Nabi, Hope rout Kingsmen as Amazon Warriors start with a win

Mohammad Nabi’s four-wicket haul and Shai Hope’s unbeaten 56 underlined Guyana Amazon Warriors’ winning start to their CPL 2026 campaign as they orchestrated a six-wicket victory over Jamaica Kingsmen with 35 deliveries to spare at Sabina Park on Thursday. The Kingsmen, who entered the game on the back of consecutive defeats, continue to remain winless after a comprehensive defeat where they had no answers to the mastery of the Amazon Warriors’ spin attack.

Khary Pierre vindicated Guyana’s decision to bowl first with an early scalp in the form of Shayan Jahangir, before Shamar Joseph wound up the Powerplay by cleaning up Keacy Carty. The Kingsmen managed just 26 runs in that phase before Reeza Hendricks looked to inject some fuel into the innings. Hendricks and Rovman Powell shared a 35-run partnership but skipper Imran Tahir removed them both on either side of Hassan Khan’s dismissal, which marked Nabi’s first.

Nabi then ran through the lower middle-order, the death knell for the Kingsmen coming in the form of Andre Russell’s dismissal as he chipped one back tamely. Nabi ended with returns of 4 for 22, while Glenn Phillips chipped in with a wicket of his own as the spinners accounted for eight of the ten wickets to fall. The Kingsmen were bowled out with two deliveries to spare, mustering a modest 117.

In response, debutant Mavendra Dindyal bagged a golden duck but a brisk 42-run stand between Phillips and Hope set the Amazon Warriors on their way. Russell made an impact with the ball, striking twice in the final Powerplay over to remove Phillips, who made a breezy 28, and Shimron Hetmyer. But Hope quashed any remote possibility of an unlikely comeback on the part of the Kingsmen, anchoring the innings with regular strike rotation before picking his moments for the big shots.

He forged a 51-run partnership with Nabi, who struck two fours in his 19 before falling to Vitel Lawes. It was but a consolation for the hosts, however, as Hope got to his fifty before tonking Hassan down the ground for a six to seal the contest in emphatic fashion.

Brief scores: Jamaica Kingsmen 117 all out in 19.4 overs (Reeza Hendricks 40; Mohammad Nabi 4-22, Shamar Joseph 2-22, Imran Tahir 2-26) lost to Guyana Amazon Warriors 118/4 in 14.1 overs (Shai Hope 56*, Glenn Phillips 28; Andre Russell 2-12) by 6 wickets.