Guyana Amazon Warriors 160 for 2 (Gurbaz 54, Hope 39*, Dindyal 33, Hetmyer 30*, Sadaqat 1-6) beat Jamaica Kingsmen 159 for 7 (Hassan 62*, Sadaqat 35, Pretorius 2-20, Pierre 2-21) by eight wickets
In the season opener at Providence, the match followed a predictable trajectory. Despite a blistering 62 not out from Hassan Khan in 29 balls during a middle-order surge, the Amazon Warriors built a sufficient foundation and chased down the target comprehensively, winning by eight wickets with sixteen balls remaining.
Pretorius made an immediate impact, consistent with his reputation for early strike. After captain Imran Tahir elected to field, Pretorius trapped Kirk McKenzie leg-before-wicket with the final delivery of the opening over. The pressure continued into the fifth over, claiming Keacy Carty, who was similarly bowled leg-before after the ball nipped back from a length.
With the scoreboard reading 46 for 2 following the powerplay, the Jamaica Kingsmen were firmly on the back foot, and their struggles only compounded. Usman Khan and Maaz Sadaqat, who had earlier contributed 35 off 34 balls, both fell to Khary Pierre. The collapse accelerated as Keemo Paul, promoted to No. 5, was run out, and Rovman Powell was bowled off the inside edge by Mohammad Nabi. By the 14th over, the Kingsmen had crumbled to 87 for 6.
Hassan Khan had been restricted to just three runs off six balls when the sixth wicket fell, but he gradually found his rhythm. His counter-attack truly erupted in the 19th over, where the Kingsmen stood at 122 for 6 and Hassan was on 26 off 18. Targeting Imran Tahir, he smashed three consecutive sixes off the veteran legspinner. The final over also belonged to Hassan, who struck Shamar Joseph for two fours and a six, providing the Kingsmen with a respectable total to defend.
“I think at the halfway stage I was pretty pleased, especially after losing those wickets in the middle overs,” Kingsmen captain Powell reflected during the break. It was a fair assessment, as the team could have stalled well before their eventual collapse, but ultimately, the question remained whether they had enough to defend the target.
Rahmanullah Gurbaz and 21-year-old Guyana prodigy Mavendra Dindyal seized the initiative immediately, ensuring the momentum firmly shifted back to the Amazon Warriors after Hassan’s brief resistance. The powerplay yielded 65 runs, though Dindyal departed for a spectacular 33 off just 17 balls, featuring four towering sixes.
During his innings, Gurbaz became the youngest cricketer to reach 7,000 runs in T20 cricket upon reaching his 28th run. He continued to anchor the chase, ultimately scoring 54 off 35 balls. By the time of his dismissal, the Amazon Warriors had raced to 114 for just one wicket in the 13th over.
The remainder of the chase proceeded smoothly. Shai Hope took his time at the crease, utilizing the abundant width of the pitch, while Shimron Hetmyer played the aggressor with thunderous blows. Hope remained unbeaten on 39 off 35 balls, and Hetmyer contributed an unbeaten 30 off 17, finishing the match off with a six off the second ball of the 18th over.
With this victory, only the Antigua and Barbuda Falcons now sit ahead of the Amazon Warriors in the standings, leading by just one point but having played four additional matches. The Jamaica Kingsmen trail closely behind, sitting in third place.