The Guyana Amazon Warriors successfully navigated a six-day break to secure a comfortable seven-wicket victory over the Saint Lucia Kings in their second match of the 2026 Caribbean Premier League at the Daren Sammy National Cricket Stadium. The Amazon Warriors’ bowlers delivered a clinical performance to restrict the Kings to a total of 151/7, providing a manageable target that was chased down with 11 balls remaining.
Bowling Dominance and Early Breakthroughs
While spin bowling defined the Amazon Warriors’ previous victory, the fast bowlers took center stage in this fixture. Dwaine Pretorius emerged as the standout performer, claiming 3-29. Despite an expensive 13-run opening over, Pretorius recovered to strike twice during the Powerplay. He halted Kamil Pooran’s aggressive start at 19 runs and dismissed Andries Gous in the final over of the Powerplay, which followed a brief rain interruption. The Amazon Warriors continued to apply pressure, though Charith Asalanka and Darron Nedd managed to stabilize the Kings’ innings with a 45-run partnership.
Death Bowling and Tactical Control
Asalanka served as the primary aggressor during the middle overs. Following Nedd’s dismissal for 17 off 23 balls, another rain delay occurred, though no overs were lost. Matthew Forde attempted to accelerate the scoring by hitting consecutive sixes off Romario Shepherd. However, Shamar Joseph delivered a masterclass in death bowling, conceding only two runs in the 18th over and removing Forde. Pretorius returned to dismiss the well-set Asalanka, ensuring the final three overs yielded only 17 runs as the pacers effectively stifled the Kings’ scoring rate.
The Successful Chase
- Glenn Phillips provided the initial momentum, taking 16 runs off Amari Goodridge in the third over.
- The Amazon Warriors reached 48/0 by the end of the Powerplay, despite Matthew Forde losing his line after an economical start.
- Mavendra Dindyal anchored the chase, securing his maiden CPL half-century off 50 deliveries before being stumped.
- Following the dismissal of Shai Hope, the game remained competitive with 37 runs required from 24 balls.
- Quentin Sampson shifted the momentum by hitting two sixes off Maheesh Theekshana, followed by Shimron Hetmyer, who struck four consecutive boundaries against Shadley van Schalkwyk.
- Hetmyer finalized the victory with a six off Theekshana, propelling the Amazon Warriors to the top of the league table.
Match Summary
Saint Lucia Kings finished at 151/7 in 20 overs, led by Charith Asalanka’s 35 and Andries Gous’s 20. The Guyana Amazon Warriors responded with 157/3 in 18.1 overs. Key contributions included Mavendra Dindyal’s 50, Glenn Phillips’s 36, and Shimron Hetmyer’s unbeaten 25. Dwaine Pretorius finished with 3-29 and Shamar Joseph with 2-25, while Maheesh Theekshana claimed 2-33 for the Kings. The report also notes that before a 79-run opening stand between Glenn Phillips and Mavendra Dindyal set up the chase, the Amazon Warriors turned in another clinical bowling display to limit the Kings to 151.
