Guyana Amazon Warriors 160 for 2 (Gurbaz 54, Hope 39*, Dindyal 33, Hetmyer 30*, Sadaqat 1-6) beat Jamaica Kingsmen 159 for 7 (Hassan 62*, Sadaqat 35, Pretorius 2-20, Pierre 2-21) by eight wickets
Pretorius was at it early, as he has usually been for Amazon Warriors. He struck last ball of the first over of the match after his captain Imran Tahir had opted to field, trapping Kirk McKenzie in front. Then fifth over of the innings, Keacy Carty was gone too, similarly, hit on the pads in front with the ball nipping in after pitching on a length.
Hassan had been on 3 from six balls when the sixth wicket fell, and after a bit more nudging and pushing, started to pick up speed. But it was only in the 19th over, which began with Kingsmen at 122 for 6 and Hassan on 26 off 18, that he really took off, targeting Tahir and taking three sixes off consecutive balls from the veteran legspinner. The last over also went Hassan’s way as he hit Shamar Joseph for two fours and a six, and Kingsmen had something to bowl at.
“I think at the halfway stage I was pretty pleased, especially after losing those wickets in the middle overs,” Powell, the Kingsmen captain, said at the break. A fair assessment – they could have stopped well short of where they did. But did they have enough?
Only Antigua and Barbuda Falcons are ahead of Amazon Warriors now, just one point clear but from four extra matches. Kingsmen are just one spot behind Amazon Warriors at No. 3.