifled the middle-order along with the economical Romario Sheperd who had a good game with the ball (2-18, 4 overs); together they contrived to restrict the Zouks who kept losing wickets at regular intervals.
In the end, the lack of batsmen and good fielding from the Warriors restricted the Zouks to 142-9 off their allotted 20 overs.
Shadab Khan with his 3 for 16 (4 overs) was the pick of the bowlers while Romario Sheperd and Chris Green (2-28, 4 overs) took two wickets apiece with Ben Laughlin taking 1-39 from his four overs.
The Warriors next assignment is the St. Kitts and Nevis Patriots at the same venue on Saturday (September 7) at 20:00hrs.
