Rovman Powell played a key unbeaten innings as defending champions Guyana Amazon Warriors secured a three-wicket victory over the San Francisco Unicorns in their rain-affected Global Super League 3 opening match at the Guyana National Stadium last night.
Set a revised target of 131 from 16 overs under the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern method, the Warriors reached 131 for seven in 15.3 overs. Powell finished unbeaten on 29 from 20 balls, while Matthew Forde made six not out from three deliveries to complete the chase with three balls remaining.
The Unicorns had earlier posted 156 for six from their 20 overs after winning the toss and choosing to bat.
Hammad Azam led their innings with an unbeaten 61 from 45 balls, hitting two fours and four sixes. Tim Robinson contributed 38 from 21 deliveries, while Oliver Peake made 30 from 27 balls.
Early in the innings, the Unicorns lost Connor Esterhuizen and Sanjay Krishnamurthi for four runs each to slip to 13 for two. Robinson and Peake then added 43 runs for the third wicket to steady the ship before Mohammad Nabi bowled Robinson in the sixth over.
Peake and Azam shared another 45-run partnership to carry the score to 101 for three before Peake was trapped leg before wicket by Nabi. Hassan Khan made eight, Fabian Allen scored four and Karima Gore finished unbeaten on three.
Dwaine Pretorius took two wickets for 36 runs from four overs, while Nabi claimed two for 33. Gudakesh Motie returned an economical one for 22 from four overs, and Romario Shepherd took one for 16 from two overs. Imran Tahir conceded 28 runs from his four wicketless overs, while Forde finished with none for 19 from two overs.
Rain interrupted the Warriors’ reply and reduced their allotted overs to 16. Quentin Sampson was dismissed without scoring in the opening over, but Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Muhammed Haris rebuilt the innings with a 63-run second-wicket partnership.
Haris struck five fours in his 30 from 22 balls, while Gurbaz made 31 from 21 deliveries, including two fours and two sixes. However, the Warriors lost Haris, Shimron Hetmyer for six and Gurbaz in quick succession to slip from 66 for one to 79 for four.
Powell kept the chase moving despite further wickets falling around him. Shepherd made nine, Pretorius scored seven and Nabi was run out for four as the Warriors fell to 107 for seven after 14.1 overs.
With 24 runs still required from 11 balls, Powell and Forde put together an unbroken eighth-wicket partnership to take the Warriors over the line. Powell struck one four and two sixes (back to back in the penultimate over) during his innings and was named Player of the Match.
Hassan Khan was the Unicorns’ most economical bowler with two for 25 from four overs, while Ghulam Mudassar claimed two for 27. Callum Stow took one for 15 and Peter Siddle finished with one for 35.
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