Knocks from opener Robin Bacchus and skipper Leon Johnson helped the Guyana Rest Team to an upset four-wicket win over the Guyana Amazon Warriors in the first of two Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL) 20/20 practice matches played under lights at the Guyana National Stadium, Providence yesterday.
Set 131 to defeat the Amazon Warriors, a crowd of roughly 500 strong was treated to some entertainment from Bacchus, who spanked six fours in his 23-ball 31 and Johnson, who hit four fours and one six in his 28-ball 35, the two helping their team reach 132-6 in 20 overs.
Mystery spinner Sunil Narine was the pick off the Amazon Warriors bowlers, snapping up 2-13 from his four overs. He got assistance from Kemo Paul (1-20), Keon Joseph (1-13), and Akshya Persaud (1-25).
Earlier, veteran batsman Shivnarine Chanderpaul, had anchored the innings with a solid 54-ball 49 with four fours. He shared a valuable 66-run partnership with Assad Fudadin who smashed an unbeaten 37 from 26 balls with three fours and one six to guide the Warriors to 131-6 at the end of 20 overs.
Fast-bowlers Ronsford Beaton (2-18), Paul Wintz (2-28) and Raun Johnson (1-10) were lethal and effective during their spells for the Guyana XI.
During the chase, Bacchus opened his account with back-to-back fours, a clip through mid-wicket followed by a typical left-hander’s drive through the off-side, off the fifth and sixth ball of the first over bowled by Andre Stoll.
The discarded Guyana opener pounced on a few more loose deliveries from the Warriors fast bowlers, cracking them through the on-side. Anthony Bramble (17) joined in on the action with a shot through the covers for four as the Guyana Rest XI signaled their intentions.
Boundaries continued to flow off the bowling of Stoll as Bacchus quickly moved into the 30’s.
Narine’s first over was full of tricks but was wicket-less until Brad Hodge was given a go and bowled Bacchus with a straight delivery the ball after he was cut for four.
The Captain Johnson, then got off the mark with consecutive fours off Hodge’s final two balls. Anthony Bramble smashed the first ball of Akshya Persaud straight into the waiting hands of Chris Barnwell who completed a juggling catch at cover.
Johnson and Steven Jacobs (17) played aggressively after joining forces and the skipper brought up his only six off a straight loft off the bowling of the Under-19 Persaud which was complimented a ball later with a similar shot for four.
Joseph then removed the big wicket of Johnson who attempted a pull and was caught by Fudadin at short mid-wicket while Narine had left-hander Ricardo Adams out caught after he edged one into the gloves of wicket-keeper Shimron Hetmyer.
Paul then found enough in-swing in one of his yorkers to have Jacobs’ leg stump rattled. The Kolkata Knight Riders ace spinner then removed Steven Sankar, giving Hetmyer another comfortable catch.
With four runs needed from the last, the Guyana Rest XI got over the line thanks to some sensible batting from Royston Crandon who took his side there with the aid of a few singles.
Earlier, Wintz and Beaton removed openers Trevon Griffith (01) and Trinidadian Lendl Simmons (03) with a bit of skill and pace. The left-hander Griffith was caught at mid-on off his fellow Demerara Cricket Club (DCC) teammate.
Speedster Beaton then roughed up the flashy Mumbai Indians opener Simmons with a ripper of a ball which clipped the stumps and even hurt the fingers of opposition skipper Johnson at first slip, after carrying through.
The senior pair of stand-in Captain Brad Hodge (17) and Chanderpaul then forged a busy partnership which would yield 37 runs, as they focused on working the ball through the gaps and picking up the singles and twos at will. The Australian then smashed off-spinner Jacobs for the first six of the innings, a monster blow which sailed some eight rows back into the Orange Stand.
A breakthrough would then be provided by Raun Johnson who forced the 40 year-old into a drive, inducing an inside onto the stumps. The West Indies Test player Fudadin then joined his senior Guyana Jaguars teammate in the middle.
Chanderpaul then took a liking to Jacobs, smashing him through mid-wicket for four before driving through the off-side for a few runs. Fudadin then mauled leg-spinner Raj Nannan by hitting him for four through the on-side, followed by a thumping six over long-on, taking his score into the 20’s.
Wintz’s over then provided a breakthrough when the discarded West Indies batsman Chanderpaul was run out one shot of what would have been a well-played 50 after he attempted a square drive through the off-side and was found short, attempting a second.
The seamer then claimed his third wicket when fellow Guyana Jaguars teammate Barnwell was trapped LBW for 02 off a delivery which swung significantly into the all-rounder’s toes.
Narine was then sent in as a pinch-hitter but that plan back-fired when Beaton disturbed his stumps with a quick delivery which scattered the stumps of the off-spinner, leaving Hetmyer to milk 11 runs of the final over bowled by Wintz.
The final match will bowl off at 16:00hrs today at the same venue and admission is free.
