CPL Cricket…Guyana maintain 100% record with emphatic win against Jamaica

Aug 03, 2013 Sports

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By Sean Devers
A commanding unbeaten 67 from Man-of-the-Match Lendl Simmons spurred Guyana Amazon Warriors to an emphatic eight-wicket victory over the Jamaica Tallawahs at the Guyana National Stadium, Providence last night as the South American based side maintained their unbeaten run in the inaugural Limacol CPL T20 tournament.

Simmons and Skipper Ramnaresh Sarwan, who finished 24 not out, added 60 runs in an unfinished partnership to see Guyana to 118-2 from 14.3 overs in reply to Jamaica’s 117 all out from 19.1 overs as the Guyana bowlers again did a wonderful job under lights.
Guyana join Barbados with the maximum points but top the tournament by virtue of a better run rate and the team collected another US$25,000 for their winning effort last night.
Heavy traffic on the East Bank of Demerara last night prevented hundreds of ticket holders from seeing Chris Gayle, the man with the highest t20 score, bat last night.
By the time they arrived at the venue to create a magnificent atmosphere, the 33-year-old Jamaican had extended his run of poor form and was run out in the fifth over for six.
Gayle, who hammered 122 in Jamaica’s last T20 clash against Guyana in St Lucia earlier this year, was found short of his ground when he scampered back for a ‘tight’ second run to leave with his team on 15-2.
This was after Pakistani Ahmad Shahzad (7) had lofted left-arm pacer Krishmar Santokie to long-off where Chris Barnwell held a tumbling catch to the break the opening partnership in the 4th over with just 14 runs on the board.
Guyana won the toss and Mohammed Hafeez, who dismissed Gayle on both occasions in the two recent T20 Internationals against Pakistan, conceded just three runs from the opening over as the usually pugnacious Gayle began in ultra-watchful mode.
After the quick demise of the openers, Nkrumah Bonner (9) was trapped leg before to left-arm spinner Veerasammy Permaul with the score on 36-3 in the eighth over.
Jamaica wobbled to 45-5 in 9.2 overs as Danza Hyatt (18) was lbw to Permaul and Jacques Rudolph (2) was neatly stumped by Denish Ramdin off Sunil Narine as two wickets tumbled in the space of two runs and another colorful flag-waving sold-out crowd went wild.
David Bernard who made 24 and Carlton Baugh, who was mesmerized by the magic of Narine, who conceded only six runs from his first three overs, revived the position somewhat with a 35-run sixth wicket stand.

But with the score on 81, James Franklyn struck in the 16th over by getting rid of Bernard to spark a sea of yellow in the stands as Guyana Amazon Warriors flags were waved passionately in a Carnival-like setting.
Andre Russell (3) soon departed off Santokie at 97-6 in the 17th over while South African T20 rookie Vernon Philander (1) was run out six runs later.
With the fast bowlers coming onto the bat a lot better on the sluggish track Baugh cashed in on left arm fast bowler Franklyn with a towering six in 18th over.
Narine was brought back for his final over to bowl the penultimate over and a wild swipe was edged for four by Baugh.
Baugh then called Nikta Miller (0) for an impossible second run and Miller sacrificed his wicket for Baugh, who should have been run out by the length of the pitch.
Baugh was then bowled by Santokie for a top-score of 32 from 30 balls with two furs and two sixes to finish off proceedings with five balls remaining in the innings.
The Guyana bowlers, like they did on Wednesday when they opposed Trinidad and Tobago, again conspired to suffocate the Jamaican based unit.
Santokie led the way with 3-20 from 3.1 overs, while Permaul had 2-20 from four overs, Narine 1-13 from 4 overs and Hafeez 1-20 from four overs.
When the home team began their reply Martin Guptill and Simmons were off to a flying start, scoring 42 from the first five overs as the fans, on a high after Wednesday’s success from Guyana, danced joyously all night.
Simmons was in top form and stroked consecutive boundaries through cover off Bernard in an expensive fifth over which cost 13 runs. The Trinidadian then greeted world class off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan with a one bounce straight six.
A terrible mix-up between the batsmen, aided by a poor return, left Guptill (17) at the wrong end and the veteran 41-year-old, the oldest player in the tournament, comprehensively bowled Guptill in his first over to leave the score on 48-1 in the sixth over.
Murli, the highest wicket-taker in Tests with 800 scalps, struck again in his next over when Hafeez (6) was caught at long-on as Guyana slipped to 58-2.

Sarwan joined Simmons and got going with a disdainful boundary off a Gayle full toss while a ‘red hot’ Simmons pounced on Gayle like a cat upon a mouse and smashed him for six over long-on in an over which cost 12.
Sarwan suggested he had returned to form with a convincing strength six off Miller before Simmons spoiled Murli’s figures with three consecutive sixes to put Guyana within one shot of back-to-back victories.
A deft tap into the covers for a single from the 28-year-old Simmons formalized the victory as Guyana joined Barbados with a hundred percent record from the first two matches.
The local team will play their final match in Guyana tomorrow from 20:00hrs against St Lucia on the day’s double-header which starts at 15:00hrs when Jamaica face Antigua.
Scores: Jamaica Tallawahs 117 (19.1/20 ov) Baugh 32, Bernard 24; Santokie 3-20, Permaul 2-20; Guyana Amazon Warriors 118/2 (14.3/20 ov) Simmons 67*, Sarwan 24*; Muralitharan 2-33.
Result: Guyana Amazon Warriors won by 8 wickets (with 33 balls remaining).

 

 

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