Motie, Hope, and Pretorius Star as Amazon Warriors Keep Royals Winless
The Guyana Amazon Warriors bounced back from two consecutive defeats to hand the Barbados Royals their fourth loss in five matches, clinching a thrilling four-wicket win in a rain-hit CPL 2025 clash at Kensington Oval.
Chasing a target of 166, the Amazon Warriors recovered from a disastrous start — losing four wickets for just 30 runs inside five overs — to secure victory with two balls to spare, thanks to a match-defining partnership between Shai Hope and Dwaine Pretorius.
Hope, who anchored the innings with an unbeaten 62, and Pretorius, who hammered a blistering 53 off 34 balls, stitched together an 89-run stand that turned the game on its head. Their partnership not only steadied the ship but also took the game away from the Royals, who had dominated the early exchanges.
Pretorius fell late in the chase, but Quentin Sampson (33* off 16 balls) joined Hope to finish the job in style, sealing the win with a six.
Earlier, after being asked to bat first, the Royals stumbled early, losing Quinton de Kock and Kadeem Alleyne cheaply. Brandon King provided some momentum with a quick 27-ball 39, but his dismissal in the eighth over triggered another mini-collapse. Rassie van der Dussen (45 off 37) and captain Rovman Powell (50* off 28) then combined to rebuild the innings.
Powell was particularly explosive, striking six sixes in his unbeaten knock, which lifted the Royals to a respectable 165 for 6. Left-arm spinner Gudakesh Motie was the pick of the bowlers for the Amazon Warriors, finishing with excellent figures of 2 for 16 in four overs.
Despite the intermittent rain and a shaky start to their chase, the Amazon Warriors held their nerve to clinch their third win in five games, reigniting their CPL 2025 campaign.
Meanwhile, the Barbados Royals remain rooted near the bottom of the table, still searching for a second win as their season continues to unravel.
Match Summary:
Barbados Royals: 165/6 (Powell 50*, van der Dussen 45, King 39; Motie 2-16)
Guyana Amazon Warriors: 170/6 (Hope 62*, Pretorius 53, Sampson 33*; Bosch 3-35, Simmonds 2-27)
Result: Amazon Warriors won by 4 wickets