Guyana Amazon Warriors secured their place in the GSL final with a commanding four-wicket win over Hobart Hurricanes, thanks to Shimron Hetmyerβs explosive cameo and a match-defining spell from Gudakesh Motie.
Motie and Moeen Set the Tone Early
Electing to bat first, Hobart Hurricanes got off to a shaky start. Moeen Ali dealt a double blow in the second over, removing Bhanuka Rajapaksa and Jake Doran within three deliveries, reducing Hurricanes to 14 for 2.
Soon after, Dwaine Pretorius clean bowled Ben McDermott for 21, despite McDermott hitting him for three boundaries earlier in the over. The Hurricanes tried to rebuild through Nikhil Chaudhary and Macalister Wright, who added 29 runs during the powerplay, showing intent despite the early setbacks.
But the game changed when Gudakesh Motie was introduced in the seventh over. He immediately had Chaudhary stumped off his first delivery and then trapped Wright LBW later in the same over.
“π΄ππππβπ πππππ πππππππ πππ ππππππ ππππππ ππ πππ ππππ,β ππππ πππππππππππ π°ππ π©πππππ π πππππ πππ ππππ πππππ ππππ.
From 65 for 3, Hurricanes stumbled to 77 for 6, with Imran Tahir and Motie cleaning up the tail. Although Mohammad Nabi and Fabian Allen put together a 35-run stand, the innings ended at just 125 all out, with Motie finishing with 3 for 9 in his four overs.
Hetmyerβs Fireworks Steal the Show
The Amazon Warriorsβ chase didnβt begin smoothly. They were reeling at 29 for 2 after seven overs, with Johnson Charles bowled for 8 by Billy Stanlake and Rahmanullah Gurbaz falling LBW to Nabi for 7.
Moeen Ali, batting at No. 4, had a slow start β scoring just 8 off his first 17 balls. The innings stagnated further when Evin Lewis departed for 7, leaving GAW struggling at 43 for 3 after 9 overs.
Just when things looked grim, Shimron Hetmyer exploded. Facing Fabian Allen, he launched five sixes and a two in a single over, breathing life into the innings.
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He eventually scored 39 off just 10 balls, including a towering six off Usama Mir. Although Hetmyer was later dismissed, his blitz ensured the required rate plummeted.
Stanlake tried to mount a comeback, removing Sherfane Rutherford for 3, but Motie chipped in with 19 off 13 balls, and Moeen anchored the chase with an unbeaten 30 off 36, guiding GAW to victory with more than three overs to spare.
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