Hero CPL cricket…Walton’s 92 keep Warriors’ semi-finals dream alive despite Smith’s 3rd CPL ton

Aug 21, 2017 Sports

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By Sean Devers

A masterful 92 from 32-year-old Chadwick Walton gained him the Man-of the-Match and over shadowed Dwayne Smith’s fourth t20 century as the Guyana Amazon Warriors beat Barbados Tridents by four wickets last night at Providence to move to four points from seven matches.
The 34-year-old Smith scored a majestic 100 from 70 balls with 10 fours and five sixes and shared in a 107-run first wicket stand with Kane Williamson who hit a 43-ball 47 with three fours and two sixes to lead the Tridents to 159-4.
Only Rashid Khan (1-24 from 4) and Veerasammy Permaul (0-20 from 4) escaped Smith flashing blade as Sohail Tanvir took 3-38 for the Warriors, who reached to 160-6 keep their semi-finals hopes alive.
Walton fell five short of his highest CPL score of 97 and faced 57 balls, reaching the boundary seven times and clearing it six times. The Jamaican shared in an 81-run stand with Skipper Martin Guptill who made 27 from 33 balls before they both fell in two balls to Tridents Skipper Keiron Pollard who finished with 4-16.
The Warriors replaced Roshan Primus with Kemo Paul and elected to bowl on a good track and the Tridents, without their two Pakistani stars Shoaib Malick and Wahab Riaz, were off to a slow start despite Smith smashing Tanvir behind point, over mid-wicket and to backward square for boundaries in the third over.
Spin wizard Khan was introduced in the final power-play over and after six overs the Tridents were 27 without loss.
Williamson pulled Steven Jacobs through the legs of Permaul on the square-leg boundary for four, while Smith swept him for four and clobbered him for six off successive balls in his next over to bring up the 50 in the ninth over which cost 13.
Williamson lofted Permaul over long-off for six in the 10thover with the score on 61-0 as the fan support of the Warriors never wavered despite their poor showing and they had a rollicking time, creating an absolutely fantastic atmosphere last night.
Khan was swept for four by Smith and Tridents cheer leaders were gyrating to the infectious music coming from the ram packed Party Stand.
Williamson square drove Paul gloriously for four before Smith was taken at long-on off a no-ball next delivery and could only get a single from the free-hit before Williamson finished the 13th over with an expertly executed flick for four.
Khan befuddled the batsmen with his googlies but runs were leaking from the other end and a six from Smith off Emrit brought up his first 50 from 52 balls.
Permaul dropped Williamson (40) off Khan before he hit the next ball for a straight six but fell to Khan at 107-1 in 16 overs.
Pollard joined Smith who swatted Paul past extra cover for four but the over cost just seven runs.
A square drive for four by Smith was followed by a murderous six over the bowler’s head, while he finished the Tanvir over, which cost 19, with two more boundaries.

Emrit was dumped for two sixes and a four in the penultimate over which cost 19 before Pollard (6) was removed by Tavir’s first ball of the final over. Smith’s century, took 69 balls, with his second fifty taking just 17. Nicholas Pooran (0) fell off the next ball as Tanvir conceded just seven in the last over.
The Warriors began their run chase with Walton and pinch hitter Tanvir and the Pakistani dumped Ravi Rampaul for six, while Walton stroked Wayne Parnell past mid-off for four and flicked Rampaul for four.
Tanvir played his role to perfection before he was caught in the deep off Imran Khan after hitting two fours and a six in a nine-ball 16 at 48-1 in the fifth over before Gajanand Singh (0) was bowled by Akeal Hosein at 64-2.
Walton dumped Khan, Hosein, and Damian Jacobs for sixes and reached the boundary five times as he galloped to his second CPL fifty this year, in the seventh over from 27 balls, while the 100 came up in the 10th over.
Guptill, batting at number four, supported Walton who flicked Parnell for four and dumped Jacobs into the Red Stand where the ball struck a female fan and the Faithfull’s roared their approval which could be heard in Bridgetown.
Walton hit Rampaul for an effortless six over long-off and the entire crowd was on their feet in unadulterated joy as Tassa Drums rolled, El Dorado rum flowed and the fans were enjoying the biggest party in sports.
With the score on 145 in the 17th over Guptill hit Pollard to long-on before Walton perished in the exact manner off the next ball as Fudadin joined Jason Mohammed with 15 needed from 20 balls.
Mohammed (5) was removed by Pollard before Paul tried to him for six and was taken in the deep with eight required from nine balls and once again the Warriors were threatening to do the unthinkable in front of 15,000 nervous fans.
With five needed in the last over Fudadin lofted Shemar Springer over mid-on for four, while a wide provided the win.
The Warriors face the St Lucia Stars tomorrow from 18:00hrs in another must win game before going to Barbados and Jamaica for their last two games.

 

 

 

 

 

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