Hero CPL cricket Match 11…Amla guides TKR past Warriors in thriller at Providence

Jul 11, 2016 Sports

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By Sean Devers
The largest crowd to watch cricket at Providence produced a sea of yellow and had the time of their lives as the Guyana Amazon Warriors lost a thrilling and hard fought contest against Trinbago Knights Riders by seven runs in a sensational climax to a riveting Hero CPL match 11 last night.

Man-of-the-Match Hashim Amla (64 from 54 balls with 6 fours), Dwayne Bravo’s 9-balls 25 with three sixes and a four and an unbeaten 23 from 22 balls from Umar Akmal took TKR to 151-4 off 20 overs.
Rayed Emrit (2-32) was the most successful, but all of the bowlers bowled well for Guyana who responded with 144-9 to lose by seven runs despite a well put together 50 from 40 balls with four sixes and a four from Martin Guptill. But only Chris Lynn (21), Jason Mohamed (19) and Veerasammy Permaul (18 from 7balls) reached 13.
Bravo, Sunil Narine, Kevon Cooper and Anton Devcich had two wickets each to hand the Warriors their first defeat from five games.
Playing an unchanged team with Chris Barnwell being given another chance to redeem himself, the Warriors asked TKR to bat first on a track that kept low from the opening over.
Steven Jacobs again opened the bowling with Sohail Tanvir against a team without Darren Bravo but strengthened by the inclusion of sacked Windies Keeper Denesh Ramdin and Guyanese Ramnaresh Sarwan.
Devcich (7) was removed by Rayed Emrit in the fifth over at 28-1. Colin Munro joined Amla who stroked Tanvir for a couple of well timed boundaries before guiding Emrit elegantly to the third man boundary.
The 50 was posted in the next over with a straight driven boundary off Adam Zampa’s first ball of the ninth over.
Munro hit Permaul for six but with the score on 70 in the 12th over he was caught and bowled on the third attempt as Permaul had the last laugh, getting Munro for an 18-ball 19 to break the 42-run stand and leave TKR on 70-2.
Umar Akmal joined Amla who was batting sensibly on a track that made playing ‘through the line’ a risky excursion and got to his 20th 50 with a flick off Permaul for four. His 50 came from 44 with five fours.
Akmal stroked Tanvir gloriously to the cover boundary and one bounce to long off for four and the hundred was posted in the 16thover.
Zampa bowled Amla at 113-3 in the 18th over to end a 43 run partnership but Skipper Bravo got going with two sixes and the contingent of Trinis in the stands waved their national flag lustily.
When Tanvir pounded one in short and Bravo jumped into him and pulled into the red stand and followed up with an inside edged boundary the screams from the fans in red could be heard in Port-of-Spain.

Emrit brought the ram-packed Stadium to its feet when Bravo missed a big swing and was bowled for entertaining 9-ball 25 decorated with three sixes and a four, but by then TKR were 139-4 and Akmal (23 from 22balls) and Ramdin (9) ensured that their team posted the highest total at Providence for this season as the last five overs produced 54.
When the Warriors began their reply needing to score at 7.5 runs per over they lost Dwayne Smith to left arm spinner Devcich before Lynn and Guptill repaired the damage with an array of classy shots.
Lynn followed up his unbeaten 39 on Saturday with three consecutive fours off of Cooper and stroked Sulieman Benn’s first ball imperiously through extra cover like a shot from a gun but his delightful cameo ended when he was taken on the mid-wicket boundary for 21 from 17 balls as Devcich struck a crucial blow at 26-2 in the fifth over.
Mohamed got going with a six off Devcich and the sold out crowd roared and waved their flags, chanting ‘let’s go Warriors, let’s go’ as Guptill slog swept Yannick Cariah for four and 50 came up in 8.1 overs after the six ‘power-play’ had produced 28 runs.
Trump card Narine was introduced in the 10 over and Guptill pulled him for six off his third ball but the spin wizard, although not as destructive with remodeled action, bowled five dots balls in that over.
At the halfway stage 91 was needed from 60 balls and an epic battled was anticipated. When Mohamed (19) top edged a hook at Bravo to Keeper Ramdin at 63-3 from 11 overs the pendulum had swung TKR’s way.
Bramble (4) was bowled by Benn at 75-4 and Tanvir was sent in ahead of Chris Barnwell. A six from Guptill off Benn revived the hopes of the Warriors’ supporters.
Tanvir (1) was bowled by Narine at 78-5 in the 14th over and Barnwell arrived with 73 needed from 36 balls. The DCC all-rounder who is no longer an all-rounder in the Warriors set up was greeted with placards which read ‘Play Shemron Hetymer …BARN…not doing too…WELL’ Canjie crew.
Guptill’s six off Benn reduced the equation to 64 from 30 balls. Barnwell blocked a slow full toss from Bravo but was hit for six by Guptill off the last ball of the 16th over.
Barnwell (10) dumped Emrit for six over long-on but tried to repeat the shot and was stupendously taken by Akmal at long-on next ball, to leave his team on 102-6 and the Warriors needing 50 from 27 balls. The atmosphere at Providence was electric.
Emrit (12) slammed Narine over long-on for six before being removed by Narine. Guptill reached his 50 from 39 balls off the last ball of Narine’s spell, leaving 30 to get from 12 balls but when Guptill was taken in the deep off Bravo the fat lady was already clearing her throat.
Permaul square drove Bravo for four and a sharp short shower stopped play with 24 needed from eight balls. When play resumed Permaul clobbered Bravo for a four and six to reduce the target to 14 from the last over.
The Guyanese needed nine from the last two balls and Permaul swung for all he was worth but was taken on the edge of the boundary while Jacobs could only manage a single from the last ball.
The half time show featured a parade from the energetic cheer leaders and a live performance from Soca Singer Jomo.
Scores: KNIGHT RIDERS 151 for four off 20 overs (Hashim Amla 64, Dwayne Bravo 25, Umar Akmal 23; Rayad Emrit 2-32) beat AMAZON WARRIORS 144 for nine off 20 overs (Martin Guptill 50, Chris Lynn 21; Anton Devcich 2-17, Sunil Narine 2-25) by 7 runs.

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