Guyana Amazon Warriors’ men made a winning start to the 6IXTY on Thursday morning, defeating St. Lucia Kings by seven runs at Warner Park in St. Kitts.
Sent in to bat, Amazon Warriors got a fiery start and finished on 111-5. Kings made a spirited reply, being dismissed for 104 with a ball remaining.
Shai Hope and Chandrapaul Hemraj played the Kings’ attack in an opening stand of 41 in just 2.4 overs, but the Warriors lost their way, slipping to 55-4 in 4.3 overs.
Skipper Shimron Hetmyer and all-rounder Odean Smith then added 48 in five overs to revive the innings, with Smith the aggressor with a top score of 36* off 24 (2x4s, 3x6s).
Hetmyer made 13 off 14 (1x4s), while Hope scored 19 off eight (1×4, 2x6s) and Hemraj 18 off nine (3x4s).
The Warriors’ overseas signings Heinrich Klaasen (8) and Colin Ingram (1) both fell cheaply, as Jeavor Royal took 2-8 and Matthew Forde 2-24.
Kings lost both openers Johnson Charles (2) and Mark Deyal (7) and then seemed out of it at 55-5 with four overs remaining.
However, Roshon Primus, in the company of Forde, gave the Kings a real shot at victory, adding 49 in 4.5 overs before Smith dismissed the former for 41 off 23 (4x4s, 2x6s).
Warriors’ Afghanistan signing Waqar Salamkheil was most impressive, the left-arm wrist-spinner picking up 3-16 off two overs. Like Smith, Ronsford Beaton and Veerasammy Permaul picked up a wicket each.
The Warriors’ next match is against Trinbago Knight Riders from 12:30h on Friday.