CPL 2016, 1st Playoff Review: Guyana Amazon Warriors book place in the final

The Guyana Amazon Warriors have secured a place in the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) final with a dramatic win over the Jamaica Tallawahs in the first playoff match at Warner Park, St Kitts.

Three wickets from Rayad Emrit and two for Sohail Tanvir restricted the Tallawahs to 146/8 from their 20 overs. Rain arrived to hold up proceedings but when they did get back under way the Amazon Warriors chased down the target with just two balls to spare with Australia’s Chris Lynn top-scoring for the Guyanese side.

Having been put into to bat the Tallawahs struggled to find a partnership that could hold their innings together. Chadwick Walton and Chris Gayle got the team off to a steady start in the batting PowerPlay. They put on 33 runs for the first wicket before Walton was out for 16, caught in the covers by Jason Mohammad off the bowling of Rayad Emrit.

Gayle was clearly intent on batting deep into the Tallawahs’ innings and he was going at under a run a ball throughout his innings. He had made 33 from 36 balls when he inside edged onto his stumps.

The Tallawahs kept trying hard to get the run rate up, but that resulted in wickets falling at regular intervals. Kumar Sangakkara departed for a run a ball 20 when he attempted to slog Adam Zampa over mid-wicket and found the fielder. Getting out once set was the story of the Tallawahs’ innings.

Rovman Powell and Andre Russell hit Hero Maximums before they both fell within six balls of each other and when that left the Tallawahs 123/5 with three overs to go. With those big hitters gone there was little chance of getting to a truly impressive total, but for a while it looked like it would be enough

When the Amazon Warriors chase got under way that target looked well within reach when Nic Maddinson hit two fours and a six on his way to 14 from nine balls. He could not cause any real damage though, Kesrick Williams dismissing him with a brilliant catch off his own bowling, one of four wickets for him.

A lengthy rain delay kept the players from the field but when they did resume Lynn carried on his excellent form in this year’s Hero CPL passing 400 runs for the season, becoming the leading run scorer in this year’s tournament in the process.

Some canny bowling by the Tallawahs kept the Amazon Warriors scoring rate in check, with Imad Wasim particularly impressive as he conceded just 21 runs from his 3.4 overs.

Lynn looked to be guiding his side home but he fell for 49 from 47 balls, he hit a big Hero Maximum off Williams at the start of the seventh over but he fell three balls later trying to repeat the trick. Things looked bleak for the Amazon Warriors when Lynn got out but some late order hitting from Tanvir and Emrit took their side home.

This win means that the Amazon Warriors have a place in the CPL final which takes place on Sunday, 7 August. Although the Tallawahs lost this match they still have one more chance to reach the final. They will play the winner of the match between St Lucia Zouks and Trinbago Knight Riders which will take place tomorrow.

Brief Scores:

Jamaica Tallawahs 146/8 (C Gayle 33; R Emrit 2/30)

Guyana Amazon Warriors 150/6 (C Lynn 49; K Williams 4/37)