Guyana Amazon Warrior Spin Jamaica Kingsmen to Third Straight Defeat

Thursday’s CPL action returned to Sabina Park in Kingston, Jamaica. For Jamaica Kingsmen, a win was desperately needed to avoid being cut adrift in the standings in the chase for the playoffs. Guyana Amazon Warriors are making their CPL26 debut having recently won the Global Super League. Our readers will know Romario Shepherd and Shimron Hetmyer from their time in MLC earlier this summer.

Thanks to a 4 wicket haul of Mohammad Nabi and Shai Hope’s 15th CPL half century, the Guyana Amazon Warriors made it an easy night as they condemned the Kingsmen to their 3rd straight defeat, winning by 6 wickets.

After Guyana Amazon Warriors won the toss, they sent the Kingsmen into bat. It would prove to be the right decision.

The Amazon Warriors went with spin and the Kingsmen had few answer to it. It would be another quick innings for Shayan Jahangir, gone for 1 after mistiming a Khary Pierre delivery right to Shamar Joseph at midwicket.

After hope from the 4th over that saw Dwaine Pretorius hit for 14 it would be Romario Shepherd and Joseph to stunt the rest of the power play. Joseph would match his fielding with the ball in hand finishing the power play by bowling Keacy Carty through the gate and into the middle stump. After the opening 6 the Kingsmen were 26-2.

On the same wicket that produced maxes galore Tuesday night the Amazon Warrior spin was reducing the Kingsmen to crumbs. After 25 runs in the 3 overs after the power play, the ageless one Imran Tahir would get Reeza Hendricks on the last ball before drinks, caught and bowled at waist height, Hendricks innings ending on 40.

When Mohammad Nabi was introduced into the attack in the 12th over, wickets fell fast. Hassan Khan would be 1st to fall in a 3 over spell where Nabi picked up 2 wickets, Tahir picking up the middle wicket of Rovman Powell for 24. Once Nabi caught and bowled Russell to end the 14th over on a shot that should have never been attempted the collapse was well and truly on.

The 16th-18th overs would see another 3 wicket spell that Nabi was in the center of. Nabi would end the innings of both Keemo Paul and Hunain Shah, bowling Shah clean as Nabi ended his 4 overs 4-22, Glenn Phillips would get the wicket in the middle of the run, getting Kirk McKenzie to nic right to Shai Hope with the gloves.

Vitel Lawes would make a late 14 runs, one wondering if it’s time for him to be higher in the order. When he was bowled out with 2 balls remaining, Jamaica Kingsmen were reduced to 117.

It didn’t take long for the Amazon Warriors to signal their intent in the chase. Despite Mavendra Dindyal edging to Jahangir for a duck, it took the Amazon Warriors 3 overs to surpass the Kingsmen’s total in the power play. It would only be the bowling of Andre Russell that added a few additional balls to the chase with a 2 wicket haul in the 6th over, getting Glenn Phillips to go to Hassan Khan at deep square lag for 28 and Shimron Hetmyer to line one right to Keemo Paul at backward point for 1.

Needing 73 runs after the power play, Shai Hope played with controlled patience. Quick to rotate strike and take multiple runs on offered, he would form a 50 run partnership with Mohammed Nabi for the 4th wicket. Nabi will go down in history as being the first wicket Vitel Lawes took in the CPL, a line drive to Hunain Shah at long on. Nabi would end on 19 from 15 deliveries.

By then the race had well and truly been won for the Amazon Warriors, the only question being if Shai Hope would pick up a half century. That would come with the 2nd ball of the 14th over, 50 coming from 40 deliveries. With the half century question answered the race to the boundaries were on, The final 16 runs coming from a Quentin Sampson 4 and 6, Shai Hope finishing the game with a maximum to end the contest with 35 balls remaining for a massive win, one that will massively aid the net run rate.