Amazon Warriors begin home leg with win over Knight Riders

PROVIDENCE, Guyana:

Shai Hope notched his fourth half century of this year's Republic Bank Caribbean Premier League (CPL) to carry the Guyana Amazon Warriors to an exciting three-wicket victory over the Trinbago Knight Riders on Saturday night.

Hope, who has the second highest runs in this year's competition, scored 53 off 46 balls, as the home side chased down the Knight Riders' total of 167 for five off 20 overs, finishing on 168 for seven with one ball to spare at Providence Stadium.

Together with Shimron Hetmyer, who belted 49 off 30 balls, Hope reignited the Amazon Warriors' run chase after left-arm spinner Akeal Hosein dismissed openers Moeen Ali and Keemo Paul cheaply, to leave them 14 for two in the third over.

FAVOURITES

The pair added 83 runs in nine overs to install themselves as favourites heading into the final phase of the match.

Hope dispatched Andre Russell for back-to-back sixes followed by a four in the fourth over and Hetmyer hit Usman Tariq for three sixes in the seventh over, signalling their intentions.

Hetmyer seemed destined for 50, until he hit Sunil Narine straight into the hands of Keacy Carty stationed at deep backward square leg, to make the score 97 for three at the start of the 12th over.

Hassan Khan scored just three runs before he was bowled by Tariq, and shortly after reaching his 14th CPL half century off 41 balls, Hope was trapped lbw by Narine to bring an end to his innings that included three sixes and three fours, and leave the match evenly poised at 123 for five in the 16th over.

But Player-of-the-Match Dwaine Pretorius came to his side's rescue for the second straight match, hitting three massive sixes in his 26 off 14 balls, which helped to get them over the line despite losing the wickets of Romario Shepherd and Quentin Sampson for nine and seven, respectively.

Narine ended with 2-12, while Hosein took 2-35 for the Knight Riders.

DISAPPOINTED

After being asked to bat first, the visitors would have been disappointed with their batting display, with Kieron Pollard being the only batter to impose himself against the Amazon Warriors' bowlers.

Darren Bravo scored a pedestrian 33 off 35 balls, while Keacy Carty needed 34 balls for his 29 runs.

When Carty retired out at the start of the 18th over, the Knight Riders were struggling on 127 for five.

However, Pollard hit Imran Tahir for 19 runs in the penultimate over and followed that up by clobbering Shepherd for two sixes and two fours in the last over that yielded 21 runs, while bringing up his half century in just 17 balls.

Pollard finished unbeaten on 54 off 18 balls with five sixes and five fours, while registering his 16th CPL 50 and third of the season.

- CMC