A mature fifty from Brad Hodge was instrumental in taking the Guyana Amazon Warriors to a crucial victory in a rain-affected match against St. Kitts & Nevis Patriots yesterday at Warner Park, in Basseterre, St Kitts.
Rain interrupted the Amazon Warriors run-chase of 158-6 three times, but Hodge, the most experienced T20 player in the world, didn’t let the disruptions influence his mindset and he stayed cool and calm to guide his team to an eight-wicket Duckworth-Lewis victory.
While Hodge played the anchor role it was up to Assad Fudadin and Denesh Ramdin to play starkly different but equally important cameos in assisting the Amazon Warriors towards victory.
After losing Trevon Griffiths in the second over, Ramdin launched a brutal assault, taking 22 from the fourth over of the innings bowled by Sheldon Cottrell. Ramdin fell immediately after the end of the Powerplay to bring Hodge to the crease in partnership with Fudadin who in fact took some time to get going and for much of his innings was striking at below a run-a-ball.
The Patriots were dealt a blow when their star bowler from the last two matches Tabraiz Shamsi pulled up injured early into his spell. Although he returned to bowl he was clearly not comfortable bowling and after Fudadin struck him for consecutive sixes he removed himself from the attack.
Back-to-back sixes from Hodge off the first two balls of the thirteenth over bowled by Shahid Afridi reduced a still difficult equation to almost a run-a-ball, and despite two further rain intervals the Amazon Warriors weren’t going to lose from there and their victory was eventually confirmed.
Earlier on it was Marlon Samuels who was yet again the star man with the bat for the Patriots, his 61 off 40 balls was the only score of more than 19. There were however six other double figure scores and the Patriots may look back and rue the fact that not one of those starts was converted into a more significant score.
Given the relatively tight nature of the chase it could’ve been the difference between victory and defeat. Marchant de Lange and Ronsford Beaton both took two wickets for the Amazon Warriors, and although Sunil Narine was frugal he picked up none.
This was a hugely important win for the Amazon Warriors who were languishing at the bottom of the table – this win elevates them to fifth. The Patriots remain in third place. (CPL T20 website)
