Guyana Amazon Warriors Smash Records In The CPL 2024 As They Steamroll The Patriots

Shimron Hetmyer played a blinder (X)

The defending champions of the Caribbean Premier League (CPL), Guyana Amazon Warriors, sent a clear message to their rivals with a comprehensive 40-run victory over St Kitts & Nevis Patriots in Basseterre, sealing their second consecutive win of the 2024 season. But more significantly, they etched their name in the CPL record books by posting the second-highest team total in the tournament's history.

Rain failed to dampen Warriors’ firepower

Electing to bat first under cloudy skies and in wet conditions might have raised some eyebrows, but Imran Tahir’s men had no hesitation as they stormed to a mammoth total of 266/7 in their 20 overs. 

The showery conditions may have slowed the outfield, but the Warriors had no intention of letting the weather rain on their parade. Instead, they went full throttle from the get-go, with Shimron Hetmyer leading the charge.

Hetmyer was in scintillating form, as he tore into the Patriots’ bowling attack, smashing a jaw-dropping 91 off just 39 balls. In an innings that was nothing short of breathtaking, Hetmyer cleared the ropes eleven times, sending the ball soaring into the stands with remarkable ease.

Notably, his knock didn’t include a single four, highlighting the sheer power and audacity of his strokeplay. Hetmyer's heroics helped the Warriors set a new CPL record for the most sixes in a match, with 42 maximums sent out of the ground.

Just Shy of CPL’s Highest Total

The Warriors’ final score of 266/7 fell agonizingly short of the all-time CPL record of 267/2, set by the Trinbago Knight Riders against the Jamaica Tallawahs in 2019. Nevertheless, it stands as the second-highest total in CPL history and highlights the dominance of the Warriors' batting lineup.

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Top 5 Highest CPL totals

Fletcher fights, But Patriots fall short

In response, Patriots skipper Andre Fletcher put up a valiant fight, leading his team from the front with a quickfire 81 off 33 balls. Fletcher looked like a man on a mission, countering the Warriors’ score with a flurry of boundaries and sixes.

But once he fell to the spin of Gudakesh Motie in the thirteenth over, the Patriots' hopes of chasing down the massive total evaporated like mist.

Motie’s slow left-arm spin proved to be a game-changer, as he took three crucial wickets, including the crucial dismissal of Fletcher. Imran Tahir also weaved his magic with a double-wicket maiden in the tenth over, removing Josh Clarkson and Odean Smith in quick succession. Tahir finished with impressive figures, once again proving that age is just a number as he continues to bamboozle batsmen with his leg-spin.

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