Ahead of their 2019 HERO Caribbean Premier League (CPL) campaign, Guyana Amazon Warriors’ Brandon King and Shoaib Malik were among the runs in the blackout-struck first of two practice matches.
Monday night at the National Stadium, Providence, the Warriors battled Cricket Guy Inc., Academy XI whom they defeated by 59 runs.
Winning the toss, Warriors elected to bat first, posting 210-6 from their 20 overs while the Academy fended off the bowlers to eventually finish on 151-6 from their quota.
Leading from the top was King who blasted his way to 66 from 40 balls. His explosive innings was highlighted by the ease with which he pierced the gaps to pick up 10 fours along with good timing which resulted in two sixes including a flat six over mid-off before he nicked a delivery to Kemol Savory behind the stumps off of seamer, Ronaldo Ali-Mohammed.
Despite a 27-minute halt in the match due to two of the lights shutting down during the game, the right-handed batsman shared in an 88-run opening stand with Chandrapaul Hemraj.
Hemraj looked solid in his 20-ball 34, carving five fours and one six but was undone attempting to slog left-arm spinner, Anthony Adams who bowled a delivery that was quicker and kept low.
Anthony Bramble, coming in at number three showed good match awareness in his short stay at the crease that produced 16 runs including a massive six that crashed into the second floor of the media centre over the long on boundary.
Malik showed his versatile batting skills and played between point and the wicket keeper with ease, elegantly glancing down the ropes at will. He stroked eight fours in his 26-ball 47.
Nicholas Pooran also capitalized with a brisk 20 that featured two sixes.
Meanwhile off-spinner, Chris Green had the most rewards when bowling, taking 2-14 while left-arm spinner, Veerasammy Permaul bagged 2-32 from his four overs.
Apart from a decent start compliments of a 15-ball 35 from Trevon `Bugsy’ Griffith, the Academy snail-paced their innings.
Griffith was brutal up front and took a liking to Odean Smith whom he smacked around for three sixes and two fours, resulting in Smith leaking 49 runs from his three overs.
Tevin Imlach resisted after a few quick wickets to remain unbeaten on 38 from 31 balls. Kemol Savory (13) and Ricardo Adams (13 not out) were the only other batsman to finish with a strike rate of over 100.
