The Guyana Amazon Warriors went on a six-hitting spree against Trinbago.
Already assured of top spot, Trinbago Knight Riders might have taken the foot off the gas somewhat in this final league fixture of the 2018 Caribbean Premier League season, but that didn’t concern the Amazons, who had the valuable second spot in their sights.
Trinbago lost three early wickets to find themselves on 23-3 at the start of the sixth over, but the middle order kept them in the game. Darren Bravo top-scored with 42 off 34 balls, while Kevon Cooper slew the Amazons for 30 off 14 balls, with three fours and three sixes (S/R 214.28) to take his side to 154-7 off their 20.
Imran Tahir and Chris Green both kept things tight, each conceding just 5.50 runs to the over.
South African-born Cameron Delport got the Amazon innings off to a blazing start, slamming four fours and two sixes in his 27-ball 37, but that was the prelude to the real fireworks display that followed.
Needing to reach their target of 155 in 15.3 overs to pip the Tallawahs to second spot on net run rate, Sherfane Rutherford and Shimron Hetmyer put on a devastating display of power hitting as they dominated the table-topping Trinbago bowlers. Hetmyer struck 59 off 30 balls (three fours, five sixes, S/R 196.66), while Rutherford put on the most amazing display of hitting seen anywhere in white ball cricket.
Off the 13 balls he faced, the 20-year-old Rutherford butchered the Trinbago attack, scoring a mind-blowing 45 runs with one four and six sixes. His strike rate of 346.15 runs per 100 balls was the joint eighth-highest strike rate in an innings in the history of T20 cricket for any batsman scoring 45 or more in an innings, and it set up a six-wicket stroll with 35 balls in the bank.
The Amazons reached their target off 14.1 overs, with eight balls to spare, with only Fawad Ahmed (2-20 off three overs, S/R 6.66) emerging from the innings unscathed.
Rutherford was an automatic choice for the Player of the Match Award after his astounding innings.
Photo: Randy Brooks – CPL T20/Getty Images
