Guyana Amazon Warriors locked horns with St Kitts and Nevis Patriots in the second semi-final of the Caribbean Premier League. St Kitts and Nevis Patriots’ captain Dwayne Bravo won the toss and invited the Amazon Warriors to open the face of the blade.
Batting first, the Warriors managed to make a terrific impact with the bat. They managed to aggregate 178 for the loss of 9 wickets in 20 overs. Brandon King and Chandrapaul Hemraj scored 27 apiece. The opening pair provided a good start to the game.
Shimron Hetmyer once again showcased his mettle by scoring a pivotal knock. The southpaw scored a quickfire 45 off 20 deliveries with the help of 2 fours and 4 sixes. Jon-Russ Jaggesar, Dominic Drakes, Naseem Shah, Fawad Ahmed took 2 wickets each.
Odean Smith breaks Chris Gayle’s willow into two
The Patriots were tasked to chase a colossal total. They approached the game with grit and determination during the run-chase. Much to their positive approach, they provided an electrifying start in the form of Chris Gayle and Evin Lewis.
However, there was another thing that caught the attention of the cricket fraternity. During the second ball of the fourth over, Odean Smith bowled a tad wide to Chris Gayle. The Universe Boss attempted to hit the ball for a big shot.
While Gayle generated immense bat speed against the pace of the delivery, his bat broke into two parts. The veteran cricketer was seen holding the bat’s handle while the other part of the willow fell on the ground. The video clip has gone viral on social media.
Batting malFUNction for @henrygayle #GAWvSKNP #CPL21 #CricketPlayedLouder #BiggestPartyInSport pic.twitter.com/kuPgIs7DuY
— CPL T20 (@CPL) September 14, 2021
Gayle might have started very slowly but he switched gears and scored runs at the rate of knots. The world’s best T20 batsman ended up scoring 42 off 27 balls with the help of 5 fours and 3 sixes as he struck a 72-run stand with Evin Lewis.
Lewis was the pick of the batsmen as he scored an unbeaten 77 off 39 balls. The southpaw struck 3 fours and 8 sixes at a strike rate of 197.44. St Kitts and Nevis Patriots won the game by 7 wickets with 13 balls to spare. Lewis was named the Player of the Match for his batting heroics.
