Latest update March 19th, 2024 12:59 AM
Jul 28, 2016 Sports
By Sean Devers in Florida
In association with Noble House Sea Foods,
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The Guyana Amazon Warriors have qualified for the semi-finals on every occasion since the CPL t20 tournament was inaugurated in 2013.
In 2013 and 2014 they lost in the finals and last year were beaten by the Red Steel in semis and although they were twice bridesmaids but never the bride they are the most consistent team in the history of CPL cricket.
But when the Warriors face Barbados Tridents from 19:00hrs tonight at the Central Broward Park in Fort Lauderdale, Florida in the first CPL match on American soil they will be in danger of not qualifying for the semis for the first time, since they must win at least one of their two games here.
This is the weakest Warriors team on paper but under the leadership of Martin Guptill, they have shown that cricket is not played on paper but on the field and have been a potent force; winning their two away games and three of their four home games.
The Warriors left Guyana with five wins from six games but lost to the Tallawahs in Jamaica and to the Zouks in St Lucia in their last two games, raising concerns that they might have pecked too early.
The Warriors have lost the services of Guptill and leg-spinner Devendra Bishoo due to International duties. Guptill has been replaced by 24-year-old Australian Nick Maddison who has played two t20s for Australia.
He made two against the Zouks and his spot as opener was a bit surprising ahead of West Indies under-19 Skipper Shemron Hetymer or Assad Fudadin since he had just arrived in the Caribbean.
The Warriors has played eight matches, have five wins, three losses and 10 points and if the Tridents, who again play the Warriors on Saturday, win both of those games they will jump to 11 points.
Only the Tallawahs, on 13 points with two matches remaining, are assured of a place in the play-off. St Kitts Patriots are the only team without any chance of making the final four.
Trinbago Knight Riders who beat Zouks Tuesday night, are on eight points from eight games while the Zouks are also on eight points with two games in hand which means that four teams are in contention for the remaining three spots in the play offs as CPL comes to the USA.
On a track which is expected to be similar to the Guyana pitches, it’s important that Head Coach Roger Harper and his assistant Esaun Crandon get the combinations and batting order right.
The Warriors depend heavily on Chris Lynn, whose 332 runs at an Average of 55.33 shows his consistency in a brittle Warriors batting line-up in which only Jason Mohamed (209) has reached 200 runs. Lynn is ramping among the big boys like Alma, Gayle and Colin Munroe who this year became the first overseas batsman to score a ton in CPL cricket.
Apart from opener Dwayne Smith (196) who also provides medium pace options, no other Warriors batsman has reached 65 runs although wicket-Keeper Anthony Bramble, Tanvir and Emrit are also capable with the bat.
Rayed Emrit has taken over from Guptill as leader and has nine wickets with his medium pace, while Sohail Tavir has picked up 14 wickets despite the mauling he took in St Lucia when his four overs cost 47.
Leg spinner Adam Zampa has 12 wickets but needs spin support from Veerasammy Permaul and possible off-spinner Steven Jacobs on a surface which should provide help for the spinners.
Twenty-year-old Keeper Nicholas Pooran has been a revelation for the Tridents and has 205 runs with two fifties, while Kieron Pollard could also be dangerous tonight with their big hitting.
Without AB de Villiers, the top order will bank on the form of Shoaib Malik and Kyle Hope who have both scored fifties this season.
Ravi Rampaul (12) takes early wickets, while Navin Stuart, Raymon Reifer, Weise and Pollard give the Tridents pace options. But tonight spinners Ashley Nurse and Imran Khan could play their part.
Listen to the man that is throwing Guyanese bright future away
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