Republic Bank CPL

IN sweltering heat in their first day game, the Guyana Amazon Warriors, led by a swashbuckling 76 from opener Quintin Sampson, beat defending Champions St Lucia Kings by two wickets in a thrilling last-ball victory yesterday at the Providence Stadium  to move to 10 points from nine games.

With a match remaining, the Warriors join TKR, Kings and Falcons to qualify for the play-offs.

West Indies Test Captain Roston Chase showed his versatility with a magnificent unbeaten 90 from 55 balls with six fours and five sixes.

The 33-year-old Bajan added 90 for the third wicket with the 22-year-old St Lucian Ackeem Auguste, who made 50 from 30  balls with three fours and three sixes, lifted the Kings to 185-4

from their 20 overs.

Pacer Dwaine Pretorius took 2-36, Gudakesh Motie 1-24 and 46-year-old leggie Imran Tahir 1-27 were the wicket takers for the hosts. Tahir, who had 16 scalps last year, moved further onto the top of the wicket-takers list with 17.

The Warriors replied with 188-8 as Dwaine Pretorius (12) hit David Wiese for six with four runs required from the last ball to wild celebrations from the smallest crowd for the Guyana

leg of the men’s CPL. Chase took 3-30 and Tabraiz Shamsi 2-31.

The 25-year-old Sampson, who played two games in the 2023 Super50, hit 76 from 39 balls with seven fours and five sixes and dominated a 66-run third-wicket partnership with Shai

Hope, who stroked four fours and a six in his 44,.  is the leading run-scorer with 412 runs from nine matches.

Kings opted to bat on a good track and a lightning-fast outfield.

Tim Seifert (1), who  attempted to hit left-arm spinner Motie over cover taken by a tumbling Hassan Khan at 10-1 in the fourth over.

Pretorius bowled Johnson Charles (16) to leave the Kings on28-2 before Auguste and Chase came together to steady the ship.

Chase launched a brutal attack on the off-spin of Moin Ali,clobbering him for 21 runs in the fifth over to bring up the 50.

The Kings were 64-2 after the six power-play overs. The pair continued to bat positively, and the 50 partnership was achieved from 28 balls.

The left-handed Auguste hit Khan for consecutive sixes, and the 100 was posted in 11.2. Auguste soon reached his half- century from 29 balls with two fours and three sixes.

Auguste soon pulled a long hop from Skipper Tahir and was taken by Motie on the mid-wicket boundary at 117-3 for an even 50.

Khan was dumped for a six and two fours by Chase, who smashed Romario Shepherd back over his head for six.

Pretorius removed Tim David (3) at 144-4 and Delano Potgieter (14) while Chase finished 10 short of joining Seifert (125) and TKR Colin Munroe (120) with three-figure scorers.

When the Warriors began their chase, Ben McDermott hit two fours in his 16, but again failed to fire, being removed by left-arm spinner Khary Pierre at 37-1.

Sporting long locks, Sampson stroked Pierre for an imperious cover-driven boundary in the first over to set the stage for his brutal onslaught.

Sampson, who plays for Essequibo in Guyana’s inter-county tournament, lofted Delano Potgieter for six and a four to post the 50 in six overs.

At the end of the six-over power play, the Warriors were 51-1 with Sampson on 32 and Hope on three.

Watched by his Police first division Coach, former Guyana pacer Jermaine Neblette, doing Radio Commentary, Sampson hit Keon Gaston for his second six to reach his fifty from 26

balls with seven fours and two sixes.

The pugnacious Sampson celebrated his maiden fifty with a huge six in the same over.

Sampson continued to play his shots to the delight of the flag-waving and horn-blowing Essequibians in the grass mound.

Such was his belligerence that Hope was reduced to a spectator at the non-striker’s end.

When Sampson was caught off Chase at 102-3 to end the 66- run stand, Hope’s contribution was just 10.

Chase struck with his next ball when he bowled Shimron

Hetmyer for a second consecutive duck and third in this tournament.

Shamarh Brooks (5), Hassan Khan (7) and Romario Shepherd

(6) all fell cheaply, while Hope fell to David Wiese when six short of his fifth fifty, at 176-7.

Ali was dropped off a no-ball, and the batters ran two before the free hit cost a single. Ali (17) was then run out at 179-8.

With four to win off the last ball, Wiese served up a juicy full toss, which Pretorius (12) hit for six.