LCPL Cricket…Capacity crowd get plenty to shout about as Amazon Warriors beat T&T’s Red Steel

Aug 01, 2013 Sports

---

 

By Sean Devers
A capacity crowd turned out at Providence last night to urge the Guyana Amazon Warriors on and they were not disappointed, leaving the National Stadium with smiles as broad as the Essequibo River.
The Ramnaresh Sarwan led local side produced captivating cricket against arch-rivals Trinidad and Tobago’s Red Steel in an exciting 19-run victory as the inaugural Limacol CPL T20 cricket tournament  got on the way in its Guyana leg.
The colourful crowd rocked all night long in true Carnival fashion while the pretty Limacol CPL, Courts and Digicel girls provided additional entertainment for the pumped-up fans.

When the dust had settled T&T’s Red Steel were restricted to 136-8 despite an exhilarating 54 from 17-year old wicketkeeper Nicolas Pooran from just 23 balls. This was in reply to Guyana’s Amazon Warriors’ 155-5 off their allowed 20 overs.
Justin Guillen who scored a run-a-ball 22, backed away to cut and was bowled by Mohammed Hafeez to leave the Red Steel on 28-1, while Davey Jacobs (10) was bowled by left arm spinner Veerasammy Permaul at 46-2 in the 9th over to the delight of the partisan crowd of well over 15,000.
Ross Taylor (2) was next to go, LBW to Permaul and the visitors were 50-3 in the 11th over as the required rate climbed to 11.5.   Darren Bravo was put down at point by Hafeez off Sunil Narine on 17 before Pooran hit his countryman for a six next ball. The Wicketkeeper then dumped Hafeez for two sixes in the next over to keep hopes alive in the tourist’s camp.
With 67 needed from 36 balls, the partnership between Pooran and Daren Bravo was beginning to look ominous.
Darren Bravo (23 from 25 balls) edged a catch to Denesh Ramdin off Krishmar Santokie at 93-4 in the 15th over and there was noticeable relief among the biggest crowd to watch a cricket match at Providence.  Pooran was dropped twice off consecutive balls off Permaul in the 16th over and at 103-4 with 24 balls remaining, a game was still on.
Dwayne Bravo (8) was caught off Narine after the third Umpire verified that a no-ball was not delivered at 105-5 but with Pooran, who hit Narine over cover for six, still there, a thrilling finish was anticipated.
Pooran was not finished yet and consecutive sixes off Permaul reduced the asking to 31 from 14 balls. Permaul had the last laugh when Pooran lofted a catch to long-off at 124-6 in the 18th over.

Cooper (0) and Kevin O’Brian (8) fell in quick succession to leave the score on 131-8 with 10 balls left in the riveting contest.
But in the end 20 from the final over, bowled by Narine proved too big a task for the T&T based unit. Suleiman Benn (0) was bowled with the second ball and Narine finished with a wicket maiden.
Permaul had 3-32 while there were two wickets each for Santokie and Narine.
Earlier, Red Steel won the toss and invited the Warriors to bat first in cool conditions on a track with early ‘carry’ for the pacers.
Lendl Simmons and Martin Guptill, who neatly tucked Miguel Cummins behind square in the opening over, gave the home side a solid 77-run foundation before Badree struck in the 10th over when he trapped Guptill for 32 from 21 balls with three fours and a six.
Cummings strayed down the leg-side twice in his second over and Simmons flicked him for four past a diving Pooran behind the stumps before the Bajan pacer again strayed into Simmons’ pads, conceding four leg-bys.
Benn replaced leg-spinner Samuel Badree, whose first over cost seven runs, and was immediately dumped over mid-off for a boundary while Copper was struck for a six over long on by the elegant Guptill.
Simmons then brought up the Warriors’ 50 in the sixth over with thumping straight six off Badree-operating in his second spell- and fireworks lighted up the night sky.
The flag-waving and horn-blowing fans were given a sumptuous treat as they, like the gyrating Cheerleaders, who danced continuously throughout the contest on specially set up stages, had a ball of a time as they watched themselves on a huge TV screen.
With pulsating music blearing in between overs and after every boundary and the ram-packed crowd providing a kaleidoscope of colour beyond the boundary, Hafeez joined the well entrenched Simmons but was soon caught at square-leg for 13 off O’Brian at 98-2 in the 14th over as the run rate slowed a bit.
The 100 came up in 14.3 overs as the towering James Franklin joined forces with Simmons who fell eight short of his fifty when he dragged Dwayne Bravo to deep mid wicket to leave the Warriors on 103-3 in the 16th over after facing 50 balls and hitting two fours and a six.
The Red Steel skipper struck two balls later when Chris Barnwell was removed for a duck. Narsingh Deonarine (1) was then run out as the local side slipped to 106-5 in the next over.
Sarwan who batted at number seven in the order, and the left handed Franklin carried their team to end with an unfinished 49-run stand from 22 balls.

Franklin hit Bravo for a massive six over long-on into the noisy crowd in the mound while Sarwan whipped Bravo gloriously to the square-leg boundary. Franklin then completed the over by attempting a paddle sweep and the ball eluded Pooran as the over cost 16 runs.
Cooper went into Franklin’s legs and the pugnacious all rounder disdainfully deposited him into the stands and he repeated the doze in Bravo’s next over.
Sarwan then smashed Bravo for a mighty six over mid-wicket which went 88 meters. The classy Guyana captain ended his unbeaten cameo with a ‘Dilscoop’ which sailed over the keeper’s for a one-bounce four.
The final over from Bravo went for 21 runs and took the local team past the 150 mark with Sarwan on 21 from just 12 balls and Franklin on 26 form 20 balls decorated with three sixes.
Bravo was the most successful and expensive bowler finishing with 2-14 from his four overs. Santokie was named man-of-the-match for his excellent bowling performance.
The next match is tomorrow when the Warriors come up against Jamaica from 20:00hrs at Providence.

 

---

---