Pakistan pacer Mohammad Amir, who is representing Antigua and Barbuda Falcons in the ongoing Caribbean Premier League (CPL), failed to defend 16 runs in the last over against Guyana Amazon Warriors.
With 16 needed off the last over on Friday, Dwayne Pretorius powered three fours off Amir’s first five balls and a six off the last to give Antigua their second defeat of the season.
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The maximum took the Guyana Amazon Warriors' total to 171, three more than the 167 for 6 that the Antigua and Barbuda Falcons had managed in their innings.
Invited to bat by Guyana captain Imran Tahir, the Falcons were progressing smoothly until Motie (4-0-25-3) made his impact. The left-arm spinner, first introduced in the tenth over, claimed three quick wickets in his first three overs to halt the Falcons' momentum.
From 61 for 1 at the end of the powerplay, they only managed to reach 117 for 5 by the end of the 15th over. Fakhar Zaman’s stuttering 40 off 33 balls was the main individual contribution at that point, with the 74-run partnership for the second wicket that he shared with Kofi James (37) being the biggest stand.
Once Man-of-the-Match Motie was taken off, the Falcons took advantage. The sixth-wicket pair of Imad Wasim (40 from 21 balls, 2 sixes, 4 fours) and Fabian Allen (11 off 15) combined to add 51 runs in the last five overs.
In the end, one more maximum, or even just one more boundary, might have been enough to see them home. Instead, they failed to fully capitalise on their good start, and Guyana made them pay.
Shai Hope (41) and Rahmanullah Gurbaz (20) laid the foundation, and Romario Shepherd, crucially dropped off the last ball of the 15th over, punished the bowlers with 32 off just 16 balls.
Despite conceding 16 in the last over, Antigua captain Chris Green backed Amir during the post-match presentation.
"It is unfortunate. These two games going down to the last ball. We have none from two. We can learn so many things from these games. I am proud how we fought. Amir is one of the best bowlers in the world. When you bowl the hard overs, you have to show up as a human at times. We move forward now. Look you can find so many moments in cricket.
"We were ahead of the game. 10-15 runs short. Was hard to stop set batters. We missed our spots in the last stages of the game. The shot over long-off and cover was amazing. Not time to panic. We can be disappointed. We fought till the end. Different individuals have stood up. Still, 8 games to go in the tournament," he added.
Remember, Antigua lost to St Kitts and Nevis in the tournament's opening game on Thursday.
- Mohammad Amir
