By Sean Devers
TO the delight of over 15,000 fans at the Providence Stadium last night, Guyana Amazon Warriors beat Trinbago Knight Riders for the second time and seventh overall to move to 15 points and top of the table.
The emphatic six-wicket win kept TKR on 13 points after Shai Hope’s 37-ball 54 with two fours and three sixes, Smith’s 44 from 32 balls with four fours and three sixes and Saim Ayub’s 24-ball 37 with five fours and two sixes leading to 177-4 in 18. 2 overs replying to 176-8 made by the Knight Riders.

A magnificent 83 from 49 balls with seven fours and four sixes from 26-year-old Kacey Carty, who got support from Mark Deyal whose 37 lasted 20 balls and included eight fours while Chadwick Walton scored 25 from 27 balls with two boundaries.
Warriors 44-year-old skipper Imran Tahir produced a mesmerising four-over spell of leg-spin bowling to end with 3-12 for the Warriors who won with 10 balls to spare.
When Warriors began the chase Smith, who conceded 50 runs from three overs was sent to open the batting with consistent 21-year-old Pakistani Ayub.

The pair carried the score to 56 in the six-over power play before the left-handed Ayub, who scored three consecutive fifties on course for a fourth, playing fluency and confidence; hitting five elegant fours and a couple of effortless sixes.
But when on 37 from Ayub fell to Hosein’s left arm spin at 56-1 in 6.2 overs to the Odean Smith show.
Smith, picked for his bowling, played some brutal shots, one of which was a 103-meter six on the roof of VIP suites and after 10 overs the Warriors were large and in charge in their own backyard on 92-1

It is said that when night falls, stars come out to shine and last night in a tremendous atmosphere, the unlikely star was Smith
Smith, built like a light heavyweight boxer, was dropped thrice but rode his luck with ultra-aggressive batting which had an energised crowd eating out of his hand.
Shai Hope also made his presence felt with an array of elegant shots but with the score on 117, Smith’s luck ran out when he was well taken in deep to end an entertaining 61-run second wicket stand.

Smith’s demise brought Guyana’s most talked about modern-day cricketer Berbican Shimron Hetymer. His arrival sparked an electrifying atmosphere and plenty of arguments about the man who has a love/Hate relationship with his fans.
But when Hetmyer drilled his fourth ball to short cover off Deyal at 126-3 after making two, the Trini fans were out of their seats after being silenced by Smith’s onslaught.
Khan hit a six and four in 12 from five balls before he fell to Jayden Searles at 139-4 in the 15th over.
Hope again looked well composed and deposited Samit Patel for a towering straight six before reaching his fourth 50 in this format.

Earlier, Warrior invited the Knight Riders, who rested Pooran, Russell, Narine, and Ali Khan, to bat on a good track and very quick outfield
The largest crowd of the Guyana leg which included President Ali and several of his Ministers, watched as Martin Guptill (1) was run out in the second over by a moment of brilliance by Junior Sinclair with the score on 5-1 and colourful fans, dressed in Warriors colours, erupted in delight.

The left-handed Deyal cut Shepherd for back-to-back boundaries and after a ‘dot ball’ the Barbican conceded a third four as 12 came off the over.
A confident LBW shot was given against Walton but was overturned by the review before Deyal pulled Shepherd for four.
The 30-year-old Trinidadian stroked Keemo Paul for two fours before edging a cut to the keeper in the same over to leave the four-time champions on 46-2 in the fifth over.
Tahir confused Carty and after the six power playovers, Knight Riders were 49-2.

Walton drove Gudakesh Motie for four before he was miss-stumped by the burly Azam Khan on 10.
Odean Smith, who has been expensive this season, was introduced in the 10th over and at the end of it the Knight Riders were 73-2.
Carty pulled Smith for an enormous six and cut him for four while Walton smashed him four more as the over leaked 18, and TKR fans in the stands were dancing to rhythms of the Tassa drums.

But when Walton missed an ugly swipe and was bowled by the evergreen Tahir it was the Warriors fans who were lusty waving their Guyana and Warriors flags.
The Carty soon reached his fifty in his third game in this format, from 35 balls with three fours and three sixes as Smith, who was switched to the Southern end, conceded 26 runs in his third over.

Skipper Kiron Pollard swivelled on one leg like Gordon Greenidge and pulled Shepherd for four while Carty off-drove and Uppercut for fours as boundaries rained at Provident in the middle of an El Nino weather pattern in Guyana.
Shepherd struck at 150 in the 18th over when he had Pollard (9) plumb in front, but Carty, from the Island of St Martin, kept going and galloped into the 80s with a lofted six off Shepherd.
But just set for his maiden ton, Carty was befuddled by Tahir was stumped and would have been on a hat trick had Shepherd not dropped Akeil Hosein, first ball.

The live-wire from Afghanistan was in the action when he collected a return from the deep to run out Kadeem Allen (2) before having Hosein (2) on the mid-wicket boundary as Trinidad slipped from 150-4 to 169-7 and Tahir was on fire.
Terrence Hinds (1) was dismissed by Dwain Pretorius in the final over and the Warriors had managed to restrict the Knight Riders for a far smaller total than many in the ram-packed venue were predicting
Tonight, the Warriors face Barbados Royals from 19.00hrs under the lights at the same venue.