And that’s a wrap from our end for today’s CPL action, folks! The match report will be up shortly on Cricinfo, so be sure to dive in for a deeper read. With just two games remaining in the group stage, three teams; the Barbados Tridents, Jamaica Kingsmen and St Lucia Kings, are left fighting for the final two playoff spots. We’ll be back tomorrow with more live action. Until then, this is Rashad Mahbub, signing off on behalf of Rvel Zahid and our scoring master, Harshith Gowda. Goodbye!

Imran Tahir: “[100 wins in CPL for this franchise] It feels really special doing it in front of the home crowd. They always come out and support us, so I just want to say a big thank you to them, our President, Dr. Irfaan Ali, and Dr. Ramroop. Their support has been unbelievable. We feel like part of the family – we’ve been coming here for a very long time, and that’s how they make us feel. That’s so important when you go to a franchise; if you get that kind of environment, everyone is happy. All of us are being looked after really well, and that’s the key to why we’re doing so well. [Do you still miss Nabi as Miraz slotted in] No, we do miss Nabi – he played a big part for us. But Mehidy has been really, really good. He had a great tour in Australia, which we watched closely, and he’s been performing on the international stage for a long time. I’m really happy for him with the way he came in and bowled. It was amazing to see him pick up those crucial wickets for us.

[Moving to Barbados] Like I’ve said many times before, every time you go out to play any sport, it’s an opportunity to represent such a beautiful nation. We’re going to take that game very seriously. We might give an opportunity to a youngster, but either way, we want to win everything ahead of us. We don’t take anything for granted – we’re sticking to our process, and we want to carry that momentum forward wherever we go. [Final words to the crowd] I just want to say a huge thank you. Every single year the support is unbelievable, and it just keeps growing. I don’t even have the words to properly thank them, but I’m really looking forward to Barbados. I’ve heard it’s going to turn into a mini-Guyana soon, and I can’t wait to see our fans there.”

Nicholas Pooran: “First of all, give Jesus all praise and thanks. It’s definitely a disappointing season for us. Not only today with the bat and I take full responsibility for the shot I played, we got off to a really good start, and that was just irresponsible on my part. Coming here to Guyana, we know how important it is in the middle overs to put a partnership together and then try to explode at the end after a solid platform. [Challenge for the players all season] There are a lot of things we’ve learned in this tournament, but kudos to the guys for sticking in there. We had a chance coming to Guyana, especially with other results going our way knowing that if we won this game, we had a shot. Things happened in the past for a reason, some under our control, some not and that’s just how tournaments go. A lot of lessons have been learned. While we have senior players, a lot of young players got opportunities too. They needed to grab those chances, and we kind of faltered there, but it’s an experience for the younger guys to learn from and embrace. Just because we won the title last year doesn’t make us a bad team overnight. We didn’t qualify this year, but we need to rebuild, come back next year, and represent the people of Trinidad and Tobago better.

[Rebuilding process] Thankfully, our local senior players are still around. I feel there’s a gap between our senior players and the younger local players, and that’s something we have to bridge. It’s also on the younger guys to take those opportunities and help us grow. TKR was dominant when our senior core was in their prime and playing with incredible consistency – that’s why we have five stars on our chest. You look at Guyana and other teams, and their local players are getting better and more experienced, which makes their core stronger. For us, it’s about rebuilding, and through opportunities, players improve. Our job is to help them grow. There’s no panic in our camp; everything happens for a reason, and this is a moment to step back, reflect, and make sure we understand what’s required for our conditions, especially back home. We had a tough home leg with the rain, and conditions didn’t suit us. In the first half of the tournament, our seamers struggled, our batters didn’t convert their starts, and we dropped crucial catches in the field. All in all, it was a poor season for us across the board. We want to sweep this under the carpet as much as possible and accept that we’re human beings – we’re going to have seasons like this. But given how consistent we’ve been over the years, I think we’ve earned the right to have one off-year.”

Player of the match, Mehidy Hasan Miraz: “[POTM award] Alhamdulillah, it’s a great moment for me. It’s my first time playing in the CPL and getting the Player of the Match, so I really enjoyed myself out there today. I just tried to bowl in the right areas and look for wickets. I knew the pitch was turning a bit and offering help for the spinners, so I focused on targeting the stumps, and the opportunity came. [Joining the Warrior Nation] It’s been a great experience. It’s my first time with the Amazon Warriors, but they’ve looked after me really well. A special thanks to the management for taking such good care of me; that means a lot. [Looking forward to the play-offs] We have one match left against Barbados. It’s going to be challenging, but we’re still looking to win. As for the playoffs, if we execute, we can definitely go all the way to the final. Hopefully, we get another win in the next match.”

10:46 pm The Warriors had a cautious start on a tricky pitch before Dindyal launched a counter-attack with two massive sixes, though he was eventually trapped in front by Hosein in the fourth over. Sitting at 35 for 1 after the powerplay, their momentum was checked again when Tariq clean bowled Phillips immediately after the field restrictions were lifted. Shimron Hetmyer provided quick relief by striking three sixes in a brisk 19-ball 28, building a crucial partnership with Hope to ease the pressure. While TKR’s spinners bowled brilliantly to keep the middle overs tight, their low target left them with very little margin for error. Quentin Sampson did what he has done all tournament, coming in late to clear the boundary with pure power, while Hope anchored the pursuit to perfection. Hope sealed the win with a massive six over long on to finish unbeaten on 42 off 35 balls, with Sampson at the non-striker’s end on 12. Following the victory, the Guyana Amazon Warriors embarked on a lap of honor to thank their supporters. It has been a packed house at Providence Stadium for every single match, and the local fans got the perfect send-off.

Guyana Amazon Warriors won by 6 wickets