Guyana Amazon Warriors moved to the top of the 2023 Republic Bank Caribbean Premier League (CPL) with a comfortable 98-run victory over the St Kitts & Nevis Patriots at Kensington Oval on Saturday.
The Patriots won the toss and opted to field first and that initially appeared to be an inspired decision when the Warriors were restricted to 55-4 inside the first seven overs. But excellent batting at the backend by Keemo Paul and Romario Shepherd, in particular, powered the Warriors to an imposing 186-6
In reply, the Patriots wobbled from the start and were never able to recover, much less to get close to the victorious total, as they were bowled out for a paltry 88.
Scores: Guyana Amazon Warriors 186-6 (20 overs); St Kitts and Nevis Patriots 88 all out (17.1 overs)
The Amazon Warriors initially had a good start to the Powerplay, racing to 32 inside the first three overs, before Oshane Thomas struck twice in the fourth over to restore some semblance of parity to the game. brought the Patriots into the game.
He had Saim Ayub (21) caught on the boundary and Hazratullah Zazai (seven) caught by wicketkeeper Andre Fletcher.
Two wickets became four when George Linde dismissed Azam Khan (six) and Thomas returned to pick up Shai Hope's scalp for 13, to leave the Amazon Warriors in trouble at 55-4.
However, the Guyanese pair of Shimron Hetmyer and Paul put on a 57-run partnership to rebuild the innings, before Dominic Drakes dismissed Hetmyer for a well-played 22-ball 36, which included three sixes and one four.
Dwaine Pretorius and Paul combined to put together another 48 from 31 balls to ensure the Warriors entered the backend of the innings with significant momentum. The former eventually fell for 27, but Shepherd came and slammed three sixes and a four in a seven-ball cameo of 27 to leave the Patriots an imposing 187 for victory.
Paul ended unbeaten on 41 off 31 balls, his innings also had three sixes and a four.
Thomas was the pick of the Patriots bowlers with three for 26 from three overs.
The Patriots would have backed themselves to get to their target, but some poor shot selection made the task even more difficult than it was before. They lost Andre Fletcher (11), Evin Lewis (seven), Will Smeed (two) and Sherfane Rutherford (two), inside the PowerPlay and continued to lose wickets at regular intervals.
Chris Bosch with a run-a-ball 27 was the only batsman to offer any real resistance, against Pretorius's three for 17 and Gudakesh Motie's two for 15, as the Warriors romped to a third-straight win and remain the only unbeaten team in the league.
The Guyana Amazon Warriors are now at the top of the Caribbean Premier League points table after a dominant 98-run win over the St. Kitts & Nevis Patriots at the Kensington Oval on Saturday.
The Amazon Warriors first posted 186-6 from their 20 overs after the Patriots won the toss and chose to field first.
All-rounder Keemo Paul followed up his 56 in their last game with an unbeaten 41 off 31 balls including one four and three sixes.
Shimron Hetmyer (36), Dwayne Pretorius (27) and Romario Shepherd with a rapid seven-ball 26 provided excellent contributions to the Amazon Warriors total.
Oshane Thomas continued his return to form this season with 3-26 from three overs.
The Patriots, who are now winless after seven games, could then muster only 88 off 17.1 overs in another awful batting performance.
Corbin Bosch scored the bulk of the runs with a run-a-ball 27.
Dwayne Pretorius was the star with the ball with 3-17 from three overs while West Indies left-arm spinner Gudakesh Motie took 2-15 from four overs.
The Amazon Warriors are now top of the table with seven points from four games.
Barbados Royals kicked off the 2023 Massy Women’s Caribbean Premier League (WCPL) with a thrilling final over chase at Kensington Oval, Barbados.
After winning the toss and opting to bat, the Amazon Warriors produced a record-breaking innings on their route to 166/2 from their 20 overs.
Sophie Devine became the second New Zealander in as many days to hit a CPL century, following on from Martin Guptill’s knock with 103 not out from 64 balls, bringing up the landmark score on the final delivery of the innings with a six over long-off.
Facing a difficult task, the Royals appeared to lack power until Laura Harris took the 15th over for 24 to put the game in the balance. With 43 still required from five overs, Erin Burns and Chinelle Henry saw the hosts home with two balls to spare.
With Devine leading the way a day before her 35th birthday, the Warriors kept wickets in hand throughout their innings while maintaining a strong run rate as they ended an explosive PowerPlay 50/0.
Royals captain Hayley Matthews used 12 overs of spin consecutively in the innings in attempt to slow the visitors through the middle overs, before the Amazon Warriors blasted 62 from the final five overs to break the WCPL record for highest total.
Amanda-Jade Wellington should have had Devine out for 41 in the ninth over when a false shot brought a straightforward chance for Afy Fletcher at short cover which was dropped, while the score was still wicketless.
The Royals were facing an uphill battle chasing 167 in the early stages; Matthews’ dismissal for 23 was a setback after a steady powerplay at a-run-a-ball. Gaby Lewis played a superb 360-degree knock which brought hope for the Royals which was backed up by Harris’ spectacular 30 from just 12 balls.
Shabnim Ismail produced a brilliant 19th over, conceding just three runs but with just nine runs to win from the final over, Suzie Bates couldn’t stop an in-form Erin Burns from closing out the chase.
Barbados Royals are in action again on Saturday as they face defending champions Trinbago Knight Riders.
Guyana Amazon Warriors got their first win of the 2023 Republic Bank Caribbean Premier League (CPL) with a comfortable 65-run victory against the St Kitts and Nevis Patriots on Thursday.
The Patriots won the toss and opted to field first, but the decision backfired, as the Amazon Warriors made light of losing wickets at regular intervals, to post an exceptional 197 for 7.
In reply, the Patriots struggled to get close to the Warriors total, being bundled over for 132 in 16.5 overs.
Evin Lewis played a quick-fire captain’s knock, but once he fell, no one else in the Patriots order was able to have a similar effect on the game.
The Amazon Warriors innings suffered an early blow when Sheldon Cottrell removed Chandrapaul Hemraj in the first over for a duck.
Though the Patriots lost two further wickets in the PowerPlay –Saim Ayub falling to Dominic Drakes and Azam Khan to Oshane Thomas –they kept the run-rate brisk, and were well positioned at 59 for 3, at the end of the initial six overs.
Shai Hope and Shimron Hetmyer maintained and, by extension, built on that momentum taking the score to 101 for 3 at the halfway stage of the innings. Hope led the way, as he raced to a half-century from a mere 26 balls.
However, the partnership was eventually broken by wrist spinner Izharulhaq Naveed, who bowled the destructive Hope for 54. That wicket was quickly followed up by the dismissal of Hetmyer for 26, as the left-hander holed out to the fielder on the deep point boundary.
Those wickets briefly took the momentum out of the innings, before Keemo Paul and Romario Shepherd not only steadied the ship, but added quick runs at the backend to help the Warriors to their imposing target.
The Patriots reply never really got going as scoreboard pressure told.
Andre Fletcher and Joshua Da Silva fell inside the PowerPlay to leave the Patriots 37 for 2 at the end of six overs.
Lewis played a fine counter-attacking innings of 48 from 24 balls to bring the required run-rate down to something more manageable, but whatever hope they had of achieving the winning target, was short lived.
Lewis and Sherfane Rutherford fell six balls apart to leave the Patriots at 88 for 4 after 10 overs.
As if things couldn’t get any worse, the remaining batsmen failed to put together any useful partnerships, as they came and went in quick succession.
Gudakesh Motie proved too hard to handle and, as such, finished with career best figures in a spell that included the wicket of Ambati Rayudu.
The left-arm spinner ended with four wickets for 28, almost single-handedly gifting Amazon Warriors an opening victory, which would not only boost their confidence, but also set them up nicely for the remainder of the campaign.
Scores: Guyana Amazon Warriors 197-7 (Hope 54, Ayub 31; Thomas 3-38, Drakes 2-43) beat St Kitts & Nevis Patriots 132 (Lewis 48, Rayudu 32; Motie 4-29, Tahir 2-35) by 65 runs
The Patriots will look to bounce back when they host the Barbados Royals on Saturday.
The Guyana Amazon Warriors franchise is thrilled to announce that two exceptional young talents have secured scholarships to join the franchise during their home leg of the 2023 Republic Bank Caribbean Premier League (CPL).
The two promising players, batting all-rounder, Mavindra Dindyal and fast bowling sensation, Isai Thorne have demonstrated outstanding skills, dedication and potential in their cricketing career. The selection process was rigorous with the franchise keen on aiding the development of young Guyanese players.
“We are delighted to welcome Mavindra and Isai to the Warriors family,” Chairman of the franchise, Dr. Bobby Ramroop said while continuing, “their exceptional talents and passion for the game has truly impressed us. We believe this exposure will contribute significantly to their development and their addition is a testament to our commitment in fostering young talents and providing a platform for them to shine.”
Both Dindyal and Thorne have garnered attention for their remarkable performances at the grassroots level and junior regional levels, demonstrating their prowess with bat and ball. Both players have featured in the recently concluded Cricket West Indies Under-19 regional tournament with Dindyal scoring over 300 runs with a best of 94 while Thorne, who has represented West Indies at the Youth World Cup, is widely regarded as one of the fastest bowlers in the region at the youth level.
“I am incredibly grateful for this opportunity,” Dindyal related. He noted, “Joining the Amazon Warriors has been a dream come true and I am excited to learn from some of the best players in the game.”
Thorne equally expressed his enthusiasm to be part of the set up and highlighted, “being part of the Warriors is an honor. I look forward to giving my best and learning as much as possible.”
CPL bowls off on August 16 but heads to Guyana on September 12 with Warriors facing Jamaica Tallawahs (September 13), Saint Lucia Kings (September 14), Trinbago Knight Riders (September 16) and Barbados Royals (September 17).
The playoffs will begin with the first eliminator on September 19 followed by the Qualifier 1 on September 20 and Qualifier 2 on September 22. The final is set for September 24.
All matches in Guyana will be played at the National Stadium, Providence.
Three teams have confirmed their fifth overseas player ahead of the 2023 Republic Bank Caribbean Premier League (CPL).
Australian all-rounder Ben Cutting will be joining the Jamaica Tallawahs. Cutting has played at the CPL before with the St Kitts & Nevis Patriots in 2018. With experience in the best T20 leagues around the world he will bring power batting and skillful bowling to the Tallawahs line up.
Tristan Stubbs will be joining the St Kitts & Nevis Patriots. A powerful batter who has recently broken into the South African international team, Stubbs has experience of playing in T20 leagues in England, India and his native South Africa. This exciting talent will bring firepower to the Patriots team.
Saim Ayub will join the Guyana Amazon Warriors, an international batter for Pakistan in T20 International cricket. With a proven track record of success, he will be a real boost for the Amazon Warriors.
The Amazon Warriors have also announced that Rahmanullah Gurbaz will not be available for some of this year’s CPL due to international commitments. Gurbaz will be replaced by Pakistan international Mohammad Haris for that period.
The 2023 edition of the Women's CPL will feature seven matches, as opposed to four in the inaugural season last year. The league will host will get underway on August 30, with the final taking place on September 10 in Trinidad and Tobago.
As was the case last year, the sides taking part are Trinbago Knight Riders, Barbados Royals and Guyana Amazon Warriors. Barbados will serve as the other venue for the tournament.
In 2022, each side played one group game, before TKR, led by Deandra Dottin, beat Barbados Royals, who were captained by current West Indies skipper Hayley Matthews, in the final in St Kitts.
This time around, the group stage will feature a double round-robin format, with the top two qualifying for the final.
"We are hugely excited to have an expanded WCPL schedule for 2023 and we are grateful to the government of Trinidad & Tobago for their support in helping to grow the tournament in 2023," Pete Russell, the CPL CEO, said.
Minister of Sport and Community Development Shamfa Cudjoe said: "Once again, the Government of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago is pleased to partner with the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) as we get ready to host the final match of the 2023 Women's CPL. The hosting of this game comes at an opportune time as it strategically aligns with the goal of the Ministry's ongoing Pink Reign TT campaign, which speaks to promoting women and girls in sport."
The scheduling of the WCPL means the tournament avoids a clash with the Women's Hundred this year, with that competition running from August 1 to 27. It allows Matthews and Dottin to be available for the entirety of the Hundred before the WCPL starts, and frees other players signed up to both tournaments to play each in full. There was a significant overlap last year, with the final of the Women's Hundred on September 3 and the WCPL final the following day.
Sune Luus, Chloe Tryon, Ayabonga Khaka, Chamari Athapaththu, Hayley Jensen and Fatima Sana were the overseas players at the 2022 WCPL.
Power hitter Shimron Hetmyer and the stylish Shai Hope are among the nine players retained by the Guyana Amazon Warriors for the upcoming Republic Bank Caribbean Premier League season set to get underway in August.
Along with Hetmyer and Hope, the Amazon Warriors have also announced the retention of fast bowler Odean Smith, all-rounders Romario Shepherd an Keemo Paul, spinner Gudakesh Motie as well as Chandrapaul Hemraj, Matthew Nandu and Junior Sinclair.
The overseas players and draft picks will be announced during the Republic Bank CPL draft show which will be broadcast at the end of June.
The tournament gets underway on 16 August with the final taking place on 24 September. There will be matches in Barbados, Guyana, St Kitts & Nevis, Saint Lucia and Trinidad & Tobago.
The venues and fixtures for the 2023 Republic Bank Caribbean Premier League (CPL) have been confirmed with the tournament taking place from 16 August to 24 September in Saint Lucia, St Kitts & Nevis, Barbados, Trinidad & Tobago and Guyana.
The tournament gets underway in Saint Lucia with six matches at the Daren Sammy Cricket ground between 16 August and 20 August with home side the Saint Lucia Kings appearing in four of those fixtures.
From there the tournament moves on the St Kitts & Nevis with six matches at Warner Park between 23 August and 27 August with four games for the home team, the Patriots.
The next leg of the tournament will take place in Barbados with the CPL returning to the country for the first time since 2019. With six matches scheduled for the iconic Kensington Oval, and four home games for the Barbados Royals, there will be lots of excitement about the tournament’s return. The matches will take place in Barbados from 30 August to 3 September.
From 5 September to 10 September the tournament will be in Trinidad & Tobago. There will be four home games for the Trinbago Knight Riders and six matches in total.
The final leg of the tournament will take place in Guyana with the matches running from 13 September to 24 September. The knockout stages will be in Guyana again in 2023, with excitement already building after the successful running of the final last season.
“We are very pleased that the tournament will be staged in five countries in 2023,” said Pete Russell, Republic Bank CPL’s CEO. “As ever, the CPL is a chance for fans across the region and around the world to enjoy world class cricket. And for the players from the Caribbean it is an opportunity to showcase their skills and further their careers.”
Men’s Caribbean Premier League 2023 Fixtures
Darren Sammy Cricket Stadium, St Lucia
Weds 16 August, 7pm - Saint Lucia Kings vs Jamaica Tallawahs
Thurs 17 August, 7pm - Saint Lucia Kings vs Barbados Royals
Sat 19 August, 10am -Trinbago Knight Riders vs St Kitts & Nevis Patriots
7pm - Saint Lucia Kings vs Guyana Amazon Warriors
Sun 20 August, 10am - Jamaica Tallawahs vs Barbados Royals
7:00pm - Saint Lucia Kings vs St Kitts & Nevis Patriots
Warner Park, St Kitts and Nevis
Wed 23 August, 7pm - St Kitts & Nevis Patriots vs Jamaica Tallawahs
Thurs 24 August, 7pm- St Kitts & Nevis Patriots vs Guyana Amazon Warriors
Sat 26 August, 10am - Saint Lucia Kings vs Trinbago Knight Riders
7pm -St Kitts & Nevis Patriots vs Barbados Royals
Sun 27 August, 10am - Jamaica Tallawahs vs Guyana Amazon Warriors
7pm - St Kitts & Nevis Patriots vs Trinbago Knight Riders
Kensington Oval, Barbados
Wed 30 August, 7pm - Barbados Royals vs Trinbago Knight Riders
Thurs 31 August, 7pm -Barbados Royals vs Jamaica Tallawahs
Sat 2 September, 10am - Guyana Amazon Warriors vs Jamaica Tallawahs
8pm - Barbados Royals vs Saint Lucia Kings
Sun 3 September, 10am - Jamaica Tallawahs vs Trinbago Knight Riders
8pm - Barbados Royals vs St Kitts & Nevis Patriots
Trinidad and Tobago – Venues to be decided
Tues 5 September, 7pm - Trinbago Knight Riders vs Barbados Royals
Wed 6 September, 7pm - Trinbago Knight Riders vs Guyana Amazon Warriors
Sat 9 September, 10am - St Kitts & Nevis Patriots vs Saint Lucia Kings
8pm - Trinbago Knight Riders vs Jamaica Tallawahs
Sun 10 September, 10am - Barbados Royals vs Guyana Amazon Warriors
8pm- Trinbago Knight Riders vs Saint Lucia Kings
Guyana National Stadium, Providence
Wed 13 September, 7pm - Guyana Amazon Warriors vs St Kitts & Nevis Patriots
Thurs 14 September, 7pm - Guyana Amazon Warriors vs Saint Lucia Kings
Sat 16 September, 10am - Jamaica Tallawahs vs St Kitts & Nevis Patriots
7pm - Guyana Amazon Warriors vs Trinbago Knight Riders
Sun 17 September, 10am - Jamaica Tallawahs vs Saint Lucia Kings
7pm - Guyana Amazon Warriors vs Barbados Royals
Tues 19 September, 7pm - Eliminator – 3rd place vs 4th place
Wed 19 September, 7pm - Qualifier 1 – 1st place vs 2nd place
Fri 22 September, 7pm - Qualifier 2 – Winner of Eliminator vs Loser Qualifier 1
Sun 24 September, 7pm - Final – Winner Qualifier 1 vs Winner Qualifier 2
The 2022 Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL) generated a huge economic impact for the countries who hosted matches with a total figure of US$200,935,772, a 47% increase on the amount generated during the 2019 tournament, the last time the Hero CPL travelled around the region.
The total direct economic impact on the region from Hero CPL 2022 was US$134,686,551 with an additional US$66,250,232 in sponsorship value as a result of the Hero CPL broadcast which was watched by over 700million viewers in 2022.
The four countries who held Hero CPL matches were St Kitts & Nevis, Saint Lucia, Trinidad & Tobago and Guyana. St Kitts & Nevis also hosted the first running of the Massy Women’s CPL (WCPL) and the SKYEXCH 6IXTY. The tournament has created jobs and generated income in all of these countries as the Caribbean continues to be central to the success of the Hero CPL.
The rise in economic impact has, in part, been driven by the change to the tournament structure that now sees all six teams, TV production crew and tournament staff travelling around the region as one cohort, spending more time in each of the host countries. With more matches being played per host country, travelling fans are now offered even greater value to come and watch the Hero CPL and as a result there was a significant increase in international arrivals across the tournament in 2022.
This figure was generated by independent, world-renowned research company, YouGov Sport. This figure takes into account the total spent by Hero CPL to put on the 2022 event, the value of media exposure for the country from the broadcast of matches and the money spent with local business by those who travelled around the region for the tournament.
The Hero CPL was responsible for filling 54,702 hotel nights across the region, with players, TV crew, CPL and franchise staff and other visitors all helping to generate further revenue for local businesses and suppliers.
The total viewership for the 2022 Hero CPL was a record 721.8million, a record for the tournament. This is the third successive year that the tournament has generated a viewership figure of over half a billion. This increase in viewership gave even more exposure to host countries throughout the tournament, adding further value to hosting Hero CPL matches.
Pete Russell, Hero CPL’s CEO, said: “The value that Hero CPL brings to host countries has been long established but for the economic impact of the tournament to pass US$200million for the first time is another milestone in the decade long history of the event. Hero CPL creates jobs, fills hotel rooms, boosts tourism and attracts visitors into host countries, both during the tournament and beyond. We are very excited to see this Caribbean product continue to grow its global reach while still hugely benefiting the region.”
Jamaica Tallawahs batsman Shamarh Brooks has hailed the influence of his teammates after smashing a crucial, maiden, T20 century against the Guyana Amazon Warriors, in the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) on Wednesday.
In the must-win encounter, Brooks both treated and horrified home fans with some spectacular stroke-play, which underpinned the Jamaica franchise’s sizeable innings score of 226 for 4. Personally, the batsman piled on an unbeaten 109 off 52 balls his best-ever return for the format.
The total, which included 7 fours and 8 sixes was instrumental in the team’s win as they later managed to restrict the Warriors to 189, which sealed the Jamaica franchise's return to the final for the first time in four years.
“I had lunch with Brandon King and he was very upset with the way I got out in the last innings, on 47. So, he told me I needed to take it all the way down regardless of what I think, that’s what I did and it paid off,” Brooks said.
“Imad Wasim coming in at the end, the partnership with Ravi, Raymond as well, the guys just kept telling me to keep working it, just keep playing cricket shots and as we always say in the dressing room to keep making love to the cricket ball.”
The Tallawahs will face the Barbados Royals in Friday's final.
The Jamaica Tallawahs will contest the Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL) final following a 37-run victory over the Guyana Amazon Warriors in Qualifier 2 on Wednesday night.
The Amazon Warriors won the toss and opted to field first and that seemed to be an excellent decision after they reduced the Tallawahs to 37-2 in the PowerPlay.
However, Shamarh Brooks produced one of the all-time great Hero CPL innings to guide the Tallawahs to a season-high 226-4. His unbeaten 109 came off 52 balls and along with Imad Wasim, the pair plundered 103 runs from the final five overs to take the game away from the Amazon Warriors.
The chase was always going to be hard for the Amazon Warriors, so it proved. Despite losing Mohammad Amir to injury the Tallawahs bowling unit produced a controlled performance that kept the Amazon Warriors in check throughout.
Although Keemo Paul produced a good innings of 54 from 37 balls, no one else was able to stay with him to pull off an unlikely heist.
Earlier, the Amazon Warriors had seemed to be in control of the game when Raymon Reifer was dismissed for 22 to leave the Tallawahs 123-4 with five overs to go. However, Brooks and Wasim launched an unbelievable assault at the back end.
Brooks hit a maiden T20 century whilst Wasim made an unbeaten 41 off 15 balls to secure the Tallawahs a place in the Hero CPL final.
If the Amazon Warriors were to chase the 227 to win, they needed a lightning start in the PowerPlay and they got that by putting up 62 runs. However, they lost three wickets in the process thereby handing the Tallawahs an advantage going forward.
Wickets continued to fall at regular intervals as the Tallawahs bowlers put the squeeze on the Amazon Warriors. Imad Wasim was the star turn leading the bowling unit with 2-25 in the absence of Amir.
The Tallawahs victory means they will now contest their third Hero CPL final and both themselves and the Barbados Royals will be looking to secure their third Hero CPL title.
Scores: Jamaica Tallawahs 226-4 (Brooks 109*, Wasim 41*; Shepherd 2-43, Tahir 1-34) beat Guyana Amazon Warriors 189-8 (Paul 56, Hope 31; Wasim 2-25, Green 2-40) by 37 runs
Jamaica Tallawahs captain Ravmon Powell insists the team must continue to target improvement ahead of a crucial match-up against the Guyana Amazon Warriors on Wednesday.
Mohammad Nabi slammed a crucial 31 and then took 3 for 10 as the Tallawahs secured a 33-run win over the St Lucia Kings, despite getting off to a slow start.
On Wednesday, the Tallawahs will look to add to that achievement when they face off against the hosts for a place in the final. The two-time champions have not reached the final in four seasons but Powell believes that could be set to change.
“We are ready, we are expecting a full house but we won’t pay any attention to that,” Powell said after the team’s win on Wednesday.
“We are not focused on that, all the guys need to do is to keep on improving. We need to keep improving batting in the first ten overs and I think if we do that we will be on our way.”
Barbados Royals captain Kyle Mayers and his Guyana Amazon Warriors counterpart Shimron Hetmyer both expressed confidence in their respective teams ahead of their clash in Qualifier 1 of the Caribbean Premier League in Guyana on Tuesday.
The Royals and Amazon Warriors finished first and second in the recently concluded league phase and will clash at Providence with the winner booking their spot in the final and the loser getting another chance in Qualifier 2 on Wednesday against the winner of the Eliminator between the St. Lucia Kings and the Jamaica Tallawahs.
The Royals have been in fine form, winning eight out of their ten matches in the league phase.
“Things have been great. Winning eight games out of ten, I think the boys have been playing some good cricket. We’re studying the game, very high-spirited and ready to go for tomorrow,” said Mayers in a pre-match press conference on Monday.
On the other hand, the Amazon Warriors had an abysmal start, winning just one of their first six matches before reeling off four straight wins after returning to Guyana.
“So far it’s been okay. The start wasn’t what we expected as a team but when we got back to Guyana, the guys spirits were much higher than I expected and they were ready to go, especially with the crowds. With the crowds here and knowing the conditions as much as we do, I think the guys are really up for the challenge. It’s just for us to continue,” Hetmyer said.
The Royals have lifted the CPL trophy on two occasions in 2014 and 2019 while the Amazon Warriors have never won it despite reaching five finals, something Hetmyer says is not on his team’s mind heading into the playoffs.
“Mentally, the guys are good. We can’t really think about what happened in the past because a lot of these guys were not here when we made it to the knockout rounds before. We just have to keep taking it one game at a time and focus as hard as we can on the game to come.”
The match will start at 9:00am Jamaican Time (10:00am ECT).
Guyana Amazon Warriors completed the perfect set of home victories in the Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL) with a comprehensive defeat of the table-topping Barbados Royals on Sunday night.
The victory means the two teams will do it all again on Tuesday in the first qualifier.
The Amazon Warriors won the toss and opted to field first, and that proved to be an inspired decision. On a fresh surface, their seamers wreaked havoc taking three wickets inside the PowerPlay to leave the Royals in disarray.
Wickets continued to fall at regular intervals and the 125 the Royals mustered was never likely to be enough on a track that offered good value for positive stroke play.
The Royals were able to take two early wickets of their own when they had their turn to bowl restricting the Amazon Warriors to 18-2 but that was as good as it got.
Shakib Al-Hasan produced a scintillating half-century to put the Amazon Warriors on the cusp of victory and the remaining batters saw the chase home to win the game inside 15 overs.
Earlier Guyana Amazon Warriors had utilised the movement on offer to unleash their cadre of seamers on the Royals. Romario Shepherd, Keemo Paul and Odean Smith all weighed in with wickets to leave the Royals 97-9 and it was only late cameos from Ramon Simmonds and Mujeeb Ur Rahman that enabled the Royals to post 125.
Although the Amazon Warriors lost Chandrapaul Hemraj and Shai Hope in the PowerPlay, Shakib played an enterprising innings to take the drama out of the chase. His knock of 53 came off 30 balls and laid the foundation for the Amazon Warriors to win with five over to spare.
The two sides will now do battle again in the first qualifier on Tuesday to determine who will earn the right to go straight to the Hero CPL final.
Scores: Guyana Amazon Warriors 126-5 (Shakib 53, Gurbaz 22; McCoy 2-22, Mayers 1-20) beat Barbados Royals 125 (Holder 42, Khan 20; Shepherd 3-14, Paul 2-9) by 5 wickets.
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