Amazon Warriors cruise into playoffs of CPL T20

LAUDERHILL, Florida (CMC):

Dwayne Smith and Nic Maddinson both stroked half-centuries as Guyana Amazon Warriors confirmed their spot in the playoffs of the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) with an uncomplicated six-wicket win over Barbados Tridents here on Thursday night.

In a historic game at the Central Broward Regional Park Stadium - the first in the tournament to be played outside of the Caribbean - Tridents were limited to 142 for seven off their 20 overs and Amazon Warriors strolled to their target with 10 balls to spare.

Both Smith and Maddinson scored exactly 50, adding 92 off 62 deliveries for the first wicket to effectively end the game as a contest.

Smith punched five fours and three sixes off 34 deliveries, while Australian Maddinson faced 41 balls and counted six fours and a six.

When Maddinson and fellow Aussie Chris Lynn (nine) perished in successive overs with the score on 112, Tridents hoped - albeit briefly. But Chris Barnwell smashed a four and six in an unbeaten 15 from 11 balls to see Amazon Warriors home.

Left-arm seamer Raymon Reifer was the best bowler with two for 22 from his four overs.

The victory kept Amazon Warriors second on 13 points, one behind leaders Jamaica Tallawahs, with a game remaining - incidentally against Tridents again here today.

For Tridents, however, the defeat left them facing their exit from the tournament. They lie fifth on seven points and now need to win today and hope third placed Trinbago Knight Riders and the fourth-placed St Lucia Zouks lose both their remaining games.

A win by either side will eliminate Tridents from the playoff contention.

SCOREBOARD

TRIDENTS

Ahmed Shehzad c Smith b Sohail Tanvir 15

K Hope c wkp Bramble b Emrit 13

D Wiese c Lynn b Barnwell 40

Shoaib Malik not out 55

+N Pooran c Mohammed b Jacobs 3

*K Pollard c Mohammed b Emrit 0

A Hosein c Barnwell b Sohail Tanvir 5

R Reifer c & b Zampa 1

R Rampaul not out 6

Extras (lb2, w2) 4

TOTAL (7 wkts, 20 overs) 142

Did not bat: Imran Khan, M de Lange.

Fall of wickets: 1-19, 2-49, 3-97, 4-101, 5-104, 6-121, 7-123.

Bowling: Smith 1-0-7-0, Sohail Tanvir 4-0-35-2, Permaul 3-0-22-0, Emrit 4-0-24-2 (w1), Zampa 3-0-11-1, Barnwell 3-0-30-1 (w1), Jacobs 2-0-11-1.

AMAZON WARRIORS

D Smith c Pollard b Reifer 50

N Maddinson c Wiese b Khan 50

C Lynn c Ahmed Shehzad b Reifer 9

J Mohammed c Reifer b Pollard 8

C Barnwell not out 15

Sohail Tanvir not out 7

Extras (lb1, w3) 4

TOTAL (4 wkts, 18.2 overs) 143

Did not bat: *R Emrit, A Bramble, V Permaul, S Jacobs, A Zampa.

Fall of wickets: 1-92, 2-112, 3-112, 4-135.

Bowling: de Lange 2-0-18-0, Rampaul 2-0-14-0, Hosein 2.2-0-21-0, Pollard 3-0-24-1, Reifer 4-0-22-2 (w1), Imran Khan 3-0-21-1 (w2).

Result: Amazon Warriors won by six wickets.

Points: Amazon Warriors 2, Tridents 0.

Man-of-the-Match: Dwayne Smith.

Toss: Amazon Warriors.

Umpires: P Nero, L Reifer; TV - J Ward.