Lendl Simmons belligerent unbeaten half-century reinforced by disciplined bowling allowed the Amazon Warriors to trounce the Jamaica Tallawahs by eight wickets yesterday in their second match at the Guyana National Stadium, Providence.
A massive, sold out crowd returned to the venue of their home team’s first win and the Guyana Amazon Warriors looking to extend their good run at home, did not disappoint.
They won the coin spin and elected to field and duly scuttled the Tallawahs for 117 in 19.1 overs.
Ahmed Shahzad and Chris Gayle began proceedings cautiously as Krishmar Santokie took the new ball bowling to his countryman Gayle.
Shahzad was the first to go when he was caught for seven by Christopher Barnwell off the bowling of Santokie.
Then came the key dismissal.
The ‘Gayle force” was unable to perform his usual pyrotechnics (not that the Guyanese fans in attendance were disappointed) when he was run out by Warriors wicket-keeper Denesh Ramdin for six trying to push for a second run.
Nkrumah Bonner was then trapped lbw by Veerasammy Permaul for nine as the spinners went to work.
Sunil Narine soon got rid of the South African Jacques Rudolph who was expertly stumped by Ramdin for 2.
Danza Hyatt (18), looked settled but was then un-settled by Permaul when he was given out lbw with the score 45 for 5 in the 10th over and David Bernard Jr. and ‘keeper Carlton Baugh Jr., found themselves desperately trying to salvage a respectable score from the remaining overs.
The two brought up their team’s 50 run mark in 11.2 overs, followed by a welcome four by Bernard who flicked off-spinning all-rounder Mohammad Hafeez over square leg, breaking the shackles after four overs without a boundary.
After a partnership of 36 runs from the two Jamaicans, Bernard Jr., fell victim to some “Kiwi” teamwork when he tried to smash James Franklin over the ropes but only managed to hit it down the throat of Martin Guptill who completed a good catch on the second attempt. He departed for a 23-ball 24 with two fours and a six.
New man Andre Russell was unable to cut loose as Santokie removed him for 3 as he slashed at a wide delivery that lifted and went through to the ‘keeper’s glove.
Vernon Philander was soon afterwards run out for two by a good return from Barnwell as Franklin dislodged the bails and asked the on-field umpire to review the decision which revealed that the batsman was indeed short his ground.
Nikita Miller was then run out for two by Barnwell as the Tallawahs were routed by good bowling backed up by superb fielding.
Santokie was the pick of the pick of the bowlers finishing with excellent figures of 3 for 21 from 3.1 overs. Permaul snapped up 2 for 14 off his four overs while Narine and Franklin grabbed one wicket apiece
Chasing a paltry 118 to secure their second straight win of the tournament, the Amazon Warriors cruised to 118-2 in 14.3 overs.
Openers Guptill and Lendl Simmons went almost berserk at the start of the innings hitting the opposition bowlers to all parts of the Providence ground. After adding 48 runs for the first wicket, Guptill, trying to cut a delivery which was too close for comfort, was bowled by veteran spinner Muttiah Muralitharan for 17 which featured a four and one six.
A well-set Simmons and number three batsman Hafeez brought up the team’s half-century mark in the seventh over before Hafeez became Muralitharan’s second dismissal when he tried to hit the spinner down the ground and was caught by Rudolph at long on for six.
Skipper Ramnaresh Sarwan then came to the crease and continued from where he left off on Wednesday, smashing a Gayle full toss delivery for four. The two hammered the Tallawahs bowlers with Simmons bringing up his 37-ball 50 and the team’s 100 in the 13th over.
He followed his first six with two more in the long on area off the veteran Muralitharan. With the scores level in the 15th over, Sarwan’s square cut off a Gayle delivery earned the Warriors their second consecutive win.
Simmons ended on 67 not out from 44 balls, a knock which included five fours and four huge sixes while Sarwan ended on 24 from 19 balls with a four and a six to his name.
Muralitharan ended as the most successful bowler picking up the two wickets for 33 runs.
At the post match presentation Simmons was named Man-of-the-Match for his unbeaten half-century.
Lendl Simmons smashes one of his four sixes during his unbeaten half century last night.
