Hope steers Amazon Warriors to six-wicket victory over TKR in top-of-the-table clash
By Sports Desk
September 17, 2023
CPL via Getty Images
Shai Hope’s controlled half-century helped Guyana Amazon Warriors complete a six wicket win and the double against the Trinbago Knight Riders as the two sides, on Saturday, played out a dress rehearsal ahead of Wednesday night’s Qualifier 1.
The Amazon Warriors won the toss and opted to field first and the decision went in their favour as a Knight Riders side shorn of Nicholas Pooran, Andre Russell and Sunil Narine posted a competitive 176-8. The Amazon Warriors timed their chase perfectly in reply as Hope carried on his good form with an unbeaten 54 to ensure the game was won with 10 balls to spare.
Earlier on, a much-changed Knight Riders got off to a bad start when Martin Guptil was run out for one but Mark Deyal’s quick fire 37 from 20 balls ensured the Knight Riders were able to post a healthy 49-2 by the end of the PowerPlay.
Chadwick Walton and Keacy Carty put on a 59-run partnership before Imran Tahir cleaned up Walton for 25.
However, that merely signalled the moment for Carty to press the accelerator. He took an extreme liking to Odean Smith, taking him for 26 runs in the 15th over to bring up his half century.
Carty was to go on to make a brilliantly constructed 83 before he was eventually stumped. That wicket was one of three in the 19th over as Imran Tahir halted the Knight Riders momentum.
The Knights Riders were to eventually post 176, a total that gave their bowlers something to work with.
In reply, the Amazon Warriors got off to the best possible start in the PowerPlay. Odean Smith partnered Saim Ayub and the pair reached 56-0 at the end of six overs but Ayub was to fall immediately after the fielding restrictions were lifted, skying a delivery from Akeal Hosein.
Smith was to go on to make his best score of the 2023 Republic Bank Caribbean Premier League (CPL) – benefitting from three drops on his way to a sparkling 44, Smith’s knock ensured the Warriors only needed 60 from 44 balls with eight wickets remaining.
It was an equation the Amazon Warriors negotiated with ease as they romped to victory with two overs remaining.
Scores: Guyana Amazon Warriors 177-4 (Hope 54*, Smith 44; Deyal 1-21, Hinds 1-26) beat Trinbago Knight Riders 176-8 (Carty 83, Deyal 37; Tahir 3-12, Paul 1-11) by 6 wickets
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They broke that streak in their last game with an 80-run DLS method win over the West Indies Academy on Saturday.
On Tuesday, they got their second win in a row, another DLS method victory, this time by 19 runs over the Windward Islands Volcanoes at the Queen's Park Oval.
The Scorpions, after winning the toss and batting first, reached 155-4 in the 31st over before rain brought their innings to a close.
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Darel Cyrus had figures of 2-21 off 5.1 overs.
The Volcanoes, chasing a revised total of 205 off 30 overs for victory, were dismissed for 186 off 29.3 overs.
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Jamaica Scorpions 155-4 off 30.1 overs (Kirk McKenzie 59*, John Campbell 41, Darel Cyrus 2-21)
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Hope says Windies women's return to Test cricket a step in the right direction; Graves hopes Hayley Matthews gets to play format at home
With West Indies women set to make a return to Test cricket after a 20-year hiatus from the sport’s longest format, men’s ODI captain Shai Hope welcomed the move as a step in the right direction.
Hope’s comments came after the International Cricket Council (ICC) on Monday announced its line-up for the Blockbuster Women’s Future Tours Programme (FTP) for 2025-2029.
The Maroon women reignite the region’s Test status when they play host to Australia for one match in 2026, 50 years after the Caribbean team made its Test debut against the Australians in 1976.
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WI women have not played a Test match since 2004. Their short record from four Test series stands at three draws and one loss to England.
The Maroon team played Australia (0-0) in 1976, India in 1977 (1-1), lost to England (2-0) in 1979, and drew against Pakistan (0-0) in 2004. The 1976 match against Australia was the last time West Indies played a Test match at home.
“It is always a step in the right direction. Anytime you get opportunities to excel and improve,” Hope said on Tuesday ahead of his team’s decisive ODI clash against England in Barbados.
“I think it is going to be great for the women’s game because anytime you’re playing the longer format, it tests your skills in a different way, and you can always use what you learnt from that format into the other formats. So I think it is a step in the right direction, and I wish them all the best,” he added.
Johnny Grave, whose tenure as Cricket West Indies CEO ended last week, raised the prospect of the Windies playing a Test at the iconic Kensington Oval, Barbados.
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“Our philosophy has been that red-ball cricket is where you can build your technique, hone your defence and look to score all around the wicket. If that is what we believe for the men, then it has to be the case for the women,” he added.
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