In a thrilling encounter at Providence, the Guyana Amazon Warriors triumphed over the Antigua and Barbuda Falcons by 27 runs in Match 23 of the Republic Bank Caribbean Premier League (CPL) over the weekend.
Azam Khan expressed his enthusiasm after the match, stating, “It’s a great feeling playing for the team. You want them to be on top, and we have a couple of games to go; we will still try to execute the plans whatever we get from the coaches.”
After losing the toss, the Warriors had a sluggish start, managing only 19 runs during the power play.
The decision to change both openers and bring in middle-order batsmen like Khan (29 runs) and Raymon Reifer (5 runs) did not yield immediate results.
However, English overseas signing Moeen Ali found his rhythm, contributing a solid 42 runs off 33 balls.
Shai Hope (15 runs) and Shimron Hetmyer (13 runs) were the only other batsmen to reach double figures, as the Warriors ended their innings at 135 for 7 in their allotted 20 overs.
The Falcons’ bowling attack was led by speedster Mohammad Amir and spinner Imad Wasim, both taking two wickets, while Hayden Walsh Jr. claimed one.
Chasing a target of 136, the Falcons faltered, getting bowled out for just 108 runs.
Leading the Warriors’ bowling assault, Moeen Ali and Dwaine Pretorius both claimed remarkable figures of 3 wickets for just 9 runs.
Captain Imran Tahir added to the tally with 2 for 40, while local bowlers Gudakesh Motie and Shamar Joseph contributed with one wicket each.
Kofi James was the top scorer for the Falcons with 27 runs, while captain Chris Green managed 17 runs.
This defeat dashed the Falcons’ hopes of progressing in this year’s CPL tournament.
With this victory, the Warriors not only secured a place in the Qualifiers but also climbed to the top of the CPL leaderboard.
They are set to face the Barbados Royals next on Wednesday, September 25, at the same venue.