Opening batsmen Lendl Simmons and Martin Guptill were in magnificent form as they led the Guyana Amazon Warriors to a 10-wicket victory in their semi-final playoff in the Limacol CPL T20 tournament at Warner Park in St Kitts last evening.
Chasing 135 runs for victory, the Amazon Simmons and Guptill blazed away from ball one and had the big crowd on hand on their feet. Simmons who has been brilliant in this tournament smacked the ball at will and when the victory was realised he was unbeaten on 71 off 43 balls with seven fours and three sixes.
New Zealander Guptill was equally aggressive as he stroked 66 off 46 balls with six fours and two sixes. The two were able to bring home the victory in just 14.5 overs and will now play the Barbados Tridents in the finals on Saturday.
Earlier, Ramdin won the toss and decided to give Jamaica first strike on a good batting surface. Chadwick Walton ran out anxiously and started to attack the Warriors who looked shell-shocked. They expected the fireworks from the other end as the big burly Chris Gayle lurked. He however did not fire and scratched around while Walton found the ropes. The opening association put together 55 but it came off 57 balls–which was slow as 36 balls were in the power play session.
As Jamaica looked to press on the accelerator, their problems mounted. Walton was sent packing by Sunil Narine for 34 off 35 balls with three fours and a six. A few balls later the big strike came, as Gayle was caught on the long-off boundary off Jimmy Neesham. He left the arena having totaled 19 runs off 23 balls with three fours.
The wickets continued to fall at regular intervals and this prevented the Tallawahs from putting pressure on the fielding team with meaningful partnerships. Nkrumah Bonner and Andre Russell both got starts but could not carry on. Bonner fell for 21 off 23 balls, while Russell was unfortunate to be run out off a deflected return shot by Bonner. The man who threw T&T Red Steel out of the tournament, fell for 20 off eight balls.
scoreboard
Jamaica Tallawahs vs
Guyana Amazon Warriors
Tallawahs Inns
C Walton c Guptil b Narine 34
C Gayle c Simmons b Neesham 19
A Voges st Ramdin b Hafeez 7
N Bonner c Hafeez b Santokie 21
A Russell run out 20
J Theron not out 9
J Taylor run out 17
Extras lb1, w5, nb1 7
Total 6 wkts (20ovs) 134
Fall of wkts: 55, 57, 72, 107, 107, 134.
Bowling: M Hafeez 4-0-19-1 (2w), R Beaton 4-0-41-0 (1nb, 1w), K Santokie 4-0-22-1 (2w), N Stewart 1-0-8-0, J Neesham 3-0-26-1, S Narine 4-0-17-1.
Amazon Warriors
L Simmons not out 71
M Guptill not out 66
Extras w1 1
Total without loss (14.5ovs) 138
Bowling: D Vettori 3-0-24-0, D Bernard 1-0-8-0, J Taylor 3-0-36-0, J Theron 3.5-0-35-0, N Miller 2-0-19-0, A Russell 2-0-16-0.
Result: Guyana Amazon Warriors won by 10 wkts.?