The Guyana Amazon Warriors remained unbeaten in the 2023 Republic Bank Caribbean Premier League, with a dominant win against the defending champions, Jamaica Tallawahs.
Saim Ayub, who scored 85 and went past fifty for a third successive time this season, ensured Warriors won by seven wickets.
Tallawahs posted 152-5 in their 20 overs, while Warriors reached 155-3 in 18.3 overs.
Warriors had a brilliant start to the chase, with openers Matthew Nandu and Saim Ayub adding 51-0 in the first six overs. Nandu looked busy while Ayub was finding his groove. The left-handed duo played some elegant shots to delight the packed Providence.
Warriors were standing firm at the half-way stage, with the score on 89-0 after 10 overs. Ayub was on 49 while Nandu was solid. Ayub reached his fifty from 34 balls, and he continued to light up Providence with his brilliance.
Nandu was eventually bowled for a composed 37 from 35 balls. Amazon Warriors openers added 112 runs in 12.5 overs to put the Guyanese franchise in the drivers seat. Ayub slammed five sweet sixes and five timely fours in his 85 from 53 balls. Azam Khan was bowled for one at 146-3 in 18 overs, with Warriors needed seven runs in two overs.
Earlier, the Guyana Amazon Warriors won the toss and opted to bowl first. Matthew Nandu made his debut while Junior Sinclair was the lone change from the last game for the Warriors. Tallawahs openers Brandon King and Alex Hales started with boundaries but Hales made only nine to give the Warriors their first wicket on home soil this season. Hales was bowled by Shepherd to a back-of-the-length delivery that kept low.
At 23-1, Kirk McKenzie partnered King. The Tallawahs skipper looked at home at Providence, a venue where he scored two CPL centuries. Tallawahs raced to 50-1 after 5.3 overs with King dealing in boundaries. At the powerplay, Tallawahs were 55-1, with Odean Smith yielding 17 runs in his opening over.
McKenzie, the latest test player from the West Indies, played some delightful shots in his run-a-ball 13, including a six over cover. Captain Imran Tahir outfoxed McKenzie and he was caught at long-off. King and McKenzie added 50 runs for the second wicket. Imad Wasim was promoted, and he partnered King with the score on 73-2 in 8.2 overs.
King reached his fifty from 29 balls but he was bowled all ends up by the ever-impressive Gudakesh Motie at 77-3 in 9.3 overs. King struck 52 from 32 balls, an innings which was decorated with ten classy fours and one six.
Shamrah Brooks and Wasim then looked to rebuild the innings with caution. Warriors bowlers kept it discipline, and Tallawahs were 110-3 in 15 overs. Dwaine Pretorius then returned in the 16th over and sent back Wasim 18 from 26 balls, and Brooks for 10 from 12 balls. Tallawahs slumped to 111-5 after the end of 16 overs, and Fabian Allen was tasked with the job to propel the Tallawahs score.
Allen was destructive, hitting a ball into the media centre and slammed Imran Tahir into the VIP suite for a 103-meter maximum. Reifer (20 from 14) and Allen (21 from 14) added 41 runs from 27 balls as Tallawahs posted 152-5 in 20 overs. Pretorious ended with 2-33 from his four over, while Tahir had 1-19 from his four overs. Motie had 1-29 and Shepherd had 1-19 from two overs.
Warriors will return to action tonight, Thursday September 14 against St Lucia Kings from 19:00h Eastern Caribbean time.
