Hetmyer hit six sixes in 19 balls, and Guyana’s chase was over in 9.5 overs

Antigua and Barbuda Falcons were 77 for 3 at their strategic timeout, Amir Jangoo set on 33, ten overs still in hand. They did not use three of them. Guyana Amazon Warriors bowled the Falcons out for 116 inside 17 overs at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium on Sunday night, chased 117 in 9.5, and now have three wins from three in CPL 2026.

The margin was seven wickets with 61 balls to spare. It was the third time in three games the defending champions have closed out a chase early, and the first time they have done it without needing half their overs.

Seven bowlers, five wicket-takers

Imran Tahir won the toss, chose to field, and then used almost his entire attack. Nobody bowled more than three overs. Khary Pierre opened up and took both powerplay wickets in the two overs he was given, Rahkeem Cornwall caught and bowled and Karima Gore caught by Quentin Sampson. That left the Falcons 49 for 2 after six overs and Pierre with 2 for 19 and the player-of-the-match award.

Shamar Joseph finished with 3 for 22 and Tahir, captaining at 47, took 2 for 15 from his three overs. Those three took seven of the ten wickets between them. Mohammad Nabi’s three overs cost 12 and brought nothing, which inside a 116-run innings counts as its own contribution. Romario Shepherd and Glenn Phillips picked up one each, and Dwaine Pretorius was the other bowler to finish wicketless.

The Falcons were 69 for 3 in the eighth over with Jangoo and Kusal Perera together, and from there lost their last seven wickets for 47 runs. Jangoo top-scored with 37 from 29 before Phillips got him. Perera was run out for 16 from 21 after a spell of 37 minutes that never got going. Moeen Ali, the captain, made 4 from eight balls and was caught off Shepherd. The last four wickets fell inside two overs, Shamar Springer bowled by Tahir, then Alzarri Joseph and Jayden Seales both bowled by Shamar Joseph, who is Guyanese and has 58 wickets in 13 Tests for West Indies.

Hetmyer’s 19 balls

Guyana lost Matthew Nandu and Phillips inside the first three overs to sit 16 for 2, which turned out to be the only passage of the night that resembled a contest. Shai Hope and Shimron Hetmyer put on 99 for the third wicket in 42 balls.

Hetmyer made 49 from 19 with a four and six sixes, and was caught behind off Springer with the target two runs away. Hope finished unbeaten on 47 from 26 with two fours and four sixes. Quentin Sampson walked in with those two runs needed and hit his first ball straight back over the bowler’s head for six.

Alzarri Joseph went for 33 in his three overs. Springer’s five deliveries cost 24. Guyana were 55 for 2 after their own powerplay and had 100 on the board in 9.1 overs.

Three from three, and a net run rate nobody is near

Guyana top the table on six points with a net run rate of 2.991. The next best figure in the tournament belongs to Barbados Tridents at 0.368. Across their three matches Guyana have made 396 runs in 42.1 overs and conceded 384 in 60, and all three wins have come batting second: six wickets against Jamaica Kingsmen on 13 August with 35 balls left, seven against St Lucia Kings on 19 August with 11 left, and this one with 61.

The table needs a caveat, though. Guyana have played three games where St Lucia, Antigua and Jamaica have each played six, so their position is built on a small sample and a huge run rate rather than volume. Falcons sit third on the same six points from those six matches, with St Lucia second. Barbados, two wins from two, are the other side yet to lose.

What Guyana have not had to do yet is solve a problem. Tahir is still getting his googly past batters half his age, and handing Pierre the new ball took the Falcons’ top order out of this one before the field had spread. Trinbago Knight Riders come next, then Jamaica and St Kitts and Nevis Patriots. One of them will have to make Guyana bat 20 overs first.

More cricket news and results