Warriors seeking rebirth from home crowd, as must-win battle looms

By Clifton Ross
FOR the first time after a number of years, tournament favourites and local franchise, Guyana Amazon Warriors, are faced with an uphill task of winning all their remaining matches. but with home advantage in effect. This evening they battle against Jamaica Tallawahs.

But before that match ,the opening round of the double-header at 10:00hrs will feature table-toppers Barbados Royals, with 14 points almost double the points ahead of the second-placed team and the second-to-last-placed St Kitts and Nevis Patriots.

The Royals have already qualified having lost just one game. The Patriots, much like the Warriors have much to do after losing four matches with just 6 points under their belts.

The Warriors have been searching for a turnaround, having won just 1 of their six games played and the physical disadvantage of being placed last on the points table, could either affect the way they play positively or see them effectively being shot out of the tournament.

Things have shifted a bit in favour of the Warriors, who will suit up in front of their home crowd at Providence, which will host the final stages of the competition and could possibly play a crucial role in the outcome of the next four games Guyana will need to win in order to progress.

Warriors skipper Shimron Hetmyer is the team’s leading run-scorer with 149 runs from the 5 matches played. He’s also a few runs shy of being in the top 10, currently placed at number 11 on the tournament’s leading run-scorers chart. With immense responsibility on his shoulders now more than ever, the left-hander will need to put on a show with the bat in-front of his home crowd.

The departure of Heinrich Klaasen, the South African international batter, has brought in a few changes to the side, most notably that of Bangladesh star all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan. Shakib’s presence as an international skipper for his country in the past, could help ease the nerves around the camp and especially Hetmyer’s.
Apart from Chandrapaul Hemraj, who has 100 even runs under his belt to date, and Klaasen who has already departed, no other batter has managed to take their tournament aggregate of runs over the 100-mark.

Despite the lack of runs to date, the likes of Shai Hope, Keemo Paul, Romario Shepherd, Colin Ingram and a few others, Warriors will basically need to bat around their top-3 or 4 in-form players, providing the power-hitting and late runs needed.Raymon Reifer (172 runs), skipper Rovman Powell (219), and opener Brandon King (222) have been in dangerous form with the bat throughout this season, hence Jamaica’s solid 3rd place position. Support will come from Shamarh Brooks, Amir Jangoo and Fabian Allen along with Pakistan International all-rounder Imad Wasim, all who have been extremely efficient with the bat.

The surface at Providence has been a paradise for spin and cunning bowling over the years, lending to the Warriors’ well-stacked department of ball operators. Overseas leg-spinners Tabraiz Shamsi, also the Warriors leading wicket-taker with 8 victims thus far and veteran Imran Tahir, along with Shakib will play a key role, so too could fellow left-arm spinner, Gudakesh Motie, who should make the final XI once fit, forming a quartet of world-class spin.

Odean Smith, Shepherd, Paul and speedster Ronsford Beaton are all good options should the Warriors look to mix their attack. On the other hand, Mohammed Amir has been arguably the best pacer of the tournament with 13 wickets, just 2 shy of tournament wicket-taker Alzarri Joseph who sits on 15.

The Pakistan left-arm pacer, coupled with countryman Wasim in the spin department with 11 scalps to date, could pose some trouble for the home team.

Ex-Warriors captain, off-spinner Chris Green will have a chance to show up against his old team having been in decent bowling form for the Tallawahs this season, leaving an incoming Mohammad Nabi as the only new player to get some time in the middle, should he play tonight.

Tonight’s action bowls off at 19:00hrs.