CPL 2018: Shimron Hetmyer guides Amazon Warriors to 6-wicket victory over Patriots

Aug.10 (CRICKETNMORE) - Shimron Hetmyer’s stunning unbeaten 79 from 45 balls steered Guyana Amazon Warriors from 24/3 to an ultimately comfortable six-wicket victory over St Kitts & Nevis Patriots in their 2018 Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL) opener at Providence Stadium.

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Match Summary

Guyana Amazon Warriors 148/4 (Hetmyer 79*, Green 25*, Lamichhane 2/12, Cottrell 2/21) beat St Kitts & Nevis Patriots 146/5 (Gayle 86, Cutting 15, Cooper 15, Paul 2/16, Tanvir 1/24) by six wickets with 21 balls remaining.

For Hetmyer it was a first Hero CPL half-century in only his second appearance, and he ensured there would be no late drama as he continued to pepper the boundaries after reaching that landmark to see his side home. Fittingly, he was the man to provide the finishing touch as he drilled Alzarri Joseph back down the ground for the winning boundary with three-and-a-half overs remaining.

The Amazon Warriors did well to restrict the Patriots to 146/5 despite a well-crafted 86 from Chris Gayle, but it looked an imposing total when three of Guyana’s key men came and went inside the first three overs of the chase. Luke Ronchi and Shoaib Malik – after three boundaries in four balls – both fell to Sheldon Cottrell, while Chadwick Walton was caught at cover from the hugely impressive Nepal teenager Sandeep Lamichhane’s first Hero CPL delivery.

However, Gayle’s decision to throw the ball to Tom Cooper for the fourth over handed the initiative back to the Amazon Warriors. Cooper started his spell with three full-tosses; Hetmyer sent the first to the boundary and the next two beyond it. The over cost 17 in all, and things were about to get worse still for the Patriots.

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