By Brandon Corlette
Nicholas Pooran took matters into his own hands, sealing the match with three sixes, scoring a scorching unbeaten 100 to lead the Guyana Amazon Warriors (GAW) to a 7-wicket win against the St Kitts and Nevis Patriots in Match 20 of the 2020 Hero Caribbean Premier League.
Chasing Patriots’ 151, Pooran combined with anchorman Ross Taylor to score the first century-run partnership this season by any team as Warriors registered their third win of the season ending on 153-3 in 17.3 overs.
The coming of rising stars
In a do or die situation for both teams, captain Green won the toss and asked the Patriots to bat first on the slow Queens Park Oval pitch. Warriors left out Sherfane Rutherford and Chandrapaul Hemraj and welcomed Emerging duo, Kevin Sinclair and Ashmead Nedd.
Green took the ball into his own hands and removed Kieran Powell on the sixth delivery of the first over at 7-1. Sinclair on debut displayed great maturity and control with his off-spin and he got into the act quickly, displaying his back-flip celebration soon enough.
As Evin Lewis began to branch out and taking it to Green with boundaries, Sinclair, bowling at the other end cleaned up the dangerous Lewis for 15 as Patiorts were reduced to 22-2. Ben Dunk came and went for a 23-ball 19;he became Green’s second victim at 51-3.
Rising star Joshua Da Silva and veteran keeper Denesh Ramdin joined forces and played with grit and determination. Sinclair who bowled all four overs on the trot, ended with figures of 1-9 in his four overs, including 17 dots, the second most economical in the tournament, after Imran Khan’s 1-7. Da Silva began to open his arms, especially against the impressive Ashmead Nedd, his former West Indies Emerging Player team mate.
Ramdin, on the other end played the supportive role. Da Silva reached his maiden half-century in T20 cricket after playing some sweetly timed shots. Imran Tahir, who is the leading wicket-taker for the Warriors this season, was struck to the fence by Da Silva. It was until the 18th over when Da Silva was undone by a Romario Shepherd yorker.
The right-handed batsman, Da Silva faced 46 balls for his gritty 59 which was decorated with five fours and two sixes, ending a 68-run partnership with Ramdin. The wicket-keeper, Ramdin who played a watchful innings throughout, began to power the Patriots in the latter parts. After SohailTanvir was run out, Ramdin hit some boundaries as Patriots ended on 150-5 in 20 overs. Green had 2-31 in his four overs while Sinclair and Shepherd had one wicket each.
Pooran, Taylor hits elusive century run stand
In a chase which meant Warriros will have to score their highest team score this innings, a new-look opening pair took centre stage,in the form of Sinclair and Brandon King. Patriots hit the contain button, and scoring easy seemed uphill for King and Sinclair. The leggie, Khan bowled a maiden to Sinclair and that pressure paid off in the next over, as King departed for a run-a-ball 14 at 20-1 in 4.2 overs, when he was stuck up by an Alzaari Joseph bouncer.
Sinclair hit one back to Jon Russ Jaggesar and ended his 13-ball knock of five. In the same over, the inconsistent Shimron Hetmyer was caught behind for one as Warriors were in trouble at 25-3 in 5.4 overs. The talented Nicholas Pooran and Ross Taylor came to wicket and battled some good Patriots bowling.
Pooran, after the drinks interval step on the gas and demolished the impressive Jaggesar hitting sixes to get Warriors on track of the chase. Pooran reached his fifty in 25 balls while anchorman, Taylor supported well on the other end.
Pooran blasted away, tearing apart Ish Sodhi to reach his maiden T20 century slamming three sixes in as many balls to seal the match for the Warriors. Pooran innings was laced with 10 sixes and four boundaries in 45 balls. Taylor ended on 25 from 27 balls, playing the best supporting role. Warriors will play Barbados Tridents on Tuesday September 1 at 17:30h at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy.