CPL: More records tumble as Warriors crush Tallawahs for ninth win

By Akeem Greene

Records continue to tumble as Guyana Amazon Warriors extended their phenomenal winning streak to nine matches in the Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL), hammering a listless Jamaica Tallawahs by 77 runs Thursday evening at the National Stadium, Providence.

The eighth defeat of the season for Tallawahs solidified the inevitable, they would end in the cellar spot, while Warriors could possibly win all their preliminary matches in the tournament.

Warriors had a stumbling start, but Captain Class, Shoaib Malik, struck a vital unbeaten 73 from 45 balls to ensure they posted a respectable total which their bowlers had little issues defending.

The win also meant Warriors broke the record for wins in a single season of the CPL, overtaking Trinbago Knight Riders’ achievement of eight wins in 2018.

The sight of rattling stumps at the start was a constant for both sides as Chris Green produced a perfect first ball, bowling ‘Universe Boss’ Chris Gayle for duck, and was inches close to getting Chadwick Walton next delivery.

Walton’s struggle to find the ropes soon ended when he attempted to lift Tahir over long-on, only to reach the hand of Green.

Three spinners stifled Tallawahs in the Powerplay, which the meant it only produced 26-2. Even with the fielding restrictions eased, a heavy dietary of spin continued and more success came.

With the last boundary coming in the seventh over, Tallawahs’ best batsman this season Glen Phillips went after Chandrapaul Hemraj in the 10th over and held out to long-on for 21 from 28 balls. Only 47 were on the board at half-way stage.

All went further downhill when the leg-spinning partnership of Imran Tahir and Qais Ahmad bamboozled the Tallawahs’ middle-order with stunning deception. Ahmad had a double-wicket in the 14^th over, getting Dwayne Smith caught and bowled, before breaching the defense of Imran Khan next ball.

Seam bowling was finally introduced in the 15^th over and Keemo Paul struck first ball, removing Liton Das for 21. Two balls later, he dismissed Derval Green. Malik made a belated entrance into the attack and removed Zahir Khan to end the match in 16.3 overs.

Shocking start

Warriors had their worst start of the season, slumping to 8-4 in 1.2 overs after a helmet-trick of wicket. Warriors’ leading run-scorer Brandon King was bowled by a fired up Oshane Thomas then Shimron Hetmyer had a faint edge.

Derval Green got some good seam movement and rattled the stumps of Chandrapaul Hemraj after which he trapped Nicholas Pooran plumb in front.

It called for a different approach from the usually belligerent Sherfane Rutherford, and he responded in flying colours. Taking low risk shots to the ropes, he helped Warriors end the Powerplay on 45-4, with good support from Malik.

Rallying to 67-4 at the halfway stage, Rutherford especially started to open his arms more for some eye-catching expansive shots.  Maybe, just a shot too many at that stage of the innings, when he went after a flighted delivery from Imran Khan and Trevon Griffith completed a superb diving catch at long-off.

The innings-rebuilding partnership was cut short in the 13th over at 82 from 68 balls. Rutherford made 45 (5x4s;1×6) from 43 balls.

Malik then picked up the tempo and got Warriors to 100-6 and soon reached his second half-century of the season from 35 balls.

Himself and Paul then hammered Thomas for 26 in the penultimate over of the innings.  The Pakistani first produced a towering six straight back then a slashed a no-ball over point for four. Paul joined the party with a humongous six into the top tier of the Red Stand.

They produced an unbroken stand of 63 from 39 balls for the seventh wicket and got 37 off the final three overs.

Warriors now turn to their attention to round two with defending champions Trinbago Knight Riders on Friday from 20:00h then the Playoff on Sunday, which start from 11:00h, but the home franchise will be in action in the second match from 15:30h.