McDermott and Hope give Amazon Warriors comprehensive win over Patriots

Guyana Amazon Warriors made it look quite easy, putting in a strong bowling performance that got them a low target, and then knocking off the runs with 16 balls in hand to win their opening game of CPL 2025, beating St Kitts and Nevis Patriots. The bowlers set up the win for Amazon Warriors, but the standout star of the show was Ben McDermott, who slammed 75 in 39 balls to make the chase a canter, with support from Shai Hope, who hit an unbeaten 56 in 39 balls.

Amazon Warriors opted to field, and had a slice of fortune early on when Evin Lewis, who had looked in good nick on the previous night, hurt his bottom hand while hitting a swivel-pull off Shamar Joseph in the second over that went for four - not before a comical bit of (mis)fielding from Romario Shepherd in the deep. Lewis had to retire hurt.

They made their own luck soon after when Dwaine Pretorius got rid of Kyle Mayers, but then came a big stand, though not a quick one, between opener Andre Fletcher and Rilee Rossouw. They scored 45 runs in 28 balls, but Rossouw had a struggle all the way, scoring 12 in 14 balls before falling to Imran Tahir.

Fletcher held the innings together, scoring 60 in 41 balls before falling in the 17th over with the scoreboard reading 114 for 5. Well behind par. The impetus, which gave Patriots a competitive total, came courtesy Jyd Goolie, who scored an unbeaten 15-ball 24, and Abbas Afridi, with a five-ball 10.

The Amazon Warriors bowling effort was a complete one. Of the six bowlers used, Moeen Ali, who bowled just one, was the only one without a wicket. Pretorius got three, and Tahir two.

The defence for Patriots started well with Kevlon Anderson falling to Fazalhaq Farooqi in the second over, but it was a lot of leather-chasing for them after that, as McDermott and Hope put up 114 runs for the second wicket off just 59 balls - exactly what Patriots had failed to do when Fletcher was holding up one end.

McDermott did the early running, making sure Amazon Warriors matched Patriots' powerplay score of 55 for 1 (plus Lewis retiring hurt) with 54 for 1 of their own. Hope picked up speed after that, and the two put in a sequence of ten, 13, eight, 22 (off Afridi) runs between overs seven and 11 to put Amazon Warriors firmly on top, though McDermott fell at the end of the 11th over. His innings, which earned him the Player-of-the-Match award, included ten fours and four sixes.

A few more wickets fell, but Hope stayed on to finish the job, hitting 56 in 39 balls with five fours and two sixes.

For the vanquished Patriots, the loss came the day after they had won their first game - and the first game of the tournament - against Antigua and Barbuda Falcons.