Global Super League

DEFENDING Champions Rangpur Riders began their title defence last against host Guyana Amazon Warriors in match two of the Guyana Global Super League at the Providence Stadium with an eight-run win.

With the floodlights shining down on an immaculately manicured Providence sward, the cheerleaders gyrating to pulsating rhythms pounding from the sound system and a crowd of close to 6,000, the atmosphere was fantastic.

Last year, the Riders played unbeaten while the host lost two of their five matches.

After a magnificent fireworks display, the Guyana National Anthem was played.

Scores: Riders 162-5 (Kyle Mayers 44*) GAW 154 in 19.1 (Johnson Charles 40, Khaled Ahmed 4-36)

When the Warriors began the reply, needing 163 to win, Johnson Charles swivelled and pulled Harmeet Singh for four and stroked Mayers for consecutive boundaries while Rahmanullah Gurbaz deposited the Barbadian over his head for six.

Gurbaz (8) edged Azmatullah Omarzai to the keeper at 29-1 to bring Moeen Ali to the crease.

Charles hammered Harmeet Singh for four and two massive sixes in an over that cost 16.

At the end of the six-over power play, the Warriors were 49-1.

Ali got three boundaries off Khaled Ahmed as it rained boundaries at Providence to the delight of raucous flag-waving fans.

Ali launched into Singh and clobbered him for six before Singh breached Charles’ defence at 77-2. Charles made 40 from balls with five fours and two sixes.

Left-arm wrist spinner Tabraiz Shamsi removed Ali (28) at 79-3 before the 18-year-old Antiguan Jewel Andrew joined forces with Shimron Hetmyer.

Andrew, whose mom is Guyanese, hit Shamsi for an effortless six before he was caught in the same over, looking to repeat the shot. His demise for 14 left the Warriors on 99-4.

Two of the most dangerous left-handers in T20 cricket came together, Hetmyer and Sherfane Rutherford.

Rutherford dumped Saif Hassan for six and struck Shamsi for a four and a six, but edged Khaled Ahmed to the keeper after making 19 to leave the Warriors on 126-5.

Pretorius joined Hetmyer with the home team needing 37 from 33 balls.

However, Hetmyer struggled for 18 balls to make 13 runs, lost his head and his wicket when he tried to go after Ahmed but only managed to find the fielder at mid-wicket with the Warriors on 136-6.

When Gudakesh Motie (3) was stumped off Shamsi, the Warriors still needed 21 in 15 balls.

Pretorius hit Ahmed for six, bringing down the victory total to 15 from eight balls. But he was bowled off the next ball while Shamar Springer (0) and David Weise (6) fell to Azmatullah Omarzai as the Warriors managed the snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.

Khaled Ahmed (4-36), Tabraiz Shamsi (2-24) and Azmatullah Omarzai (2-13) did the damage with the ball for the Riders.

Earlier, the Riders elected to bat, and Soumya Sarkar went after pacer Pretorius, smashing him three glorious boundaries while Saif Hassan stroked the 36-year-old India-born South African for four.

After the six-over power play, the score was 40-0, Sarkar on 26 and Hassan on 14.

The 46-year-old Imran Thair introduced himself into the attack in the seventh over. The India-born South African leggie conceded just six runs.

Left-arm spinner Motie broke the 49-run partnership when he bowled Hassan (18) with a slider, and the large gathering celebrated with him as the Tassa drums rolled.

Sarkar fell to Motie for a run-a-ball 35 with five fours at 55-2.

It was soon 60-3 when Thair dismantled Omarzai’s stumps (3) and, without addition to the score, trapped Yasir Ali (0) to be on a hat trick and prove that age is just a number.

Skipper Nurul Hasan scooped Springer for six but was dismissed in the same over for 18 at 86-5.

Kyle Mayers was dropped off Motie as he counterattacked while Iftikhar Ahmed flicked David Wiese for four and lifted Springer for six.

Ahmed was dropped off Pretorius on 29 by Hetmyer as the pair added 76 in an unbroken stand.

Mayers made 44 not out from 31 balls with three fours and two sixes while Ahmed finished unbeaten on 34 from 21 balls with two fours and a couple of sixes.

Thair had 2-21 and got support from Motie 2-32.

Soca Artiest Patrice Roberts gave a riveting performance at the halftime concert.

Today, Hobart Hurricanes face Rangpur Riders from 10:00 hours, while GAW plays Central Stags under lights from 19:00 hours.