GEORGETOWN, Guyana – Shai Hope’s fourth fifty of the campaign was enough to see Guyana Amazon Warriors to an uncomplicated six-wicket victory over Trinbago Knight Riders and guarantee them top spot in the group stage of the Caribbean Premier League here late Saturday night.
Shai Hope stylishly hits through the off side during his unbeaten fifty on Saturday night. (Photo courtesy CPLT20/Getty Images)The West Indies one-day captain struck a typically polished unbeaten 54 off 37 deliveries as the hosts, asked to chase a competitive 177, got over the line with eight balls to spare at the Guyana National Stadium.
With a single game remaining in their campaign, Amazon Warriors top the standings with 15 points, two clear of TKR who have finished their complement of ten matches.
St Lucia Kings and Jamaica Tallawahs, who clash in the first match of Sunday’s double-header, occupy the remaining qualifying spots.
Fast bowler Odean Smith, promoted to opener, blasted 44 from 32 deliveries in a 56-run, opening stand with Pakistan’s Saim Ayub whose 37 required 24 balls.
Hope then arrived at number three to control the chase in a 61-run, second wicket partnership with Smith and in another 38-run, unbroken fifth wicket stand with South African Dwaine Pretorius (11 not out).
Sent in earlier, TKR gathered 176 for eight off their 20 overs with Keacy Carty stroking a top score of 83 off 49 deliveries in his first game of the season.
Mark Deyal (37) and Chadwick Walton (25) chipped in with key knocks but TKR still found themselves limited after South African leg-spinner Imran Tahir produced a superb spell of three for 12 from four overs.
TKR lost Martin Guptill for one via the run out route when Junior Sinclair threw down the stumps at the non-striker’s end in the second over, with five runs on the board.
Carty then stitched together two critical partnerships which laid the foundation for TKR’s eventual total. First, he put on 41 for the second wicket with Deyal before adding a further 59 for the second wicket with opener Walton, and 45 for the third with captain Kieron Pollard (9).
His departure in the penultimate over was one of four wickets to tumble for five runs as TKR lost momentum.
Amazon Warriors grabbed control of the chase from early, Smith counting four fours and three sixes and Saim, three fours and two sixes, as the pair dominated the power-play.
With his latest effort, the 21-year-old Saim moved his runs rally for the season to 341 while the stylish Hope, who punched three fours and two sixes, surpassed 300 runs for the campaign.
