Guyana Amazon Warriors maintained their unbeaten start to the 2023 Republic Bank Caribbean Premier League (CPL) campaign with a dominant six wicket victory over the Trinbago Knight Riders.
The Amazon Warriors won the toss and opted to field first. The decision went in their favour when they restricted the Knight Riders to 45/2 at the end of the PowerPlay. However, despite taking regular wickets the Knight Riders had several useful cameos throughout their innings to post a challenging 173 to win.
The Amazon Warriors timed their chase perfectly in reply and had an excellent partnership between Saim Ayub and Shai Hope to thank as the two batters scored half-centuries to lay the foundation for the Amazon Warriors power hitters to seal the victory at the death.
In the first innings, the Knight Riders got off to a bad start losing Mark Deyal and Nicholas Pooran in the PowerPlay, the latter falling to a tremendous one-handed catch from wicketkeeper Azam Khan.
When Martin Guptil skied one off the bowling of Imran Tahir to leave the Knight Riders on 57/3 the innings needed rebuilding.
Akeal Hosein and Lorcan Tucker stepped up to task the and put the Knight Riders back in the game before Tucker was run out for 38 off 25 balls.
Andre Russell kept the momentum up by hitting a couple of Republic Bank maximums before he departed for a quickfire 14. His dismissal brought Kieron Pollard to the wicket and the captain responded with a brutal 25 from 12 balls, however like those before him he failed to kick on.
Ultimately the innings was underpinned by Akeal Hosein. His unbeaten 44 helped to guide the Knight Riders to a competitive score of 172/8.
Much like the Knight Riders the Amazon Warriors were to get their innings off to an inauspicious start. Chandrapaul Hemraj fell inside the first two overs for 10.
However, Ayub and Hope went on to lay the foundation for the Amazon Warriors chase with a brilliantly constructed partnership of 93 from 67 balls.
Despite Ayub (62) and Hope (51) eventually falling at the back end of the innings. Azam Khan and Shimron Hetmyer hit several Republic Bank maximums to seal the win in style.
The victory means the Amazon Warriors return to the top of the 2023 Republic Bank Caribbean Premier League (CPL) table.