CPL 2017, Match 2, GAW v SNP, Review: St Kitts and Nevis Patriots pip Warriors in low scoring affair

The stage was all set at Florida for the second game of the Caribbean Premier League 2017. The star-studded lineups of Guyana Amazon Warriors took on the St Kitts and Nevis Patriots in the marquee clash. The Warriors played under the captaincy of Martin Guptill, and the Patriots were led by the T20 giant Chris Gayle. In walked the two skippers for the toss. Gayle won the toss and opted to bowl first on a track that looked slow from the onset.

The St Kitts and Nevis played with Mohammad Hafeez, Hasan Ali, and Mohammad Nabi as their three overseas players. The Guyana Amazon Warriors had the Afghanistan flavor too. They fielded Rashid Khan in their playing eleven. Pakistani batsman Babar Azam also made it to the laying eleven.

GAW openers Martin Guptill and Chadwick Walton opened the innings as Sheldon Coltrell shared the new ball with veteran spinner Samueel Badree. Much against all expectations, Badree was taken to the cleaners by the GAW warriors. The openers got off to a flying start to add 31 runs on the board for the first wicket. Badree had the last laugh though.

He got through the defenses of Guptill in the 4th over to send him packing on 23 that came off 14 deliveries with 3 fours and a six. Babar Azam was the new man in. He struggled for his 21 runs that came off 30 deliveries with a solitary boundary. It was Carlos Brathwaite who sent him packing in the 13th over. The Guyana Amazon Warriors innings snailed along as Walton kept the scorecard ticking.

Hasan Ali dents the middle order with 2/19

After the dismissal of Azam, none of their batters could get into the double digits. Hasan Ali wreaked havoc to make a mockery of the GAW middle order with a double strike. Meanwhile, Walton, from the other end, managed to reach his fifty. He perished in the final over off the game on 60. His knock, that came off 51 deliveries with 3 fours and 2 sixes, helped Guyana post a respectable total of 123/7 in their 20 overs. Cottrell and Hasan Ali picked up two wickets each for St Kitts and Nevis Patriots.

And the St Kitts and Nevis Patriots run chase

The run chase was expected to be a cake walk for the St Kitts and Nevis side. The amount of experience they had in their batting lineup only made their claims stronger. The Windies international caps, Chris Gayle and Evin Lewis, opened the innings for them in the run chase. Steven Jacobs made short work of Leewis to send him backk to the hut for just 1 in the second over. Veteran Pakistani batsman Mohammad Hafeez came in at number three.

Meanwhile, Gayle lit up the hopes for the Patriots with a six and a four. But the skipper could not carry the same for long and was dismissed on 15 (16) by Rayad Emrit in the fifth over. Wickets of Hafeez (19), Devon Thomas (4), and Brandon King (11) fell in quick succession after that. The St Kitts and Nevis had made a puddle out of the run chase. At 57/5 in 10.4 overs, they needed a serious revamp.

Jonathan Carter and Carlos Brathwaite joined hands at the crease to stitch a 49 run stand for the 6th wicket. In the process, they helped the Patriots to cross the 100-run mark. The partnership also brought back the Patriots in the game. The stand was eventually broken when Brathwaite was sent packing in the 17th over by Sohail Tanvir. Brathwaite’s scored a quickfire 31 off just 19 balls with 3 sixes and 2 fours.

In walked Mohammad Nabi at number 8, with 18 runs still needed to be chased off 21 deliveries. Carter and Nabi completed the proceedings to finish the game for St Kitts and Nevis Patriots. Carter remained unbeaten 29 on and Nabi finished with 5 to see SNP pip GAW by 4 wickets.

Brief Scores:

Guyana Amazon Warriors 123/7 in 20 overs (Walton 60, Guptill 23, Cottrell 2/18, Hasan Ali 2/19)

St Kitts and Nevis Patriots 124/6 in 19 overs (Brathwaite 31, Carter 29*, Emrit 2/14, Jacobs 2/23)