Hope, Pretorius strengthen Guyana Amazon Warriors' playoffs push

Shai Hope and Dwaine Pretorius led Guyana Amazon Warriors clinically in a chase against Barbados Royals to strengthen their push for one of the two remaining playoffs spots. They each got fifties while Quentin Sampson played a handy cameo (33 off 20) to see off a last-over finish. Trinbago Knight Riders and St Lucia Kings are already through, while third-placed Antigua & Barbuda Falcons have seven points from eight games. Warriors' victory over the Royals - by four wickets - puts them two points clear of fifth-placed St. Kitts & Nevis Patriots, who have played three more fixtures.

The Warriors were jolted at the start of their chase of Royals' 165 for 6 as Ben McDermott, Moeen Ali, Shimron Hetmyer and Hassan Khan all fell for single-digit scores. From 30 for 4 in the fifth over, Hope and Pretorius forged a stunning comeback through their 89-run stand that came in 57 deliveries. Rain came and went in spurts as the two batters dragged their side to 68 for 4 at the halfway stage, still behind on the asking rate. The duo then accelerated through the gears in the following four overs to put the pressure back on the fielding side. They took 12 off Jomel Warrican, 11 off Chris Green, 12 off Warrican again and 16 off Green's next. Even as Pretorius exited - for 53 off 34 - at the end of Green's second over, the equation was down to 47 off 36.

Eathan Bosch tried to turn the screws on the chasing side once more with the wicket of Romario Shepherd in the 16th over, but Sampson made an impactful entry to keep his team on course. He hit Bosch for a four in the same over, clobbered Ramon Simmonds for a six in the next and hit Green for a boundary in the 18th. He and Hope, who was solid in yet another half-century, comfortably dragged the chase down to 10 off 12, and then 6 off 6. Sampson and Hope took four runs off the first three balls of the 20th over before the former launched a short ball over the deep square-leg boundary to wrap up the chase.

The Royals had a near identical scorecard while batting first as they too suffered a couple of early dismissals. Quinton de Kock and Kareem Alleyne fell for single-digit returns, leaving the side at 43 for 2 in the seventh over. Imran Tahir then ended Brandon King's strokeful essay - 39 off 27 with six fours and a six, in the eighth over. Gudakesh Motie proved to be tough to put away too, as he dismissed Bosch in the 11th over while Sherfane Rutherford got an unplayable yorker from round the stumps from Romario Shepherd.

From 69 for 5 in the 12th over, Rassie van der Dussen and Rovman Powell counter-punched with an 82-run partnership off 48 deliveries. Van der Dussen was slower of the two, getting to 45 off 37 before Jediah Blades dismissed him in the 20th over. Powell however, flexed his six-hitting muscles by tonking six of them in his undefeated 50 off just 28 balls. The partnership pushed the Royals to 165 for 5, a total that proved insufficient on the night.

Brief Scores: Barbados Royals 165/6 in 20 overs (Rassie van der Dussen 45, Brandon King 39; Gudakesh Motie 2-16) lost to Guyana Amazon Warriors 170/6 in 19.4 overs (Shai Hope 62*, Dwaine Pretorius 53; Eathan Bosch 3-35) by 4 wickets