The Guyana Amazon Warriors extended the Jamaica Kingsmen’s nightmare start to the Republic Bank Caribbean Premier League (CPL) by thumping them by six wickets to pick up a win in their opening match here on Thursday.
Spinners Mohammad Nabi and Imran Tahir stifled the Kingsmen’s batters while sharing six wickets between them, as the home side was bowled out for a below par 117 in 19.4 overs after being sent in to bat at Sabina Park.
Shai Hope then ensured the Amazon Warriors made light work of their target, with his unbeaten half century guiding them to 118 for four in 14.1 overs.
The result left the newly rebranded Kingsmen winless after three matches and firmly rooted to the bottom of the seven-team table, while giving the Amazon Warriors – last year’s losing finalists – a winning start to their CPL campaign.
Following two close defeats in their first two games, the Kingsmen would have been hoping to snap their losing streak.
However, they got off to a terrible start when left-arm spinner Khary Pierre snared the wicket of Shayan Jahangir in the third over with just three runs on the board.
Keacy Carty never got going and was bowled by pacer Shamar Joseph for five as the Kingsmen limped to the end of the power play at 26 for two.
Opener Reeza Hendricks batted solidly for his 40 off 32 balls, but just as he was looking to push on, he chipped a delivery straight back into the hands of Tahir to leave the score 61 for three at the halfway mark.
Nabi then left his mark on the contest by accounting for the wicket of Hassan Khan for one, before Tahir captured his second wicket by removing the Kingsmen’s dangerous skipper Rovman Powell for 24 to see them slide to 77 for five.
Player-of-the-Match Nabi then ran through the lower order by dismissing Andre Russell, Keemo Paul and Hunain Shah in quick succession to wrap up the innings with two balls remaining.
He finished with 4-22, while Shamar Joseph (2-22) and Tahir (2-26) provided good support.
The Amazon Warriors also got off to a wretched start when left-arm pacer Jediah Blades had Mavendra Dindyal caught behind for a duck off the second ball of the innings.
But opener Glenn Phillips and Shai Hope consolidated by adding 43 runs in five overs to set the Amazon Warriors on their way to victory.
Russell did create some tense moments when he had Phillips caught in the deep for 28 and Shimron Hetmyer caught at backward point in his first over to reduce them to 45 for three at the end of six overs.
But Hope, who stroked an unbeaten 56 off 41 balls with four sixes and two fours, shared a 51-run stand with Nabi, who scored 19 off 15 balls, to move the Amazon Warriors closer to their goal.
Nabi fell with 22 runs remaining, but Quentin Sampson, who scored an unbeaten 13, joined forces with Hope to carry their side to an expected victory.