PORT OF SPAIN – The Guyana Amazon Warriors, led by a good all-round performance from Mohammad Hafeez, ended the Barbados Tridents’ winning streak in the Limacol Caribbean Premier League T20, beating the Kieron Pollard-led side by 27 runs in their match at Queen’s Park Oval yesterday.
The Warriors took first strike and despite a first-ball duck by leading run-scorer Lendl Simmons, still managed to post a competitive 149 for nine with Player-Of-The-Match Martin Guptill of New Zealand stepping up with 73 off just 55 balls with four fours and four sixes.
Hafeez supported with 35 off 37 balls which included two fours and two sixes as the New Zealander and the Pakistani put on 98 for the second wicket.
But the Warriors could not build on that momentum as they slipped from 136 for three in the 18th over to 149 for nine off 20.
The Tridents were reeling at 48 for three in their reply after Hafeez struck twice in his first over to send back the dangerous Dwayne Smith for 28 off 24 balls before Umar Akmal was stumped by Denesh Ramdin for a first-ball duck.
Hafeez also got Kyle Mayers, while Pollard was bowled by Steven Jacobs for one as the Warriors took control, eventually dismissing the Tridents for 122 in 19.4 overs.
But when the match started, the Warriors were the ones on the back foot. Simmons was bowled first ball by Jason Holder but the Warriors were right back in the match thanks to Guptill and Hafeez.
Hafeez was in his element yesterday, hitting two sixes – one off medium pacer Rayad Emrit and the other off spinner Shakib Al Hasan – and two fours in a 37-ball knock.
The Pakistani was eventually caught by Pollard while trying to clear wide long on before Guptill smashed Smith around the ground for two sixes and a four to boost the total.The Warriors’ batting collapsed in the last three overs.
The Trinidad and Tobago Red Steel were in action last night against the Antigua Hawksbills in the second match of a double header at the Oval.
