In what was a must-win game for St. Kitts and Nevis Patriots, Mohammad Rizwan and the bowlers helped them get the better of Guyana Amazon Warriors by five runs in a last-over finish in Providence.
Chasing a mere 150, Amazon Warriors needed 11 from six balls with three wickets in hand. Naseem Shah held his nerve and had Keemo Paul caught at long-on with the first ball.
For the rest of the over, he mixed slower balls into the pitch with yorkers to give away just five. While the result ended Patriots’ three-match losing streak, their playoff chances still look bleak. They need nothing less than a win in their last league match, against Barbados Royals on Friday, but also other results to go their way.
Earlier, Patriots did not have a great start and were 26-3 inside five overs with Andre Fletcher, Kyle Mayers and Leniko Boucher all falling in single digits. But Rizwan’s 85 off 62 balls steered them to 149-6.
Rizwan stabilised the innings with Rilee Rossouw and took the side to 64-4 at the end of 10 overs. He was on 36 off 30 at that point, but scored 49 off the next 32. In all, he hit eight fours and three sixes and was responsible for Patriots scoring 45 in the last four overs.
Amazon Warriors had a much better start, reaching 41-1 after the Powerplay. But they could not build on that, losing two wickets in the next four overs to be 67-3 at the halfway mark. Patriots pegged them back further by dismissing Hassan Khan and Shai Hope in successive overs. Dominic Drakes had Hassan caught and bowled and Navin Bidaisee castled Hope with a slider that kept low.
After 15 overs, both sides were 100-5. But while Patriots had a set better in Rizwan, Amazon Warriors did not. With 50 needed from the last five overs, Dwaine Pretorius tried to take on Waqar Salamkheil but perished attempting a slog sweep. On the very next ball, Salamkheil could have had Romario Shepherd caught behind, but Rizwan was not sure if there was bat involved. Replay showed a clear outside edge.
Shepherd rubbed it in by pulling the last ball of the over for a six. Paul did the same against Naseem in the following over, but could manage only a leg bye from the other five deliveries.
With 21 needed from 10 balls, Jason Holder had Shepherd caught at long-on with a short ball. Quenton Sampson hit two fours off the next three balls to bring it down to 11 needed from the final over, but Naseem denied them. (ESPNcricinfo)
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