At Warner Park in Basseterre, spectators were treated to a spectacular game between the Guyana Amazon Warriors and the St. Kitts and Nevis Patriots, which resulted in the second-highest total in CPL history (266 for 7). The two standout players of the match were Rahmullah Gurbaz (69 off 37 balls) and Shimron Hetmyer (91 off 39 balls).
Keemo Paul completed the picture for the Warriors with a quick-fire cameo of 34 off 12 deliveries. The Patriots had hope thanks to a brilliant 81 from Andre Fletcher and a fast-bowling 34 from Sherfane Rutherford, but they were bowled out for 226 in reply, giving up a 40-run loss.
Kevin Sinclair was elevated to the top of the order by the Warriors when they decided to bat, and he hit four boundaries against Kyle Mayers before holeging out for extra cover. Compared to Sinclair, Gurbaz began off more slowly but eventually won the odd-boundary. The Warriors reached 53 in the PowerPlay after a barrage of fours in the sixth over. Hope was fired right away following the PowerPlay that brought Gurbaz and Hetmyer together.
Upon their union, there was no relief for any bowler. Throughout the innings, they mostly dealt sixes. Gurbaz hit Ryan John for two sixes, including a hundred-meter maximum, and reached his fifty while doing so. The two hammered Odean Smith for three sixes in a huge 21-run over. Then, Hetmyer destroyed Muhammad Mohsin and Mayers for maximums. With a ground ball, he reached his half-century mark.
Hetmyer hit two sixes in a dramatic 14th over, and Anrich Nortje then easily dismissed Gurbaz. Keemo With three sixes and a four in a 25-run over, Paul thoroughly embarrassed Mohsin.
The hitters attempted to steal a single off of John, but Paul was run out. Next, Hetmyer cut four gigantic sixes into Odean. The penultimate ball of a massive 19th over that saw 28 runs scored saw him eventually hole out to mid-on. With a pair of maximums in the last over, Raymon Reifer helped Warriors set an enormous goal.
Evin Lewis was lost by the Patriots in the opening over. Despite a few maximums from Mayers, the Patriots remained cautious at first until Fletcher broke the chains in the fifth over. Fletcher hammered four sixes and two fours off Sinclair in a spectacular 34-run over that included two balls without a bounce. Paul removed Mayers from the game right away, but Rutherford hit three fours and a six off the bowler. In the PowerPlay, the Patriots had accelerated to 94 for 2.
In Imran Tahir’s opening over, the batsmen struck three more sixes, one each at mid-wicket and the other down the ground. Fletcher hit a six against Paul to reach his fifty in eighteen balls. After a quickfire 34, the dangerous Rutherford holed out to long-on. Preying on Josh Clarkson and Odean, Tahir bowled a double-wicket maiden with the asking rate below 12 and the Patriots dominating.
With a four and a six off Gudakesh Motie, Fletcher maintained the pressure. But with the Patriots down to 174 for 6, the hitter was caught below deck off Motie. John was taken apart by Mohsin with two sixes and a four, but Tahir scalped him for two.
The following over saw Mohsin fall, severely undermining the Patriots’ chances. Before being caught at extra cover, Mikyle Louis blasted Pretorius for two fours and a six, sealing the victory for the Warriors.
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