ExxonMobil Guyana Global Super League

THE Guyana Amazon Warriors beat Rangpur Riders by 32 runs last night at Providence to take the ExxonMobil Global Super League T20 title and US$5,000 before a ram-packed Stadium which included Guyana’s President Dr. Irfaan Ali and Vice-President Bharrat Jagdeo.
It is said that when night falls, the stars come out to shine, and last night, Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Johnson Charles shone brightly under lights with a 121-run second wicket stand to propel the Warriors to 196-3, the highest total in the Guyana Global Super League T20 tournament, surpassing Stags’ 167.
Charles (66) was the butcher and reached his 46th T20 fifty from 34 balls with 10 fours, while the elegant Gurbaz (67) was the Surgeon and got to his 33rd half-century from 31 balls with six fours and two sixes.
An unbroken 48-run partnership between Romario Shepherd, who clobbered three sixes and a four in a brutal eight-ball 28, and Sherfane Rutherford, whose unbeaten 19 lasted 15 balls and included a four and six, contributed to the victory.
The Rangpur Riders were restricted to 164 in 19.5 overs despite a 73-run fourth wicket stand between Saif Hassan (41) and Iftikhar Ahmed (46). Mahidul Islam Ankon (30) also staged a lower-order fight back but in the end it was too little too late.
Pacer Dwaine Pretorius (3-37), 46-year-old Skipper Imran Tahir (2-3) and Gudakesh Motie (2-32) combined to orchestrate the Riders’ demise as the crowd of close to 13,000 left the venue with smiles as broad as the Essequibo River.
The Warriors elected to bat on a good cricket pitch and lost Evin Lewis (5) at 21-1 in the fourth over as Khaled Ahmed, the leading pacer (11 wkts) in the tournament, struck.
Gurbaz got going with an imperious cover-driven boundary and followed it up with a superbly timed pull which reached the ropes at mid-wicket like a scud missile, in an over from Kamrul Islam which leaked 10 runs.
Charles smashed four fours in the next over from Azmatullah Omarzai, which cost 17.
After the six-over power-play, the Warriors had galloped to 50-1.
Gurbaz cut left-arm wrist spinner Tabraiz Shamsi for a delightful boundary before stroking him for two more fours.
After 10 overs, the Warriors had raced to 88-1 with Charles on 43, and Gurbaz on 35.
Charles reverse-scooped Omarzai for four and followed it up with two more boundaries in the over.
Charles soon reached his fifty, and those fortunate to beat the traffic on East Bank Public Road in the sold-out crowd were dancing in the stands.
The 100 partnership came from 62 balls as the 36-year-old Charles struggled to run between the wickets.
Gurbaz deposited Soumya Sarkar for six to post his half-century, the ninth in this year’s tournament, before a tired-looking Charles retired hurt for 67 from 48 balls with 11 fours and a six at 142-1.
Gurbaz was dismissed by Shamsi at 148-3 in the 16th over. His 67 lasted 38 balls and was decorated with six fours and four sixes.
Shimron Hetmyer, who made a 10-ball 39 with six sixes in the last game, suffered his fourth low score when he was stumped for a duck off Iftikhar Ahmed at 148-4.
Shepherd launched a brutal attack on the hapless bowlers while Rutherford was more subdued as the crowd danced to pulsating rhythms of the vibes and the Tassa drummers.
The Riders, needing to score at 9.85, slipped to 29-3 before Hassan and Iftikhar Ahmed staged a recovery and after 10 overs score was 65-3 with the partnership on 36.
Hassan hit Shepherd, whose bowling has regressed, for three sixes in an over which cost 19 as the 50 stand came up in 37 balls.
Television replays confirmed that Hetmyer’s heel touched the boundary when he took a catch off Imran Tahir, as Ahmed got six for the shot.
But with the stand worth 73, Hassan was run out off the next ball at 102-4 before Ahmed was trapped lbw to Dwaine Pretorius at 117-5, and Riders never recovered.
Gurbaz (139) ended with the most runs, and Tahir (14) had the most wickets also took MVP Award.
Sean Cameron took a catch beyond the boundary and collected US$1,000 for his effort.