Every now and then, a performance comes along in cricket that just makes you shake your head in disbelief. It reminds you that some players are just built different. That’s exactly what we witnessed in the 9th Match of the Caribbean Premier League, where the legendary Imran Tahir, at 46 years young, put on an absolute clinic to lead his Guyana Amazon Warriors to a crushing 83-run win over the Antigua and Barbuda Falcons.
Key Highlights
- ✓ The Guyana Amazon Warriors secured a massive 83-run victory over the Antigua and Barbuda Falcons.
- ✓ At 46 years old, Imran Tahir was named Player of the Match for his career-best CPL figures of 5/21.
- ✓ Tahir’s incredible spell included a rare and game-changing double-wicket maiden just after the powerplay.
- ✓ GAW’s batters were explosive, scoring a staggering 145 runs off the last 9 overs to post 211/3.
- ✓ The win propelled the Guyana Amazon Warriors to the second spot on the CPL 2025 table.
A Bowling Spell for the Ages
Let's be honest, the night belonged to one man. When people say "age is just a number," they're talking about players like Imran Tahir. The veteran leg-spinner was simply unplayable at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium, turning the game on its head with a performance that will be talked about for a long, long time. He finished with his best-ever CPL figures: five wickets for just 21 runs in his four overs. Just let that sink in.
The real magic happened right after the powerplay. The Falcons were off to a flyer, but Tahir came into the attack and immediately changed the entire complexion of the match. He snagged a wicket with his very first ball and then, for good measure, finished that same over as a double-wicket maiden. In T20 cricket, that’s like a knockout punch. The home team simply had no answer to his variations and relentless accuracy.
After the match, Tahir was presented with the Player of the Match award by the legendary Sir Viv Richards himself, a moment he said he would "cherish for a long time." He explained his team's mindset, noting, "We knew if we get to 170-180 we will be in the game." They clearly overshot that mark, but it was his bowling that truly sealed the deal. It was a masterclass in staying calm and executing a plan.
The Fifth Wicket: A CPL Best
The culmination of his brilliant spell came in the 14th over. He tossed up a loopy full delivery right on the stumps to Obed McCoy. McCoy was completely bamboozled, trying to bring his bat down but failing to connect as the ball dipped teasingly and crashed into the middle stump. That wicket gave Tahir his five-for and cemented his CPL legacy with his best-ever figures. It was the perfect end to an absolutely perfect spell of bowling.
How the Game Slipped Away from the Falcons
Before Tahir’s heroics, this game was shaping up to be a real nail-biter. The Guyana Amazon Warriors set a mammoth target of 211, thanks to some truly breathtaking hitting in the back end of their innings. Think about this: they smashed an unbelievable 145 runs in the final nine overs. That kind of acceleration is tough for any bowling attack to handle, and it was ultimately what hurt the Falcons the most.
In response, the Antigua and Barbuda Falcons came out with guns blazing. They seemed determined to make a real fight of it, scoring freely in the powerplay. The runs came quickly: 17, 18, 11, 12, 11, and 8 off the first six overs. On paper, that's an absolutely ideal start to a massive run chase. They had the intent, and for a moment, it looked like they might just pull off something special on their home turf.
But then, the powerplay ended, the field spread, and Imran Tahir was handed the ball. What followed was a complete implosion. The momentum they had built so carefully just evaporated. Losing wickets in clusters is a cardinal sin in T20s, and that’s exactly what happened. As Falcons' skipper Imad Wasim later admitted, "The intent was there, but we lost too many wickets and to be honest that was a Imran Tahir special."
The Final Moments and a Touch of Drama
Even as the game slipped away, there were still moments of high drama. Fabian Allen found himself at the center of a tense moment in the 15th over. He was struck on the pad by a delivery from Pretorius and given out LBW. He initially started to walk off but then belatedly called for a review. To almost everyone's surprise, the replay showed the ball had pitched just outside the leg stump, and he survived. It was a close call that gave the Falcons a fleeting glimmer of hope.
Allen tried to make the most of his second life, smashing a flat, 77-metre six just two balls later. But the writing was already on the wall. The task was too great, and the required run rate was climbing out of control. It wasn't long before the inevitable happened. In the very next over, Allen slogged a Gudakesh Motie delivery high into the air towards deep mid-wicket, where Hetmyer calmly settled under it to take the final catch.
That catch sealed a massive 83-run win for the visitors, a victory that did wonders for their net run rate and pushed them into the second spot on the league table. For the Falcons, it was a tough pill to swallow. Imad Wasim acknowledged his team needed to learn from their mistakes, stating, "losing wickets in clusters always cost you games." He also gave credit where it was due, admitting that the Warriors' "batters played really well."
Conclusion
When all was said and done, this CPL clash was a story of two incredible performances. First, the Guyana Amazon Warriors' batters put on a death-overs hitting display that left the Falcons reeling. But the defining chapter was written by Imran Tahir. His five-wicket haul wasn't just a match-winning spell; it was an inspiring display of skill, passion, and longevity from one of the game's great entertainers. It was a firm reminder that in cricket, true class is permanent.
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