21 hours ago
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GROS ISLET – The Guyana Amazon Warriors showed why they are considered one of the favourites to win this year’s Republic Bank Caribbean Premier League with a dominant showing in their seven-wicket victory over the St Lucia Kings in Saint Lucia on Wednesday.
Solid, if not spectacular performances from pacer Dwaine Pretorius and opener Mavendra Dindyal, were enough for the Amazon Warriors to upset the home side in a lopsided contest at the Daren Sammy National Stadium.
Player-of-the-Match Pretorius grabbed 3-29 and played a major role in the Kings being limited to 151 for seven in their 20 overs after they were sent in to bat.
Dindyal then scored a half century at the top of the order to give the visitors a promising start, as they romped to 157 for three with 11 balls remaining.
In an unusual occurrence, eight of the Kings’ nine batters scored in double digits, but none played a major innings, as was evident in their below par score.
Andries Gous and Kamil Pooran shared an opening stand of 30 inside four overs before Pretorius had the latter caught behind for a quickfire 19 off nine balls.
The Kings’ momentum took a hit when the fast bowler accounted for Gous’ wicket for 20, with Ackeem Auguste and captain Roston Chase losing their wickets for 13 and 14 respectively, to see them slide to 76 for four in the 10th over.
Charith Asalanka, who hit the topscore of 35 from 28 balls and Darren Nedd, who hit a pedestrian 17 off 23 balls, shared the innings’ biggest partnership of 45 for the fifth wicket, but needed seven overs to do.
When Nedd eventually fell to Romario Shepherd, Matthew Forde and Asalanka followed soon after as the Kings’ limped to their eventual total.
Fast bowler Shamar Joseph supported Pretorius with 2-25 from his four overs.
Dindyal and his opening partner Glenn Phillips then put the Amazon Warriors on the road to victory with a 79-run stand.
Left-arm spinner Joshua Bishop broke the partnership by having Green caught for 36 off 26 balls.
Dindyal reached his 50 at a run-a-ball pace by hitting spinner Maheesh Theekshana down to long on for a single, as together with Shai Hope they carried their side past the 100 mark.
However, Theekshana had Dindyal stumped for a well-paced 50 off 51 balls with five fours and two sixes, and he also dismissed Hope in the same fashion for 17, to leave the score 117 for three.
There would be no further success for the Kings, however, as Shimron Hetmyer smashed four fours and a six in his unbeaten cameo of 25 off 11 balls, while Quentin Sampson plundered 13 off four balls, during a 38-run partnership in 11 balls that brought the match to a blazing finish.
CMC
Summarised scores
ST LUCIA KINGS 151-7 in 20 overs (Charith Asalanka 35, Andries Gous 20, Kamil Pooran 19, Darren Nedd 17, Roston Chase 14, Matthew Forde 14, Ackeem Auguste 13, Shadley van Schalkwyk 13; Dwaine Pretorius 3-29, Shamar Joseph 2-29).
GUYANA AMAZON WARRIORS 157-3 in 18.1 overs (Mavendra Dindyal 50, Glenn Phillips 36, Shimron Hetmyer 25 not out, Shai Hope 17, Quentin Sampson 13 not out; Maheesh Theekshana 2-33).
Guyana Amazon Warriors won by seven wickets.
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