Ruthless Amazon Warriors melt Red Steel by 7 wickets

– to face either Red Steel or Tallawahs in playoffs 2 on Saturday

By Rajiv Bisnauth

GEORGETOWN, GUYANA: The Guyana Amazon Warriors produced a clinical display to ease past Trinidad and Tobago Red Steel with a commanding seven-wicket victory in the final preliminary game of the Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL) on Tuesday evening at the National Stadium, Providence, East Bank Demerara.

With the win the Amazon Warriors moved into second position on 11 points, and will play the second play-off against either the Red Steel or Jamaica Tallawahs on Saturday.

The Red Steel and Jamaica Tallawahs will clash in the first play-off on Thursday.

It was definitely an authoritative all-round performance from the home team as they first restricted the Red Steel to a modest 117-8 and then knocked off the runs with 22 balls to spare.

Man-of-the-Match Lendl Simmons led the Amazon Warriors’ reply with his usual stroke-filled arsenal, hitting a flurry of boundaries to finish unbeaten on 64.

Despite a star-studded Red Steel batting line-up, the hosts took wickets at regular intervals to deny momentum to the visitors, but opener Cameron Delport ensured that the Red Steel put up a respectable total with a superb 30-ball 44, after his side elected to bat on a slow pitch.

Delport, who hit six fours and a six, held the Red Steel innings together and he was the only batsman who could give some fight to the disciplined Amazon Warriors bowlers.

For Amazon Warriors, pacer Marchant de Lange claimed 4-20; leg-spinner Devendra Bishoo grabbed 2-19 while Sunil Narine and Brad Hodge took a wicket each.  But no one can take any credit away from Veerasammy Permaul, who bowled a brilliant spell which yielded only 20 runs.

Delport started proceedings for the Red Steel hitting Permaul for a boundary off the final ball in the first over.

After the dismissal of Searles, Darren Bravo joined Delport, who weathered the early storm and unleashed a few breathtaking shots to push the hosts on the back foot.

He smashed a further four boundaries as the Red Steel finished the powerplay overs at 44-2.

The pair fashioned Red Steel’s recovery with a partnership of 36. However, de Lange switched ends and broke through the third-wicket partnership when Bravo (3), was taken at the wicket.

Delport made his intentions clear when he smashed Hodge over long on for the first six of the match in the 10th over, but the very next delivery, a  short-of-the-length ball, the South African hit to short cover where Simmons claimed a low catch inches off the ground.

The onus was now on Skipper Dwayne Bravo and Johan Botha. But the duo found the going tough against the guile and the skill of the Amazon Warriors bowlers.

De Lange returned for his final over and claimed the wicket of Kevon Cooper for 10.

The Amazon Warriors were well on course for the win as Simmons thrashed the hapless Red Steel bowling.

Simmons shared an opening stand of 54 with Assad Fudadin, …who laboured to a 12-ball nine before he was dismissed by the Red Steel Skipper.

Amazon Skipper Denesh Ramdin made five but the right-handed pair of Simmons and Hodge shared 52 runs for the third wicket.

Both batsmen were not in a mood to delay the proceedings as they tore apart the bowlers with some clean hitting.