Leg-spinner Adam Zampa’s three wickets reinforced by a scorching 43 from Captain Martin Guptill took the Guyana Amazon Warriors to another hard-fought win, their fourth successive of the 2016 Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL) when they beat the St Kitts & Nevis Patriots by four wickets yesterday at the Providence National Stadium.
Another clinical bowling performance by the unbeaten table leaders, who gained two points from the win, taking their overall total to eight, was set up by the in-form 24-year-old Australian who was the architect of the Patriots destruction, claiming 3-18 from his four overs to help keep the visitors to 108-8 in 20 overs.
Chasing another low total on home soil in front a sold out crowd, Guyana endured a few hiccups but it was already in thebag after the blazing start provided by Guptill, who cracked 43 from 22 balls with three fours and four sixes, laying the platform for Guyana, who ended on 109-6 in 16.2 overs.
Former Guyana Amazon Warriors opener Lendl Simmons stroked a composed 50 from 60 balls with two fours and a six for the Patriots while 27 year-old Bajan Shamarh Brooks was the next best scorer with 19 from nine balls as yet another overseas team failed to cope with the spin friendly conditions at Providence.
Despite losing opener Dwayne Smith cheaply during the chase after he was caught and bowled by the left-arm spinner South African Jon Jon Smuts (2-40), Guptill thrashed three big sixes and two fours off the opening bowlers before hammering South African leggy Tabraiz Shamsi (2-27) for a big six back over his head followed by a four as Guyana
took their score to 60-1 at the end of the first six overs.
Shamsi got his revenge in the next over when the New Zealand opener mistimed a big heave and was caught by World ranked number one spinner Samuel Badree (2-18) at mid-wicket. Australian Chris Lynn (34) continued his fine form, taking his score into the 20’s with a lofted shot for six of Badree.
With just 24 needed from the last 10 overs, St Kitts pulled things back a bit thanks to Badree who removed Jason Mohammed (04) before trapping all-rounder Chris Barnwell leg before wicket for duck. Shamsi then deceived wicket-keeper Anthony Bramble, bowling him for eight.
Lynn and Sohail Tanvir (12*) took the Warriors to 100 in the 14 over before the Australian was bowled by Smuts but new man Steven Jacobs (02*) and the Pakistani held their nerve to see Guyana over the ropes with more than three overs to spare.
As they did in the match against Jamaica, the Warriors opted to open with the off-spinner Jacobs (1-7) who rewarded his Captain with the big wicket of Evin Lewis who fell lbw for a painstaking four runs off 18 balls. Emrit’s (1-24) introduction into the attack a few overs before the power-play was also an effective move as it brought the scalp of Sri
Lankan Thisara Perera who slashed wildly and was caught behind by Bramble for a duck. As expected, Zampa played a huge role in blowing away the middle-order.
Skipper Du Plessis (01), the in-form Thomas (09) and Smuts, who was knocked over for a first ball duck, succumbed to the leg-spinner.
Carter was positive during his innings of 15 before lofting left-arm spinner Veerasammy Permaul (1-25) down the throat of Mohammed who took a spectacular running, diving catch.
Simmons carried his bat for another CPL fifty while Brooks hit a four and a six in his brief cameo, but the red hot Warriors maintained their grip and the former was eventually run out while the Bajan was caught by wicket-keeper Bramble off Pakistan seamer Tanvir (1-19), who again bowled well for his side.
Guyana will lock horns with the Trinbago Knight Riders tonight at 19:00hrs.
Scoreboard
St Kitts and Nevis Patriots innings
L Simmons run out (Guptill) 50
E Lewis lbw b Jacobs 4 18
T Perera c †Bramble b Emrit 0
F du Plessis* c Emrit b Zampa 1
J Carter c Guptill b Permaul 15
D Thomas† c Mohammed b Zampa 9
JJ Smuts b Zampa 0
S Brooks c †Bramble b Tanvir 19
K Santokie not out 0
S Badree not out 0
Extras (lb 5, w 5) 10
Total (8 wickets; 20 overs) 108
Fall of wickets 1-12, 2-19, 3-29, 4-52, 5-73, 6-80, 7-105, 8-107
Bowling: Tanvir 4-0-19-1, Jacobs 4-0-7-1, Emrit 2-0-24-1, Zampa
4-0-18-3, Permaul 4-0-25-1 Mohammed 2-0-10-0
Guyana Amazon Warriors innings
D Smith c&b Smuts 05
M Guptill* c Badree b Shamsi 43
C Lynn b Smuts 34
J Mohammed c wkp Thomas b Badree 04
C Barnwell lbw b Badree 00
S Tanvir not out 12
S Jacobs not out 02
Extras (b-4, w-4) 8
Total (6 wickets; 16.2 overs) 109
Fall of wickets 1-7, 2-67, 3-88, 4-88, 5-91, 6-013
Bowling: Santokie 4-0-19-0, Smuts 4-0-40-2, Badree 4-0-18-2, Shamsi
4-0-27-2, Carter 0.2-0-1-0
