The Guyana Amazon Warriors held off a daring comeback by defending champions Saint Lucia Kings to book their spot in the final of the Republic Bank Caribbean Premier League with a thrilling 14-run victory in the first Qualifier in Providence, Guyana on Wednesday.
The match seemed all but over after spinner Gudakesh Motie claimed four quick wickets to see the Kings collapse to 48 for seven in pursuit of the home side’s total of 157.
But Khary Pierre struck 50 off 29 balls, Tymal Mills made 30, and Alzarri Joseph scored 18 to reignite the Kings’ chase, before they eventually fell short to be dismissed for 143 in 19.1 overs.
The result sent the Amazon Warriors to their third straight CPL final, while the Kings will now clash with the Trinbago Knight Riders on Thursday in the second Qualifier for a spot in Sunday’s final.
After being sent in to bat at a packed Providence Stadium, knocks of 34 from opener Ben McDermott and 32 from Shai Hope helped the Amazon Warriors progress to 82 for two after 11 overs.
However, pacer Alzarri Joseph had Shamarh Brooks caught for six and Tabraiz Shamsi dismissed the dangerous Shimron Hetmyer for four, to see them slip to 95 for four.
Shamsi also accounted for the wicket of Hassan Khan for just one, while Moeen Ali was bowled by Roston Chase to put them in further trouble at 107 for six at the start of the 16th over.
But cameos from Romario Shepherd, who hit 21 off eight balls and Dwaine Pretorius, who smashed 17 from eight balls, helped the Amazon Warriors plunder 50 runs from the final five overs to get their team up to a respectable total.
Shamsi was the pick of the Kings’ bowlers with 3-33 off four overs, while David Wiese (2-14), Joseph (2-34) and Tymal Mills, playing in his first match of the season, took 2-38.
The Kings then suffered a nightmare start with Pretorius bowling opener Tim Seifert for one and having Ackeem Auguste caught for nine, while Romario Shepherd dismissed Johnson Charles to leave them tottering at 12 for three in the third over.
Things only got worse for the Kings when left-arm spinner Motie bowled Chase and Tim David in consecutive deliveries in the seventh over.
The wickets of Aaron Jones and Wiese followed soon after, as the Kings slumped to 48 for seven in the ninth over.
But Pierre added 37 runs with Joseph and 32 with Mills to give the Kings a chance of pulling off an improbable victory.
Those hopes faded when Pierre, who brought up his half-century off 28 balls by hammering Motie for six over midwicket, was brilliantly caught by Pretorius diving to his right off the next ball, after hitting five sixes and three fours, to leave the Kings 117 for nine in the 17th over.
Mills tried his best, hitting Khan for two boundaries in the 18th over and followed that up by smashing Shepherd for a six and four in the ensuing over to leave the Kings requiring 14 runs off the last over.
However, Khan closed out the contest by having Mills caught at cover off the first ball, much to the delight of the massive crowd on hand.
Motie ended with 4-30, Tahir took 2-22 and Pretorius 2-24. (CMC)
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