Hetmyer 111* keeps Amazon Warriors' unbeaten run going
It took them to second spot on the points table after Mohammad Nabi took 3 for 20 to restrict Trinbago Knight Riders in the rain-hit game
It took them to second spot on the points table after Mohammad Nabi took 3 for 20 to restrict Trinbago Knight Riders in the rain-hit game
Scorer: Sudeep Poojar | Commentator: Rashad Mahbub
That's a wrap on today's CPL action! Thank you for tuning in and staying with us here at Cricinfo. Time to sign off and close the commentary box. Cheerio!
Imran Tahir: "[You don't seem to have skipped the beat] Yeah, look, I think credit goes to everyone - our coaching staff and the players. Like I said to you earlier, we had a very long break, and sometimes you can drift. The Caribbean is a beautiful place, and we can go and forget about our training. But our purpose here is to enjoy each other's success. We have a great team culture with a couple of seniors and some juniors coming through, and that's what we try to teach our youngsters and ourselves during training. Whenever we train, our focus is to prepare for how we are going to play in all the upcoming games. [What transpired after the rain break?] Hettie is a very special player. He may not have been in great form over the last six months, but class is permanent. The way he came out today, he showed his class, and I'm really happy for him. He's been batting brilliantly, and even in training, he's been deeply focused - he hasn't missed a single session. It's really nice to see the hard work he put in pay off. We always knew that even with the rain delay, this ground is quite tough, especially for spinners bowling second. We changed three balls, and it wasn't easy. Still, credit goes to the opposing batters - they played smart, and it was a close game that I'm sure everyone enjoyed. But Hettie was really special tonight. [Maintaining the discipline] Like I said, we don't want to take anything for granted. We need to play every game like it's our last, especially in a competition like this where we've had a great start before heading home. The way we've been helping each other get over the line is key - we just need to keep doing that and take it one game at a time. Being on the road is not easy, but these four games were really crucial for us, and I'm extremely proud of the boys for winning all four. Going home is going to be great, but we have to hit the reset button again. [How long is Nabi with you this season?] He's going to be with us for a couple more games. He's an absolute legend and has been bowling really well, so we're going to miss him. We just want to wish him all the best because he's been fantastic for us."
Nicholas Pooran: "[Another difficult loss] Yeah, first of all, all praise and thanks to Jesus. Yeah, it's tough to lose. You know how T20 cricket goes. We've been struggling this year to put a perfect game together and get on the right side of the results, but that's just T20 cricket. [Seam bowling] It's been very challenging for us. We've tried a lot of different bowlers. Obviously, Lahiru flew in yesterday from Sri Lanka and played today, which is a great effort. But we've struggled big time when it comes to the fast-bowling department, and we've paid some expensive prices there. But in saying that, it's fine. Guys are getting an opportunity to play, and we hope they're learning from it. [Rain delay] As you can see in the other games as well over the last couple of days, there's been a lot of rain around. Our team is built around spinners, and it definitely doesn't help when the ball gets wet and the umpires are only changing it once for us. That doesn't help at all. So for us, that's something we have to accept and try to figure out different ways around. Right now, we just haven't found the right answer to complement our spinners. Even in the last game, you saw the rain coming at the wrong time. It's just one of those things where decisions haven't gone our way, and all we can do is accept it. [How do you approach the rest of this season?] We're very optimistic, to be honest. T20 cricket is funny. We have three games left. If we can turn up for all three games and get ourselves to 10 points, you never know. Some other results have to go our way as well, but other teams are still trying to figure things out too, so that keeps us in a decent position. For now, we just need to focus on ourselves and find a way to win games. Once we do that, that's all we can ask for. [How is Kieron?] Not sure, but he's a tough guy. He's trying his best to get back to full fitness for the next game, so we're very optimistic that he plays. We need his experience and his skill, so I'm looking forward to seeing him back on the park as soon as possible."
Player of the Match, Shimron Hetmyer: "[Injury concern] I'm good. It's just a little bit of cramp. It's been a while since I've actually batted that long, so my body still has to adjust to it. [Tactics after the rain delay] Honestly, there wasn't really much discussion inside, to be fair. We knew the uphill task we had - coming here and beating TKR in Trinidad. The plan was for us to just go back out with a positive mindset: if the ball is in your area, put it away; if not, try as much as possible to rotate the strike. From then on, the plan was really, really easy. I think the people in my life played a big part in that. When I was away from the game after the first match, a lot of them came to me and said, 'Just give yourself a few more balls. Just give yourself some time, and you can always catch up.' That's something I'm trying to do now - staying out there as long as possible and seeing how much I can get when it comes to the slog overs at the end. [Vision of the team] Honestly, we're not thinking that far ahead right now. We've only played four games, so we're just taking it one game at a time. We want to put out our best performances, field our best XI, and make sure that when we're out there, we're enjoying each other's company and celebrating each other's success."
Shadow-Shell: "Still unbeaten! Amazon warriors playing like they're some kind of Global champions"
10:10 pm Another underwhelming performance from the Knight Riders, and to make matters worse, it came in front of their home crowd on Independence Day. Tasked with chasing down a mammoth total, TKR struggled to get the start they desperately needed. Pooran provided a brief spark with a flurry of boundaries, racing to 43 off 16 balls before falling to a catch at backward point. Nabi capitalized on that breakthrough, striking again on his very same over to trap Goolie with a sharp arm ball. Hales and Hosein provided some late fireworks, swinging freely to assemble a quickfire 43-run partnership off 21 balls, but once that stand was broken, TKR's last remaining hopes faded. Hales soldiered on to bring up a fine 23-ball half-century in a lone effort. With this victory, the Guyana Amazon Warriors maintain their perfect start to CPL 2026, remaining undefeated after four matches. The road ahead grows increasingly steep for the Knight Riders, who now face must-win territory in their remaining fixtures alongside needing other results to fall their way.
Guyana Amazon Warriors won by 9 runs (DLS method)
Mehtab : "What is the point of semding Drakes ahead of Da Silva?" Hosein too.
24 runs needed off 6 balls. Shepherd to bowl the last one.
It took them to second spot on the points table after Mohammad Nabi took 3 for 20 to restrict Trinbago Knight Riders in the rain-hit game