Guyana Amazon Warriors gave themselves two shots at making the CPL 2025 final with a crushing victory over stragglers Barbados Royals in the last league game of the season. The hosts' victory was powered by a strong batting performance with Shimron Hetmyer and Quentin Sampson hitting half-centuries in a score of 189. Gudakesh Motie then took a five-fer as the Warriors comfortably defended the total by 64 runs to seal second spot in the standings.

The tone for Warriors' powerful total was set early after the Royals asked them to take first strike. Off just his second ball, Sampson walked at the bowler and leant into a lofted drive for six. The Warriors lost their other opener, Ben McDermott, cheaply but the pair of Sampson and Shai Hope ensured there was no cluster of wickets as they eased to a PowerPlay score of 41.

The first two post-PowerPlay overs featured a six from each batter before Hope miscued a slog sweep to fall for a brisk 19-ball 31. Sampson ensured there was no dip in the scoring, and the 11 balls after Hope's fall brought 24 runs and two sixes. It set up the perfect platform for Hetmyer, who could ease into his innings from No. 4 before teeing off with a six and a four off Zishan Motara.

Sampson fell immediately after completing his second CPL fifty, off 35 balls, but Hetmyer kept up the scoring rate alongside Romario Shepherd, who slammed two sixes in his 13-ball cameo. Hetmyer was finally dismissed in the final over for a 39-ball 68 after having hit eight fours and three sixes. A 19-run final over meant the Warriors finished with the highest score at the venue this season.

The Royals had nothing to lose with an added bonus of ending with a wretched campaign with a twinkle. But once Dwaine Pretorius struck twice to remove openers Quinton de Kock and Kadeem Alleyne, the writing was on the wall. Shamar Joseph then sent Rassie van der Dussen packing with a pacy delivery that re-arranged the stumps as Barbados slipped to 32/3 in the PowerPlay.

Sherfane Rutherford and Shaqkere Parris mounted a brief recovery but the required rate continued to spiral out of control. Motie was introduced only in the 12th over and got into the act after conceding a six in his opening over. With his seventh ball, he got Parris hitting straight to Hetmyer at long on. Three balls later he used the low bounce of the surface to knock over Daniel Sams. Chris Green was his third victim, down to a terrific diving catch at backward point from Shamar Joseph.

Motie polished off the game with the first two deliveries of his final over to finish with 5 for 21, sealing Warriors' first qualifier date with the defending champions Saint Lucia Kings.

Brief scores: Guyana Amazon Warriors 189/6 in 20 overs (Shimron Hetmyer 68, Quentin Sampson 50; Sherfane Rutherford 2-35) beat Barbados Royals 125 in 18.2 overs (Sherfane Rutherford 27; Gudakesh Motie 5-21) by 64 runs