Jamaica Tallawahs. (Photo Source: Randy Brooks/CPL T20 via Getty Images)
The Guyana Amazon Warriors continued their unbeaten start to the 2023 Caribbean Premier League (CPL) with a 34-run win over the Jamaica Tallawahs at Warner Park. Despite a tricky start with the bat, the Amazon Warriors posted an imposing total of 210/7 with fifties for Shimron Hetmyer and Keemo Paul.
In reply the Tallawahs top order succumbed to the bowling of Romario Shepherd with five wickets falling inside the first seven overs. A brilliant partnership between Imad Wasim and Fabian Allen saw the Tallawahs recover from 36/5 to 133/6 but the damage caused by those early wickets could not be repaired.
The Jamaica Tallawahs started brilliantly with the ball, claiming two wickets inside the first over. The first man to go was Hazratullah Zazai who made a two-ball duck on his CPL debut when he cut a ball from Chris Green to Imad Wasim at point.
When Saim Ayub edged a ball from Mohammad Amir through to the keeper the score was 7/2 and the Amazon Warriors were in danger of losing the game inside the PowerPlay. Azam Khan hit a huge six but was dismissed for just 7 when he was brilliantly caught by Salman Irshad who claimed a diving effort on the third boundary, but from there it was all about the Warriors batting.
Shai Hope made an attractive 25 and shared a 50-run stand with Shimron Hetmyer, but the fireworks really started with Keemo Paul walked to the crease. Hetmyer and Paul put on a 99-run stand from just 47 balls with both men passing fifty. Paul was dismissed for a career-best 57 while Hetmyer made a blistering 60.
It was left to Romario Shepherd and Dwaine Pretorius to take the Warriors past 200 as they set a target of 211. It was always going to be a stiff chase but when Romario Shepherd bowled a double wicket maiden it made things very hard for the Tallawahs. Shepherd would go on to finish with figures of 3/7 from his three overs.
The stand between Allen and Imad was full of attacking shots but with the required rate getting unmanageable there was too much left for them to do. When Imad was dismissed for 63 by Imran Tahir the required rate was up to 20 runs an over. Allen fell for 47 and with him any slim hopes of a Tallawahs win departed as the Jamaican side finished on 176 all out.