St Kitts and Nevis Patriots vs Guyana Amazon Warriors Match 28 Full Commentary

Welcome back for the chase. Jason Holder has gathered his troops in a huddle for one final word before they take the field. They are followed by the two openers, Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Mavendra Dindyal. The Patriots are starting with spin through Ashmead Nedd. Gurbaz will take strike. There is a slip in place. Let's go...

... THE RUN CHASE ...

Looking ahead - 129 to chase may not seem like much, but this has been a tricky wicket, with the slower balls holding in the surface. With this being a used surface, the cracks that have begun to open up have also come into play, with the ball keeping low every now and then. The Patriots will therefore have to keep it at the stumps and not waver away from that line. If they can pick up 2 or 3 wickets in the Powerplay, you never know, so stay tuned.

Let's hear from Romario Shepherd - Romario says that they laid out a plan for each and every batter and is pleased to have gotten the execution spot on with the ball. On his own figures of 3 for 16, Shepherd says the plan was simply to hit the wicket as often as possible, since that is where the real business gets done, particularly on a surface that offers a bit of a challenge.  On being asked about the bowling unit's approach of attacking the stumps, he confirms that it was very much their plan, forcing the batters to create their own angles rather than freely playing their shots. On the reason for him walking off the field after the strategic break, he explains about an issue just below his knee, with some discomfort around the patella, which is why the physio had to come out and check on him. However, he is quick to add that he is feeling reasonably fine now. On the atmosphere in Guyana, Shepherd calls it one of the best places in the world to play cricket, especially on a Sunday afternoon with the music blaring and the crowd fully into it. On the key to batting on this surface, he stresses playing as straight as possible, pointing out that trying to cut or play across the line tends to backfire. He notes the opposition showed exactly how not to approach the wicket, and the plan now is to adapt better to the conditions than they did.

A tough outing with the bat - A 34-run opening stand and then a 45-run partnership in the middle phase between Dasun Shanaka and Alick Athanaze, but nothing between them or either side of those partnerships. Athanaze finally got a chance to spend some time in the middle after not having any opportunity in the previous 3 games. He was the only batter who managed to come to terms with the pace and bounce of the surface and battled his way to his first fifty-plus score of the season. Mohammad Nabi, as he is more often than not, was at the stumps at all times and reaped the rewards with a 4-wicket haul, while the rest of the attack chipped in.

A job well done by the Warriors - Imran Tahir and his men walk off the park satisfied with their efforts. St Kitts and Nevis Patriots posted 235 while batting first in the previous game, the highest score by any side this season, and today they have been bowled out for 128. The contrast could not be starker.

Time for the final over. Shamar Joseph to close out the innings.

Alick Athanaze had the option of turning down the single on the last ball of the previous over, but he didn't. Naseem Shah is the last man in.

Dwaine Pretorius has been brought back.

Two in two for Mohammad Nabi. Ashmead Nedd walks out to face the hat-trick ball.

Jeremiah Louis is in at number 9.

Mohammad Nabi (3-0-13-2) is back for his final over.

In walks Navin Bidaisee.

Marching ahead unblemished - Well then, Guyana Amazon Warriors have kept their winning run fully intact and sealed their place in the playoffs in the process. They have looked every bit a side to beat this season, with no team even coming close to troubling them so far. St Kitts and Nevis Patriots, on the other hand, will feel their plans simply didn't come together this time. They are still very much alive in the tournament, but a win against the Tridents in their final league game is now non-negotiable. That's that from this game. But it's a Sunday double-header, and the second match of the day is just about to get underway in Bridgetown, where the Barbados Tridents go up against St Lucia Kings at the Kensington Oval. The Tridents have opted to bowl first, and our buildup has already begun. So do hop over to that tab to follow all the action from that match. Cheers!

The victorious captain of Guyana Amazon Warriors - Imran Tahir now walks up for a chat. He says he is proud of the boys and feels they have been playing good cricket in all 3 departments. He says anyone can turn up and be the hero, and that has been the story of their campaign. He adds that they enjoy each other's success. Tahir mentions that they have been looked after really well by the franchise and appreciates the support from the fans, which he says they never take for granted. He calls Mohammad Nabi a legend and one of the best off-spinners in world cricket, saying that is why they brought him in. He says that Nabi has been sharing his knowledge with the team and praises his accuracy, saying he rarely misses his lengths and his performances speak for themselves. Tahir admits they will really miss him as he jets off for national duty. On Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Tahir says he has got all the shots in the book and likes to play his own way, and it is better to let him do so. He feels that if Gurbaz can bat for 5 or 6 overs, the opposition will be in trouble.

The captain of the St Kitts and Nevis Patriots - Jason Holder reflects on the defeat. When he is asked to assess the batting effort, he admits that they were around 20 to 25 runs short of where they wanted to be. He says it initially felt competitive, but credits Guyana's bowling for restricting them to 128, calling it a below-par total, with anywhere between 145 and 150 being the kind of score they'd have liked to see. He acknowledges that hindsight might suggest a few tweaks, but stands by the decision made at the toss. On being asked about the missing extra runs, he feels the side was one or two partnerships short, explaining that on a wicket like this, you don't necessarily need 60 or 70-run stands, but a couple of solid 40-run partnerships would have gone a long way. He describes it as a surface where scoring doesn't come easily from the outset, one that demands patience and application given the somewhat low bounce. On the decision to bring Jeremiah Louis in late, Holder explains that the plan was always to lean on the seamers to finish things off in the back end, but falling short by those 20 to 25 runs meant Louis ended up bowling in a far tougher situation than he might have otherwise. Looking ahead to the final league game, Holder says he is genuinely looking forward to heading to Barbados, a venue where the team has enjoyed good success, and with the team still alive in the tournament, the focus now is on closing out the group stage well. He concludes by adding that it will be something of a waiting game to see how the table eventually shapes up, but the immediate priority remains simply winning that final match.

... Time to hear it from the two captains ...

Bowled over, quite literally - The Patriots raced to 27/0 in the first three overs, and that turned out to be the only stretch of the innings where they truly had things under control. Beyond Alick Athanaze's gritty 52, no other batter could fashion an innings of real substance. Mayers and Shanaka both got to 20 apiece but never looked entirely fluent along the way. The pitch had its say too, with the up-and-down bounce accounting for as many as five batters bowled outright. With the ball, it was a genuine collective effort, with almost every bowler leaving a mark. Mohammad Nabi led from the front with a four-wicket haul, Shepherd had three of his own, and Shamar Joseph added a couple more to the tally. Together, they dismantled the engine room of the Patriots, restricting them to a paltry 128.

Got there with ease - Basically, on demanding tracks like these, spending time in the middle and playing as straight as possible matters far more than hacking recklessly across the line. Amazon Warriors got themselves off to a steady start, but there was a phase where they considerably slowed down, especially after the Powerplay and slipped from a steady 58/0 to 78/3. However, with an insane batting depth at their disposal and the required run rate never really a worry, Shai Hope parked himself at the crease, fortifying one end and was ably supported by Mohammad Nabi. The two combined and just diffused the threat of a collapse, helping the hosts to coast safely and successfully.

Plans went awry - The Patriots' tactics while defending a modest 128 raised more than many eyebrows. Jeremiah Louis, the very man who bagged a stunning five-wicket haul in the previous game, wasn't introduced into the attack until as late as the 17th over, by which point the contest had well and truly slipped beyond their reach. To make matters worse, they simply couldn't find a way through the star-studded Amazon Warriors batting lineup all evening. Navin Bidaisee and Wanindu Hasaranga did manage a couple of quick blows along the way, but the visitors were never realistically winning this without picking up all ten wickets.

PLAYER OF THE MATCH - Mohammad Nabi takes home the award for his all-round contributions with bat and ball. He was instrumental with the ball, with exceptional figures of 4/17 in 4 overs, and also made a notable mark with the bat through an unbeaten 25 (21). Nabi says he loves bowling in the Caribbean, with the slow wickets suiting his style. He says he focuses on sticking to his line and length and bowling according to the situation, whether that is in the Powerplay or outside it. Mentions that his variations also depend on the situation. He says he has really enjoyed his time with the franchise, adding that the team environment has been really good both on and off the field.

A habit called winning - Proud moment for the Warrior Nation, as Guyana Amazon Warriors make it six wins from six games this season. And with that unbeaten run intact, they have also punched their ticket straight into the playoffs. They remain the only franchise to have qualified for the playoffs in every single edition of the Caribbean Premier League's history. They also take the Antigua and Barbuda Falcons with them into the playoffs. The Trinbago Knight Riders, meanwhile, will breathe a genuine sigh of relief here, since a Patriots win would have shown them the door out of the tournament altogether.

Probably the final over of the match. Ashmead Nedd will bowl out. 3-0-20-0 so far.

At long last, Jeremiah Louis is introduced into the attack. Quite astonishing to see him given the ball this late with just 15 runs needed off 24 balls. The keeper, Fletcher, is standing up to the wickets.