KINGSTON, Jamaica, CMC – Brad Hodge’s blistering half-century and Ronsford Beaton’s miserly four-wicket haul guided Guyana Amazon Warriors to a crushing 84-run victory over Jamaica Tallawahs in their Caribbean Premier League contest here yesterday.
Australian Hodge spanked an unbeaten 65 off a mere 30 balls, an innings that propelled last year’s losing finalists to 179 for three off their 20 overs at Sabina Park.
Opener Assad Fudadin struck 54 off 43 balls while partner Lendl Simmons got 36 off 32 deliveries.
In reply, Tallawahs were undermined by fast bowler Beaton who snapped up four wickets for nine runs from 17 deliveries, as they crashed to a paltry 95 all out off 15.5 overs.
All-rounder Andre Russell, who belted 28 from 14 balls, was the only batsman to pass 20 and one of just four in double figures.
Off-spinner Sunil Narine supported with two for nine, including the wicket of talismanic captain Chris Gayle for just 11, while seamer Marchant de Lange picked up two for 17.
The victory lifted Amazon Warriors from bottom into fifth spot ahead of Trinidad and Tobago Red Steel while the defeat for Tallawahs – their second in as many days – saw them remain on eight points but slip to third spot on an inferior net run rate to St Kitts and Nevis Patriots.
Sent in, Fudadin and Simmons gave Amazon Warriors a measured start by adding 71 off 61 deliveries.
The left-handed Fudadin stroked four fours and two sixes while Simmons, a right-hander, gathered four fours and a six.
Simmons holed out off the first ball following the mid-innings break, punching Russell into Rusty Theron’s lap in the deep, and Fudadin added a further 36 for the second wicket with Hodge before finding Theron at wide long on off left-arm seamer Krishmar Santokie, in the 15th over.
Hodge then went to work on the Tallawahs bowlers, smashing three fours and sixes, as Amazon Warriors gathered 72 runs from the last six overs.
In their turn at the crease, Tallawahs lost wickets steadily to be 54 for five in the 10thover, with openers Chadwick Walton going without scoring in the second over and Gayle picking out Beaton at long off in the next over from Narine.
Russell and Narsingh Deonarine, who scored 18, tried to rescue the innings with a 39-run, sixth wicket stand but once Russell perished in the 14th over at 93 for six, the last four wickets tumbled for just two runs, as Beaton blew away the lower order.
Scoreboard
AMAZON WARRIORS
L Simmons c Theron b Russell 36
A Fudadin c Theron b Santokie 54
B Hodge not out 65
Umar Akmal c Bonner b Taylor 17
C Barnwell not out 0
Extras (lb4, w3) 7
TOTAL (3 wkts, 20 overs) 179
Did not bat: *+D Ramdin, R Beaton, D Wiese, S Narine, V Permaul, M de Lange.
Fall of wickets: 1-71 (Simmons), 2-107 (Fudadin), 3-171 (Umar Akmal)
Bowling: Santokie 4-0-17-1 (w1), Vettori 4-0-22-0, Taylor 4-0-46-1 (w1), Russell 3-0-39-1, Theron3-0-30-0 (w1), Deonarine 2-0-21-0.
TALLAWAHS
*C Gayle c Beaton b Narine 11
+C Walton c Fudadin b de Lange 0
C Lynn c Beaton b de Lange 16
N Bonner c Barnwell b Permaul 3
N Deonarine c Simmons b Narine 18
J Blackwood c Simmons b Beaton 9
A Russell b Wiese 28
D Vettori b Beaton 0
J Theron c de Lange b Beaton 1
J Taylor c c Ramdin b Beaton 0
K Santokie not out 1
Extras (lb2, w6) 8
TOTAL (all out, 15.5 overs) 95
Fall of wickets: 1-10 (Walton), 2-11 (Gayle), 3-27 (Bonner), 4-31 (Lynn), 5-54 (Blackwood), 6-93 (Russell), 7-93 (Deonarine), 8-94 (Theron), 9-94 (Vettori), 10-95 (Taylor)
Bowling: Wiese 3-0-30-1, de Lange 3-0-17-2 (w1), Narine 3-0-9-2 (w1), Permaul 4-0-28-1, Beaton 2.5-0-9-4.
Result: Amazon Warriors won by 84 runs.
Points: Amazon Warriors 2, Tallawahs 0.
Man-of-the-Match: Brad Hodge.
Toss: Tallawahs.
Umpires: P Gustard, J Ward; TV – J Wilson.