Guyana Warriors turned their run of poor form around in style, beating the Jamaica Tallawahs by 12 runs to record only their second win of the season despite Brandon King’s outstanding century.
The Tallawahs’ decision to bowl first originally appeared to have paid off, with the Warriors under par at 104 for 7 after 17 overs.
Chris Green removed openers Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Chandrapaul Hemraj inside the first four overs before fellow spinners Imad Wasim and Mohammad Nabi set about dismantling the middle order. Shai Hope was the only sticking point, reaching 60 off 45 balls before being bowled by Nabi.
However, a late onslaught from Odean Smith (42 off 16) and Keemo Paul (24 not out from 12) put the hosts in the driving seat at the halfway stage: Guyana Amazon Warriors 178 for 8.
In reply, Tallawahs opener King crunched 104 runs off 66 balls, including eight fours and seven sixes, but received little support from his teammates – Kennar Lewis (13) and Kirk McKenzie (15) were the only other players to reach double figures.