Image courtesy of: Zimbio
Guptill smashed four sixes during his entertaining innings
New Zealand opening batsman Martin Guptill played a sublime innings to lead the Guyana Amazon Warriors to a 27-run win over the Barbados Tridents and put them at second on the points table.
Guptill was well supported by Pakistan all-rounder Mohammad Hafeez, who scored 35 runs and took three key wickets.
Guyana captain Ramnaresh Sarwan won the toss and elected to bat first.
Sarwan’s decision to bat first backfired immediately as opener Lendl Simmons was clean bowled by pace bowler Jason Holder on the very first ball of the innings.
Despite losing Simmons right away, the Amazon Warriors were able to rebuild their innings thanks to a brilliant 98-run partnership between Guptill and Hafeez, which came at a run rate of 7.17.
Guptill’s fellow countryman James Franklin added a quickfire 16 off 13 balls before he found himself back in the pavilion after being caught off the bowling of Rayad Emrit.
Franklin’s dismissal caused a disturbing trend to occur as wickets fell left and right, starting with Guptill’s, who scored an outstanding 73 off 55 deliveries, which included four boundaries and four sixes.
With the middle and lower order batsmen failing to make any major contributions, the Amazon Warriors finished on 149 at the end of their 20 overs.
Emrit was the pick of the bowlers with three wickets, while Bangladesh’s Shakib Al Hasan snapped up two wickets and Holder and Dwayne Smith both chipped in with one wicket apiece.
Chasing a fairly straightforward target of 150 to win, the Tridents found themselves in trouble early on as opening batsman Kirk Edwards was sent packing for just one run.
A 31-run partnership between Smith and Pakistan all-rounder Shoaib Malik somewhat stabilised the innings before Smith was out lbw for 28 off 24 balls, which included five boundaries.
Malik was the only other batsman to make a decent score as he made 48 runs off 47 deliveries, which included two boundaries and two maximums, before being dismissed by Krishmar Santokie.
Carlos Brathwaite and Holder added 18 runs and 16 runs respectively, but it was too little too late for Barbados as they fell short of their target.
Hafeez was the best of the best with the ball for Guyana as he claimed three victims, while Santokie, Sunil Narine and Steven Jacobs all picked up two wickets each and Veerasammy Permaul chipped in with one wicket as well.