Guyana Amazon Warriors were crowned champions of the Global Super League on Friday night after securing a 32-run victory against the defending champions Rangpur Riders. The hosts set a challenging target of 197 runs batting first, and despite Rangpur’s efforts to chase it down, a poor start and subsequent batting collapses ensured the Riders fell short at 164 all out.
After winning the toss, Guyana Amazon Warriors elected to bat, and they made an explosive start thanks to openers Johnson Charles and Evin Lewis. The pair put on 21 runs in the first four overs, with Charles leading the charge with aggressive stroke play. However, Lewis was dismissed early, caught at deep backward point off the bowling of Khaled Ahmed for just 5 runs from 9 balls. This early wicket broke the opening partnership, but Charles continued to dominate.
Charles unleashed a flurry of boundaries, including four consecutive fours off Azmatullah Omarzai in the sixth over, taking Guyana past 50 runs by that stage. Alongside Rahmanullah Gurbaz, who entered at number three, the pair consolidated the innings with a commanding 121-run partnership in 70 balls. Gurbaz, known for his power hitting, matched Charles’ aggression and struck six fours and four sixes on his way to a brilliant 66 runs from 38 balls.
Charles, meanwhile, reached his half-century in quick time, scoring 67 runs off just 48 balls before retiring hurt after 15 overs. His innings was studded with 11 fours and a six, providing a solid foundation for the team. Following Charles’ departure, Shimron Hetmyer took guard but struggled to settle. His innings was cut short when he was dismissed by Tabraiz Shamsi, who accounted for the dangerous Gurbaz soon after.
In the final overs, Romario Shepherd and Pom Sherfane Rutherford played crucial cameos, adding vital runs for the Amazon Warriors. Shepherd’s rapid 28 not out from nine balls, including three towering sixes and a four, ensured the hosts finished strongly on 196. Rutherford remained unbeaten on 19 runs from 15 deliveries. The final over bowled by Khaled Ahmed was expensive, conceding 19 runs with two sixes and a four, cementing the Warriors’ formidable total.
In response, Rangpur Riders faced a daunting task. Their innings began on a shaky note as they lost Ibrahim Zadran to a run-out in the second over after narrowly avoiding a stumping on the very second ball. Soumya Sarkar failed to build momentum, scoring just 13 runs from 14 balls before falling to a sharp catch at mid-wicket off Pretorius’ bowling. Kyle Mayers also struggled, managing only 5 runs off 10 balls before Moeen Ali dismissed him after a missed slog attempt.
Despite the early setbacks, Saif Hassan and Iftikhar Ahmed forged a crucial partnership, adding 73 runs for the fourth wicket and stabilising the innings. Saif, who scored 41 runs off 26 balls, was unfortunately run out following a misunderstanding during a risky second run, which broke the stand. Iftikhar’s innings of 46 runs from 29 balls, including a review of an lbw decision, was a valiant effort but ultimately ended at a crucial moment.
At 117 for five wickets, Rangpur’s hopes of a comeback diminished sharply. Pretorius struck again to dismiss Azmatullah Omarzai for three runs, while Imran Tahir removed captain Nurul Hasan Sohan shortly after, the skipper caught off a forward defensive shot. Khaled Ahmed followed by dismissing the next batsman, deepening Rangpur’s crisis.
Despite a late cameo by Mahidul Islam Ankon, who scored 30 runs from 17 balls with some aggressive strokes, the damage had already been done. Gurakesh Motie claimed two wickets in the final over to wrap up Rangpur’s innings at 164.
The comprehensive bowling performance from the Amazon Warriors, with Pretorius and Motie leading the charge, proved decisive. Pretorius took three wickets including key top-order dismissals, while Motie’s two wickets in the closing stages prevented any late rally. Moeen Ali and Imran Tahir also made valuable contributions with the ball.