In a night of drama and excitement, the Guyana Amazon Warriors delivered a masterclass performance to defeat defending champions Rangpur Riders by 32 runs and win the ExxonMobil Guyana Global Super League (GSL) title on home soil recently.
A roaring crowd at the Providence Stadium saw their heroes to victory as the Warriors posted a massive 196-4 before dismantling the Riders for 164 in the final over.
Veteran skipper Imran Tahir won the toss and chose to bat first.
The warriors lost opener Evin Lewis early in the innings to an awe-inspiring diving catch by Saif Hassan, but they still managed to unleash a relentless assault.
Johnson Charles with 67 off 48 balls and Player of the Match Rahmanullah Gurbaz 66 off 38, combined to contribute a devastating 121-run partnership, bombarding the boundary ropes with 19 fours and 6 sixes.
Rangpur’s bowlers had no solution as captain Nurul Hasan cycled through seven different bowlers without success.
Sherfane Rutherford, 19, and Romario Shepherd, 28, gave the Warriors a blazing finish, posting the tournament’s highest total.
Chasing 197, the Riders were off to a great start but crumbled under the weight of the required rate.
Hassan contributed a promising 41 off 26, which ended with a run-out, while Iftikhar Ahmed fell lbw to Dwaine Pretorius.
Pretorius claimed 3-37 in a disciplined bowling effort. Tahir supported with 2-39 and Moeen Ali 1-13 to help limit the runs. Ali’s spell included the key wicket of Kyle Mayers.
The Riders’ chase ended in the final over with the crowd going wild, sparking wild celebrations as the Warriors sealed their maiden GSL triumph.
“This is for Guyana!” said Captain Tahir as his team lifted the trophy.
