THE Guyana Amazon Warriors beat Trinbago Knight Riders (TKR) by three wickets with a ball to spare in their first home game in the Republic Bank CPL T20 last night at Providence to the fourth with eight points.

It is said that when night falls, stars come out to shine and last night at Providence, 36-year-old Kieron Pollard did just that with a pugnacious 18-ball unbeaten 54, decorated with five blistering fours and five massive sixes as TKR recovered from a slow start to clobber 74 runs in their last five overs to end on 167-5 off 20 overs
However, his heroics were not enough to prevent the home team from reaching 168-7 in 19.5 overs with Shai Hope registering his fourth fifty in this tournament while Shimron Hetmyer fell one short of his fifty.

But it was man-of-the-Match Dwaine Pretorius who finished unbeaten on 26 with three sixes after claiming 1-26 from three overs with the ball.
The Knight Riders were invited to bat on a good track and a lightning-fast outfield, and Colin Munroe got going with three boundaries off Pretorius.
However, at 20-0, Munroe (17) attempted to deposit for six but was taken at long-on by Keemo Paul, playing his first game of the season.
Pooran was shaken up by a blow to his helmet from a nasty bouncer from Romario Shepherd before Alex Hales (7) had off-stump knocked out by Shepherd at 24-2.
Moeen Ali got one to turn prodigiously and comprehensively bowled Pooran for 13 with three boundaries.
Pooran’s demise left TKR, who beat the Warriors in Trinidad, on 39-3 in the sixth over.

The 36-year-old Daren Bravo, with 19 fifties in T20 cricket, swept Imran Tahir for four and, along with Keacy Carty, struggled to score freely. After 10 overs, the score was 58-3.
Bravo greeted left-arm spinner Gudakesh Motie with an effortless six over long-off as the former West Indies left-hander stepped on the gas.
The 50 partnership was posted from balls as the pair steadied the ship.

But it was the 46-year-old veteran leg-spinner Imran Tahir who broke the stand in the 16th over when a loose drive by Bravo was taken at cover to give Tahir, the leading wicket-taker in the tournament, his 14th wicket and leave TKR on 95-4.
Pollard struck Pretorius for a couple of fours before depositing for two massive sixes
Carty struggled for 35 balls for his 29, with two fours and was forced to retire out 127-5.
The 36-year-old Pollard dumped Tahir for a humongous six.

He took 20 from Shepherd’s final over with two sixes and a couple of fours.
He brought up his 66th T20 fifty from 715 matches from just 17 balls as TKR scored 74 in the five overs.
The Warriors began their chase with a square-driven boundary from Ali off Akeal Hosein, but the West Indies left-arm spinner removed him at 4-1 off the third ball of the first over.
Paul (6), strangely asked to open, played a reckless reverse sweep, missed, as Hosein had his second scalp.
Hetmyer hit Hosein for six off his first ball to get the large crowd, which included President Ali, on their feet

Hope, who waded into Andre Russel, hitting him for two sixes and a four before the Berbician left-hander dumped left-arm spinner Usman Tariq for a couple of sixes.
Hope joined in the six-hitting carnage when he smashed a full toss into the orange stand in an over that cost 19 runs.
This woke up the flag waving crowd which danced in the stands as music revved up and Tassa drums rolled.
The 50 came in 36 balls.

Spin wizard Sunil Narine, who has bowled the most dot balls in this tournament, was introduced and immediately stemmed the flow of runs.
Russel released the pressure as Hetmyer punished him for six. At the end of 10 overs, the Warriors were 88-2, and the crowd turned on the lights on their phones, creating a wonderful atmosphere.

Hetmyer, when one away from his second fifty of the tournament, flattered to deceive as he pulled Narine to deep square-leg where Carty held a well-judged catch on the second attempt after going over the ropes.

He and Hope kept hope alive with an 83-run third-wicket stand from 53 balls. Hetmyer’s demise for 49 from 30 balls with two fours and four sixes left the Warriors on 109-4 in the 14th over.
Hope, arguably the best batter in the West Indies, reached his fifty from 41 balls which included three fours and two sixes.
With 45 needed in the last five overs, Hope was adjudged lbw to Narine for 53 from 46 balls with three fours and three sixes. The raucous crowd was silenced as the pendulum again shifted.
Shepherd (9) lofted Russel to break the window of the dining room, but was bowled next ball with 32 needed from 16 balls.
Pretorius hit back-to-back sixes in the 18th over from Russel which cost 19.

When Quentin Sampson (7) was dismissed, the Warriors needed 12 to win.
They needed 10 from the last over and Pretorius hit Pollard for six off the third ball. It came down one from two balls and drove him over cover to win with a ball to spare.
Narine and Hosein had two wickets each in a losing cause.

Warriors ladies play Barbados in the Massy Women’s CPL from 15:00hrs and GAW oppose the St Kitts and Nevis Patriots from 20:00hrs.