PROVIDENCE – THERE was little doubt that the skipper of the Guyana Amazon Warriors Shoaib Malik’s 73 from 45 balls would have secured the Player of the Match award against the Jamaica Tallawahs at Providence in Guyana on Thursday.
His captain’s knock saved the day since after winning the toss and electing to bat first, the Warriors were eight runs for four wickets in just 1.2 overs.
Brandon King (1), Chandrapaul Hemraj (2), Shimron Hetmyer (0) and Nicholas Pooran (0) were all back in the pavilion in quick succession.
But, Malik and Sherfane Rutherford consolidated to take the score to 90 before Rutherford was caught in the 13th over for 45 from 43.
The Warriors ended on 156/6 and got off to a dream start on the field as Chris Green had Chris Gayle bowled between his legs in the first ball of the Tallawahs’ innings.
Glenn Phillips and Liton Das made 21 each with only Trevon Griffith (11) the only other batsman to reach double figures.
The Tallawahs, who had no chance of qualifying for the knock out stages, were skittled out for 79 in 16.3 overs, giving the Warriors victory by 77 runs.
It means that the Warriors need to beat the Trinbago Knight Riders at the same venue on Friday evening to end on a record of winning all their group stage matches in the 2019 Hero Caribbean Premier League.
