Warriors CPL practice match… Guptill, Mohamed and Azam lead Warriors to victory

Aug 02, 2017 Sports, http://www.kaieteurnewsonline....warriors-to-victory/

By Sean Devers

In sultry conditions and a fast outfield and slow track, Skipper Martin Guptill (47), Jason Mohamed (45) and Babar Azam (41) spearheaded the Guyana Amazon Warriors to a 72-run win against a Select X1 yesterday at Providence in the Warriors final practice match before playing their first match in this year’s CPL tournament on Saturday in Florida.
Led by Guptill’ 25-ball 47 which included six fours and two sixes, a classy 41 from Azam, who scored a ball-a-run 41 with a four and two sixes and Mohamed’s 45 from 55 balls with four sixes spurred the Warriors to 160-5 as left-arm spinner Gudakesh Motie took 2-23.
The Select X1 then crawled to 88-7 when their 20 overs expired as only Anthony Bramble, with an 18-ball 19 reached 15 much to the disappointment of a small crowd of just over 200 fans. Medium Pacer Rayad Emrit (3-12) and Left arm-spinner Veerasammy Permaul (2-17) did the damage for the winners.
Chadwick Walton (3) was removed by Romario Shepherd at 11-1 before Pakistan Azam joined forces with New Zealand’s Guptill to add 48 for the second wicket.
Guptill launched into Shepherd in the fourth over and hit him for a six and a four in an over which cost 15 runs and Guptill who has two centuries and 33 fifties from 77 t20s, smashed Sherfane Rutherford for three fours and six off consecutive delivers to take 19 from the fifth over as he started his innings in a hurry.
Guptill was then stumped by Bramble off Motie at 52-2 before Azad stepped up a gear with some lovely shots as he and in-form Mohamed, with two half centuries in the first two practice matches, put together 56 for the third wicket.
Azam then used his feet to Motie and a miss-hit was taken at deep mid wicket to leave the score on 115-3 before Mohamed pulled Shepherd for six and hit him over the long-off boundary when he pitched up the next ball. Mohamed then pulled a full toss from Rutherford for Chanderpaul Hemraj on the square-leg boundary to hold the catch but his momentum caused him to mash the ropes and Mohamed was on a roll.
Mohamed had his off-stump knocked out by Rutherford, while the left-handed Steven Taylor, born in the US to Jamaican parents, skied Hemraj to Vishual Singh at point after making two.
Sohail Tanveer (6) and Kemo Paul, who dispatched Shepherd for a six back over his head, finished unbeaten on nine.
When the Select X1 began their reply Rajendra Chandrika was dropped at point off Keon Joseph before he had scored but never suggested permanence and was taken at mid-on off Emrit for 10, while Leon Johnson (10), who opened the batting, hit Steven Jacobs to cover.
Singh (9) struggled to score and was removed by Permaul who also got rid of Robin Bacchus (6), while Hemraj (5) had his stumps knocked out by Emrit who also removed Rutherford (6) and when Bramble’s little cameo was ended by Joseph, the local batsmen had wasted a perfect opportunity to impress.
Akshaya Persaud (10) and Shepherd (4) were the not out batsmen in a woeful batting display by the Select X1.