Sohail Tanvir and Chris Lynn led a good all-round showing from Guyana Amazon Warriors, as they notched up a tight win over Jamaica Tallawahs in the first playoff in St Kitts, thereby booking their place in the final of CPL 2016.
Tanvir starred with bat and ball - he finished with standout figures of 2 for 24 to help restrict Tallawahs to 146, before applying the crucial finishing touches to the run chase, wrapping it up with a mighty six over mid-wicket with two balls to spare.
After asking Tallawahs to bat first, Amazon Warriors put in a solid bowling performance on a pitch that was not ideal for strokeplay.
Tanvir was ably supported by the rest of the bowlers, who managed to keep things fairly tight and take wickets at regular intervals. Captain Rayad Emrit took three wickets, while Chris Barnwell, Adam Zampa and Veerasamy Permaul chipped in with one apiece.
Tallawahs’ struggles with the bat were perhaps best encapsulated by the innings of their top scorer and captain, Chris Gayle, who was unable to up the pace in a knock of 33 off 36.
In post-match comments, Gayle drew attention to the tricky nature of the pitch, but acknowledged that Tallawahs were probably 20 runs short.
Amazon Warriors’ chase was anchored by Lynn’s 47-ball 49, as others played around him. However, when Lynn became the fifth wicket to fall, Amazon Warriors still required 38 off 22.
The 18th over proved to be the decisive one. After Tanvir launched the second ball over mid-wicket for six, Rovman Powell, bowling his first over of the match, delivered a full toss above waist height.
The free-hit that followed was hit for four and, thereafter, a combination of singles and wides yielded 17 runs off the over.
With the equation reduced to 13 off 12, Tanvir and Emrit milked ones and twos until, with three needed off the last three balls, Tanvir finished it off with another gigantic six.
While Emrit felt Amazon Warriors had yet to play their ‘best game’, he would surely welcome the opportunity to do so in the final. Tallawahs, meanwhile, will have another chance to reach the final when they come up against the winners of Playoff 2.