KINGSTON, Jamaica (CMC) – Christopher Barnwell kept his nerve conceding just four runs and picking up two wickets in the final over of the match as Guyana Amazon Warriors pulled off a tense five-run victory over Jamaica Tallawahs, in the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) at Sabina Park here yesterday.

Tallawahs needed 10 runs off the final over of the match and Barnwell was given the responsibility of bowling it. He first removed the dangerous Vernon Philander for one, caught by Martin Guptill running around from long on and forced Dave Bernard Jr to sky his first delivery to short fine leg where Ramnaresh Sarwan ran in to take the catch.
Captain Chris Gayle started cautiously before cutting loose with 43 from 46 deliveries including three fours and two sixes but when he was bowled playing over a delivery from Krishmah Santokie, the Tallawahs struggled to put meaningful partnerships together.
Gayle had added 46 for the third wicket with Chadwick Walton whose aggressive 36 came from 20 deliveries with one boundary and four sixes. Jacques Rudolph and Andre Russell with 18 and 14 respectively tried to increase the run rate late in the chase but lost their wickets at crucial times.
Russell was caught by Narine off Santokie while Rudolph held out to Barnwell off Narine. Barnwell had the excellent figures of two for four from one over and man-of-the-match Narine picked up one for 10 from his four.
Having been sent in to bat by the Tallawahs, the Amazon Warriors lost three wickets in the final over that helped restrict their final tally to 139 for six after Lendl Simmons and Martin Guptill had put on 68 for the first wicket off 9.5 overs.
James Franklin who top-scored with 40 off 29 balls was one of the three to perish in the final over bowled by Vernon Philander. Before holding out in the deep to a catch by Andre Russell, the left-handed Franklin struck one boundary and two sixes. Mohammad Hazeez was run-out by a direct hit from Dave Bernard Jr, and Denesh Ramdin was caught by Chris Gayle off the last ball of the innings for two.
Simmons hit 30 off 36 balls while Guptill’s 39 came off 36 balls with five boundaries. Vernon Philander finished with two for 23 from his four overs with a wicket apiece going to Chris Gayle who trapped Hafeez leg-before and Muttiah Muralitharan who had Simmons caught by Russell running in from long on