Beaton’s last over leaves Dwayne Smith, Tridents beaten

Bridgetown (Barbados): Another dazzling Dwayne Smith hundred took Barbados Tridents to the brink of victory but failed to get them over the line as speedster Ronsford Beaton bowled a superb final over to hand Guyana Amazon Warriors an tense seven-run victory in the Caribbean Premier League (CPL). Chasing a challenging target of 174, Barbados failed to get the 11 runs required from the final over and were forced to settle on 166 for four off their 20 overs, with Smith unbeaten on 104 from 67 deliveries. His innings appeared to have put Tridents in the driver’s seat when they reached 158 for four off 18 overs, needing just 16 runs from 12 balls to complete their third straight win at their home ground Kensington Oval. However, it was left-arm seamer Krishmar Santokie who started the Amazon Warriors comeback, conceding just five runs from the penultimate over. Beaton then took Santokie’s lead, pinning down both Smith and Jonathan Carter, who managed just two runs from five balls, and frustrating Tridents’ attempt to keep a clean slate at their home venue. It was especially frustrating for Smith who hammered his second hundred in four nights, before a full house, pummelling eight fours and six sixes in an electrifying knock. He lost opening partner Shane Dowrich for three in the second over with the score on four but allied with Shoaib Malik in a 148-run, second wicket stand to keep the Tridents alive. Shoaib faced 39 balls and counted five fours before he was run out in the 17th over, attempting a quick single with Smith. The pair combined to take 15 runs from seamer Jimmy Neesham’s first over, the sixth of the innings, before Smith punished off-spinner Steven Jacobs with a six over square leg and cover-driven boundary, in the 15th over which went for another 15 runs. Smith looked in immaculate touch. His second six cannoned into the Media Centre at the southern end off off-spinner Mohammed Hafeez, and his third off Lendl Simmons struck the sight screen, also at the southern end, and raised his half-century. He then motored on to his next landmark, moving into the 90s with a four and a six off left-arm spinner Veerasammy Permaul’s final over, the 17th over of the innings, before reaching three figures with a single to long on off Santokie in the penultimate over. Tridents’ innings lost momentum with Shoaib’s run out and then captain Kieron Pollard was bowled without scoring in the following over by Beaton. Earlier, openers Lendl Simmons and New Zealander Martin Guptill struck half-centuries in a 103-run stand off 72 balls, to get Amazon Warriors up to 173 for five off their 20 overs. Simmons extended his superb form with five fours and four massive sixes in his top score of 64 off just 40 balls while Guptill cracked four fours and a six in his 51-ball, unbeaten 55. Amazon Warriors lost their way slightly when four wickets fell for 23 runs in the space of 28 balls, before Mohammed Hafeez blasted 30 from ten balls with two fours and three sixes, to add runs at the end. Brief scores: Guyana Aamazon Warriors: 173 for five in 20 overs (Lendl Simmons 64, Martin Guptill 55 not out, Mohammad Hafeez 30, Jeevan Mendis 2/33) Barbados Tridents: 166 for four in 20 overs (Dwayne Smith104 not out, Shoaib Malik 50).