Amazon Warriors too strong for Jamaica Tallawahs

BASSETERRE, St Kitts (CMC):

Half-centuries from Shimron Hetmyer and Keemo Paul, along with an incisive bowling effort from Romario Shepherd, powered Guyana Amazon Warriors to a 34-run win over previously unbeaten Jamaica Tallawahs here on Sunday.

With the innings in trouble at 22 for three in the fourth over at Warner Park, Hetmyer struck a season-best 60 off 45 balls and was joined by Paul who lashed a 29-ball 57, the pair gathering 99 for the fourth wicket to propel Amazon Warriors to 201 for seven from their 20 overs.

In reply, Tallawahs slumped to 36 for five in the seventh over, the innings wrecked by the brilliant Shepherd (3-7) who took the first three wickets to fall, to earn Man-of-the-Match honours.

Imad Wasim countered with 63 from 36 deliveries with support from Fabien Allen who pummelled 47 from 25 balls, but Tallawahs were left with too much to do at the back end and were dismissed for 176 in the 19th over.

“It is something you try not to think about,” Tallawahs captain Brandon King said in reference to the large target.

“They didn’t start very well either – they lost three wickets in the power play for not many runs but ended up getting to 200.

“So we knew that going in and we knew that we could potentially catch up in the end if we had wickets in hand, but losing five wickets in the first seven overs, it’s obviously going to be very difficult to recover from.”

Sent in, Amazon Warriors needed Hetmyer’s sensible innings, the left-hander rebuilding first in a 54-run fourth-wicket stand with Shai Hope (25) and then with Paul, who clobbered one four and seven sixes in a stunning knock which saw his fifty raised off only 23 deliveries.

Hetmyer counted three fours and four sixes, reaching his fifty off 32 balls at the start of the 14th.

“In the last few games, Hetty and Hope obviously showed their class and experience,” said Amazon Warriors captain Imran Tahir.

“We were in trouble both times and they took us from trouble and built a partnership and that gave an opportunity to Keemo and other guys to come and play their natural game.

“I must say that Keemo played really, really well. I was also very impressed with the way he was batting. “He hit the ball really [cleanly] and it was really nice to see because he didn’t get much opportunity in the previous games to bat.”

Pacer Shepherd then dismantled the Tallawahs top order, knocking over King (1) and Shamarh Brooks (0) with successive deliveries in the second over, before claiming left-hander Amir Jangoo (1) with the first delivery of his next over.

Off-spinner Junior Sinclair snatched the next two wickets to increase Tallawahs’ misery before Imad launched the recovery, belting three fours and five sixes in a 97-run sixth-wicket stand with Allen whose half-dozen sixes also lit up Warner Park.

Once they perished in successive overs, however, the last-ditch effort fell apart.