Cometh the hour; Cometh the ‘KING!’
The Guyana Amazon Warriors team on a lap of honour at the conclusion of the home games
The Guyana Amazon Warriors team on a lap of honour at the conclusion of the home games

– Warriors win 11th straight game

THE Guyana Amazon Warriors’ top-to-bottom depth was too much for the Barbados Tridents as they reached the final of the region’s premier T20 tournament, the Hero Caribbean Primer League for the fifth time.

Brandon King acknowledges his teammates and fans after reaching his maiden T20 hundred. (Adrian Narine Photos)

Led by Shoaib Malik, the Amazon Warriors came out on top in all departments, but it was opener and player-of-the-match Brandon King, who clinched the limelight with a superlative innings which was the backbone for the Warriors 30-run win over the Barbados Tridents in qualifier 1, last evening at the National Stadium, Providence.

The Warriors ended their campaign at home with their 11th straight win.

The 24-year-old King, before this season, had one career half-century in 18 T20s, but is now the CPL’s leading scorer in 2019 after hitting the highest score in CPL history, as part of a record total at Providence.

He smashed his maiden T20 century to power the Amazon Warriors to a commanding 218-3.

It was a batting masterclass from King as he remained unbeaten on 132 off 72 balls with his batting pyrotechnics.

Romario Shepherd celebrates with teammates after taking a wicket

King was at his brutal best as he hit ten boundaries and eleven towering sixes to propel the Warriors to the big total after they decided to bat first.

The Warriors had an opening partnership of 73 in 9.1 overs between King and Chandrapaul Hemraj that set the tone for the rest of the innings.

Having been restricted to only eight runs in the first two overs, the right-handed King broke loose in the third over when he clobbered Jason Holder for a six and three consecutive fours.

Hemraj then got into the act with a six and four off left-arm seamer Raymond Reifer but his brisk 27 ended soon after, caught and bowled off leg-spinner Hayden Walsh.

Hemraj’s dismissal brought Shimron Hetymer to the crease, but again he failed to make any impact with the bat, caught on the mid-wicket boundary off Holder for just three.

After Hemraj and Hetymer fell in quick succession, King combined with Malik to punish the Tridents attack. King struck his seventh six en route to his century in just 59 balls while Malik surpassed 9,000 T20 runs in the process before he was bowled by Walsh for a 19-ball 32.

Nicholas Pooran then muscled two sixes towards the close.

At this stage, the Tridents had needed a miracle, since the run chase was up against the most in-form bowling unit this season.
The Tridents needed someone in the top-order to play a significant knock.
All got starts, but none converted it into an innings of some substance.

Late cameos from Jonathan Carter (49), and Holder (29), only ensured that the margin of defeat wasn’t too heavy.

Alex Hales contributed 36 at the top. It was a complete bowling from the Warriors with Romario Shepherd claiming 3-50 while Imran Tahir and Odean Smith had two wickets apiece.

The Amazon Warriors now await the winner of the Tridents and Trinbago Knight Riders clash.

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