Record-breaking Kingsmen break Warriors

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados (CMC):

Rovman Powell’s superb late assault carried the Jamaica Kingsmen to a thrilling five-wicket victory over the Guyana Amazon Warriors on Friday, booking a place in the final of the Republic Bank Caribbean Premier League (CPL).

Player-of-the-Match Powell blasted an unbeaten 40 off 17 balls, including four sixes and two fours, as the Kingsmen reached 207 for five with two balls to spare in pursuit of the Amazon Warriors’ imposing 206 for four at Kensington Oval.

It was the highest successful run chase in CPL playoff history, and propelled the newly renamed franchise into its first final.

The result marked a remarkable turnaround for a Kingsmen side that lost its first three matches and appeared destined to miss the playoffs.

In contrast, the defeat was the Amazon Warriors’ third in succession and a bitter setback for a team that won its first six matches in dominant fashion to establish itself as title favourites.

Powell’s heroics overshadowed a magnificent unbeaten 102 from Shimron Hetmyer off just 45 balls, an innings that helped propel the Amazon Warriors to a formidable total before a largely Guyanese crowd at The Mecca.

Sluggish start

The Amazon Warriors made a sluggish start, losing Mohammad Haris and Mavendra Dindyal for nine runs apiece as they slipped to 20 for two in the fifth over.

However, Shai Hope and Hetmyer added 96 runs for the third wicket to provide a solid platform after the score stood at 37 for two at the end of the powerplay.

Both batters began cautiously before Hetmyer broke loose, thumping pacer Keemo Paul for six in the eighth over.

At the halfway stage, the Amazon Warriors had recovered to 75 for two, and the pair signalled their intentions by taking 20 runs from the 11th over bowled by Saim Ayub.

Hetmyer brought up his 16th CPL half-century off just 20 balls when he struck wrist spinner Vitel Lawes for a four and six in the following over.

Hope departed soon after, caught at deep midwicket for a well-played 40 off 33 balls, leaving the score at 116 for three in the 13th over.

Hetmyer then shared a 65-run partnership with Quentin Sampson, who made a brisk 29 off 17 deliveries, to put the Amazon Warriors on course for a mammoth total.

Sampson was eventually caught at long-on off Andre Russell in the 18th over, and it appeared Hetmyer would fall just short of his second century of the season.

But, with the left-hander on 92 and two balls remaining in the innings, he launched Russell for a six over midwicket before steering a boundary over third man off the final delivery to reach the milestone.

In all, Hetmyer struck eight sixes and four fours and became only the second player, after Dwayne Smith, to score two centuries in a single CPL season.

Despite the daunting target, the Kingsmen’s opening pair of Maaz Sadaqat and Kirk McKenzie raced to 42 runs in three overs before Sadaqat was dismissed by pacer Dwaine Pretorius for 41 off 17 balls.

Keacy Carty and McKenzie continued to match the required rate during a 48-run partnership that spanned five overs before captain Imran Tahir broke the stand by having McKenzie caught for 34 off 20 balls.

Still, the Kingsmen pressed on, with Carty and Ayub adding 62 runs in seven overs to take the score to 152 for two at the start of the 15th over.

Pretorius returned to have Ayub caught at short fine-leg for 23 off 17 balls, and Carty was unfortunate to be run out for 56 off 40 after a ball ricocheted off left-arm spinner Khary Pierre’s foot and onto the stumps at the non-striker’s end with him out of his ground.

That left the contest finely poised at 172 for four in the 17th over.

With 34 runs required from 18 balls, Powell struck Tahir for a six and a four in the 18th over before taking a further six and four from pacer Shamar Joseph in the penultimate over, which yielded 13 runs and left the Kingsmen needing six from the final over.

Romario Shepherd bowled two wides before having Andre Russell caught behind, but new batter Hassan Khan collected two runs from both the third and fourth deliveries to seal the victory.

The Kingsmen will face the Antigua & Barbuda Falcons in today’s final at the same venue.