CLINICAL WARRIORS BEAT FALCONS BY 83 RUNS

After three closely fought games in a row there was a thumping. Game nine of the Republic Bank Caribbean Premier League (CPL) saw Guyana Amazon Warriors comfortably overcome Antigua & Barbuda Falcons by a huge margin of 83 runs.

The win sees the Warriors move into second position behind the Falcons on the table but Imran Tahir’s side have impressed with two wins in two and have eight games in hand.

It was the Warriors’ skipper who scooped the Player Of The Match award with a scintillating haul of 5/21 with the ball that snuffed out any hopes the Falcons had of chasing down an imposing target of 211/3.

For the first time in the competition the side winning the toss decided to set the tone and bat first, on a damp night at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in Antigua eyebrows could have been raised at Tahir’s decision to do so. 

Not for long. After a delay of 54 minutes for rain, the Warriors set about slamming the boundaries and building an intimidating score.

Shai Hope and Shimron Hetmyer showed their class with the bat once more with a 106-run partnership in 44 balls, Hope top scoring with a classy 82 off 54 before Hetmyer opened his shoulders in destructive fashion, hitting 65 off 26 balls that included five fours and five sixes.

It was always going to be a tricky chase but the Falcons got off to a fast start through Rahkeem Cornwall (10 off 3) and in form batter Karima Gore (31 off 14) but neither could stay at the crease and do any real damage, the wickets came and went swiftly after them. ​ Tahir then stepped up to weave his web, after a double wicket maiden to start he never looked back, pocketing the best T20 bowling figures of his storied career to win the match for his side.

MATCH PHOTOS ARE AVAILABLE HERE AND CAN BE USED FOR EDITORIAL PURPOSES. (CREDIT: CPL VIA GETTY IMAGES)

POST MATCH INTERVIEWS FROM THIS GAME CAN BE DOWNLOADED HERE. (CREDIT CPLT20)