PORT-OF-SPAIN, Trinidad, CMC- A thoroughly professional and clinical performance in the field and with the bat by the Guyana Amazon Warriors secured them a place in the finals of the inaugural Limacol Caribbean Professional League after beating Trinidad and Tobago by seven wickets in the first semi-final played at the Queens Park Oval here yesterday.
Red Steel were routed for 103 off 19.3 overs when sent in by the Warriors who then successfully chased down their target reaching 107-3 off 16.2 overs. Tillakaratne Dilshan, playing his first match of the League for the warriors was named man of the match, striking 39 from 29 balls with three fours and one six during the Warriors innings and picking up two wickets when the Red Steel batted for 14 runs off four overs.
Ramnaresh Sarwan hoisted Kevon Cooper for a boundary to mid wicket to finish undefeated on 18 while William Perkins, playing his first match of the competition scored 18 off 19 balls with three boundaries. Red Steel had their confidence lifted when Lendl Simmons was caught by Sulieman Benn pulling at Fidel Edwards for eight.
Perkins was caught at extra cover by Samuel Badree miscuing a flick off Sulieman Benn and Dilshan was deceived by a slower delivery from Cooper offering a tame return catch to the bowler. Sarwan and James Franklin came together to feature in an unbroken stand of 29 for the fourth wicket to steer the Amazon Warriors to the finals.
When Red Steel batted they seemed to lose wickets in pairs – Adrian Barath and Darren Bravo with the score on 32, Kevon Cooper and Sulieman Benn at 101, Darren Bravo and Fidel Edwards on 103. Cooper, with two sixes in his knock, topscored with 27 of 17 balls before holding out to James Franklin at long on off Sunil Narine. Dwayne Bravo, who got a fighting 26 was also caught by Franklin at deep cover off Lasith Malinga, another Sri Lankan getting a first taste of Caribbean Professional League cricket.
Apart from Dilshan’s fine spell, the consistent Krishmar Santokie bagged two for 20 and Malinga ended with two for 18. The second semi-final will be played at the same venue today with Barbados Tridents facing the Jamaica Tallawahs.
Scoreboard
Toss – Guyana Amazon Warriors who fielded:
Result : Guyana Amazon Warriors won by seven wickets:
Man of the match: Tillakaratne Dilshan.
Trinidad and Tobago Red Steel: 103 (19.3 overs)
Kevin O’ Brien c and b Tillakaratne Dilshan 8
Adrian Barath run out (Dilshan/Ramdin) 12
Mahela Jayawardene c Ramnaresh Sarwan
b Krishmar Santokie 2
Ross Taylor c Christopher Barnwell
b Veerasammy Permaul 6
Darren Bravo c James Franklin b Tillakaratne Dilshan 3
*Dwayne Bravo c Veerasammy Permaul b Lasith Malinga 26
+Nicholas Pooran c wkpr+ Denesh Ramdin
b Veerasammy Permaul 14
Kevon Cooper c Franklin b Sunil Narine 27
Sulieman Benn c Veerasammy Permaul b
b Krishmar Santokie 0
Fidel Edwards b Lasith Malinga 1
Samuel Badree not out 0
Extras w4 4
Total all out (19.3 overs) 103
Fall of wickets: 1-11, 2-14, 3-25,4-32, 5-32, 6-56, 7-101, 8-101, 9-103, 10-103.
Bowling: Krishmar Santokie 4-0-20-2, Tillakaratne Dilshan 4-0-14-2, Lasith Malinga 3.3, 0-18-2 (2w), Sunil Narine 4-0-29-1, Veerasammy Permaul 4-0-22-2 (2w).
Guyana Amazon Warriors: 107-3 (16.2 overs)
Lendl Simmons c Sulieman Benn b Fidel Edwards 8
William Perkins c Samuel Badree b Sulieman Benn 18
Tillakaratne Dilshan c and b Kevon Cooper 39
* Ramnaresh Sarwan not out 18
James Franklin not out 16
Extras lb2 w5, nb1 8
Total for 3 wkts (16.2 overs) 107
Fall of wickets: 1-14, 2-47, 3-78.
Bowling: Fidel Edwards 3-0-25-1 (1nb 2w), Samuel Badree 3-0-21-0, Sulieman Benn 3-0-24-1 (1W), Dwayne Bravo 4-0-17-0 (1w), Kevon Cooper 3.2-0-18-1 (1w).