Sports Bulletin

SPORTS BULLETIN REPORT Rawalpindi (September 21, 2021):-Tickets for the National T20 will be up for sale from 8pm, the premier T20 domestic tournament begins at the Pindi Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi from Thursday, 23 September. In order to encourage vaccinated cricket fans from all walks of life, the tickets have been kept at a highly affordable price. The tickets for the National T20 range between PKR500 to PKR50. The tournament will showcase the best of Pakistan’s T20 talent with the entire 18 member ICC Men’s T20 World Cup squad (including the three travelling reserves) featuring for the six participating sides. Pindi Cricket Stadium will stage the first 18 matches from 23rd September to 3 October. Lahore’s Qaddafi Stadium will play host to the last 15 matches including the final from 6 October to 13 October. Ticket sales process for National T20: Tickets can be bought from www.Bookme.pk website or Bookme's mobile applications, M&P courier offices across Pakistan and over the phone. Online purchases can be made on the following address: https://cricket.bookme.pk or download Bookme android/iOS app For purchase through phone the Bookme's helpline needs to be called at: 0313 7786 888 For the enclosures designated as Family enclosures a 10 per cent discount will be offered on purchase of three or more tickets. Terms & Conditions for spectators: -Only vaccinated individuals will be allowed to purchase the tickets. -NADRA-issued Vaccination Certificates must be shown at the time of purchase and when gaining access to the stadium. -Original ID cards are mandatory. -Individuals between the ages of 17 and 18 should be partially vaccinated to access the stadium (must carry proof of partial vaccination). -Wearing of mask will be mandatory. -Tickets are non-transferable. -Anyone violating Bio-Secure protocols is liable to be evicted out of venue. -All of the above terms will apply for complimentary and hospitality ticket holders as well.

SPORTS BULLETIN REPORT Rawalpindi (September 20, 2021):-It will be Babar Azam versus Shaheen Shah Afridi, Mohammad Rizwan versus Shadab Khan, Sharjeel Khan versus Naseem Shah, Fakhar Zaman versus Shahnawaz Dahani and Hasan Ali versus Imam-ul-Haq after the Pakistan Cricket Board announced the schedule and squads for the National T20 2021-22, which will be held from 23 September and 13 October. The 18 Rawalpindi-leg matches, which were earlier planned for Multan, will now be played at the Pindi Cricket Stadium till 3 October, while Gaddafi Stadium will remain the venue of the remaining 15 matches that will commence on 6 October. Both semi-finals will be played on 12 October with the first match to commence at 1500 and second match to begin at 1930. The first ball in the final will be bowled at 1930. The National T20 is a fiercely-contested and highly entertaining tournament. It not only provides opportunities to cricketers to stake claims in the national side, but leading performers get a chance to be included in the HBL PSL Player Draft and then picked up by the franchises. The event starting later this week has become even more important and critical as members of the Pakistan squad for next month’s ICC T20 World Cup will be in action. With each player to get, at least, 10 matches, they will aim to strike form and fitness that can help them be in their best shape when they arrive in the United Arab Emirates on 15 October. PCB Chairman Ramiz Raja: “Following the postponement of the New Zealand series, the National T20 provides an opportunity to our elite cricketers to maintain their focus and composure, show the world that they have not been distracted by the events of last week and continue with their preparations for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup. “The participation of our finest cricketers in the National T20 will also enhance the reputation, value and significance of the tournament, while providing the next generation of cricketers a chance to rub shoulders with the national stars and learn the art of preparing and performing at the highest level. “With your enthusiasm, wishes and backing, Pakistan cricket will continue to move forward. Pakistan Zindabad!” Pakistan wicketkeeper Mohammad Rizwan will lead defending champions Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, runners-up Southern Punjab will be captained by hard-hitting top-order batter Sohaib Maqsood. Babar Azam, Pakistan’s all-format captain and second ranked T20I batsman, will captain Central Punjab and Pakistan’s ODI opener Imam-ul-Haq will lead Balochistan. Sindh have kept faith in former captain Sarfaraz Ahmed, while Pakistan white-ball vice-captain Shadab Khan will be in-charge of Northern. Apart from Babar, Rizwan, Shadab and Sohaib, other members of the ICC T20 World Cup squad to feature in the 33-match National T20 are Azam Khan, Khushdil Shah (both Southern Punjab), Hasan Ali, Mohammad Hafeez (both Central Punjab), Imad Wasim (Northern), Mohammad Hasnain (Sindh), Asif Ali, Haris Rauf, Imad Wasim, Mohammad Nawaz (all Northern) and, Mohammad Wasim Jnr and Shaheen Shah Afridi (both Khyber Pakhtunkhwa). Fakhar Zaman (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), Shahnawaz Dahani (Sindh) and Usman Qadir (Central Punjab) will also be in action. They have been named as the traveling reserves. In the Balochistan’s squad, Mohammad Ibrahim Snr has replaced Awais Zia, who withdrew from the National T20. National T20 (Matches from 23 Sep-3 Oct at the Pindi Cricket Stadium; matches from 6-13 Oct at the Gaddafi Stadium. First match to start at 1500, second match to begin at 1930) 23 Sep - Balochistan-Northern; Khyber Pakhtunkhwa-Central Punjab 24 Sep - Sindh-Southern Punjab; Balochistan-Central Punjab 25 Sep - Khyber Pakhtunkhwa-Southern Punjab; Sindh-Northern 26 Sep - Balochistan-Southern Punjab; Khyber Pakhtunkhwa-Central Punjab 29-Sep - Sindh-Balochistan; Northern-Southern Punjab 30 Sep - Northern-Central Punjab; Sindh-Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 1 Oct - Balochistan-Southern Punjab; Northern-Sindh 2 Oct - Balochistan-Khyber Pakhtunkhwa; Sindh-Central Punjab 3 Oct - Khyber Pakhtunkhwa-Northern; Southern Punjab- Central Punjab 6 Oct - Central Punjab-Sindh; Balochistan-Northern 7 Oct - Central Punjab-Southern Punjab; Balochistan-Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 8 Oct - Central Punjab-Northern; Southern Punjab-Sindh 9 Oct - Sindh-Khyber Pakhtunkhwa; Northern-Southern Punjab 10 Oct - Southern Punjab-Khyber Pakhtunkhwa; Balochistan-Central Punjab 11 Oct - Sindh-Balochistan; Northern-Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 12 Oct - No.1 vs No.4 Team; No.2 Team vs No.3 Team 13 Oct – Final Squads: Balochistan – Imam-ul-Haq (captain), Bismillah Khan (vice-captain and wicketkeeper), Abdul Wahid Bangalzai, Akbar-ur-Rehman, Akif Javed, Amad Butt, Ayaz Tasawar, Gohar Faiz, Haris Sohail, Jalat Khan, Junaid Khan, Kashif Bhatti, Khurram Shahzad, Mohammad Ibrahim Snr, Umaid Asif and Yasir Shah Central Punjab – Babar Azam (captain), Hasan Ali (vice-captain), Abdullah Shafique, Ahmed Safi Abdullah, Ahmed Shehzad, Ehsan Adil, Faheem Ashraf, Hussain Talat, Kamran Akmal (wicketkeeper), Mohammad Akhlaq (wicketkeeper), Mohammad Hafeez, Qasim Akram, Saif Badar, Shoaib Malik, Usman Qadir, Wahab Riaz and Waqas Maqsood Khyber Pakhtunkhwa – Mohammad Rizwan (captain and wicketkeeper), Shaheen Shah Afridi (vice-captain), Adil Amin, Arshad Iqbal, Asif Afridi, Fakhar Zaman, Iftikhar Ahmed, Imran Khan Snr, Israrullah, Maaz Khan, Mohammad Haris (wicketkeeper), Mohammad Imran Khan, Mohammad Wasim, Mussadiq Ahmed and Sahibzada Farhan Northern – Shadab Khan (captain), Mohammad Nawaz (vice-captain), Rohail Nazir (wicketkeeper), Ali Imran, Asif Ali, Haider Ali, Haris Rauf, Imad Wasim, Musa Khan, Nasir Nawaz, Salman Irshad, Sohail Akhtar, Sohail Tanvir, Umer Amin, Zaman Khan and Zeeshan Malik Sindh – Sarfaraz Ahmed (captain and wicketkeeper), Anwar Ali (vice-captain), Abrar Ahmed, Ahsan Ali, Danish Aziz, Hassan Mohsin, Khurram Manzoor, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Hasnain, Muhammad Taha, Ruman Raees, Saud Shakeel, Shan Masood, Shahnawaz Dahani, Sharjeel Khan and Zahid Mahmood Southern Punjab – Sohaib Maqsood (captain), Zeeshan Ashraf (vice-captain), Amir Yamin, Azam Khan (wicketkeeper), Dilbar Hussain, Faisal Akram, Hassan Khan, Imran Randhawa, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Ilyas, Naseem Shah, Salman Ali Agha, Tayyab Tahir, Umer Khan, Zain Abbas and Zia-ul-Haq

Sports Bulletin Report LONDON (September 20, 2021):-"The ECB has a longstanding commitment to tour Pakistan as part of the Men's Future Tours Programme in 2022. "Earlier this year, we agreed to play two additional T20 World Cup warm-up games in Pakistan in October, adding a short women's tour with double headers alongside the men's games. "The ECB Board convened this weekend to discuss these extra England Women's and Men's games in Pakistan and we can confirm that the Board has reluctantly decided to withdraw both teams from the October trip. "The mental and physical well-being of our players and support staff remains our highest priority and this is even more critical given the times we are currently living in. We know there are increasing concerns about travelling to the region and believe that going ahead will add further pressure to a playing group who have already coped with a long period of operating in restricted Covid environments. "There is the added complexity for our Men's T20 squad. We believe that touring under these conditions will not be ideal preparation for the ICC Men's T20 World Cup, where performing well remains a top priority for 2021. "We understand that this decision will be a significant disappointment to the PCB, who have worked tirelessly to host the return of international cricket in their country. Their support of English and Welsh cricket over the last two summers has been a huge demonstration of friendship. We are sincerely sorry for the impact this will have on cricket in Pakistan and emphasise an ongoing commitment to our main touring plans there for 2022."

Sports Bulletin Report RAWALPINDI (September 16, 2021):-History will be made on Friday when Babar Azam’s Pakistan will take on Tom Latham’s New Zealand in the first of the three One-Day Internationals at the Pindi Cricket Stadium. The occasion will see the tourists play their first match on Pakistan soil since 2003. This will be the fourth time the two sides will meet at the Pindi Cricket Stadium in an ODI with Pakistan enjoying a 3-0 advantage. Prior to this match, Pakistan and New Zealand have met 19 times in an ODI in Pakistan between 1976 and 2003 with Pakistan winning 16 times. Pakistan and New Zealand last met in an international 50-over competition during the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2019 when Babar Azam’s glorious century anchored his side to a fabulous six-wicket win at Birmingham. This series provides an opportunity to sixth-ranked Pakistan to climb a spot in the ICC Rankings. If the hosts beat the tourists by a 3-0 scoreline, they would jump to fifth position, however, any other result will see both sides retain their pre-series rankings. New Zealand, the top-ranked ODI team in the ICC Rankings and the finalists of the 2019 World Cup, come into this series with a 3-0 sweep over Bangladesh in the three-match ODI series at home in March and will be eager to extend their winning streak. Pakistan’s last outing in the format at this venue was in October-November 2020, when they defeated Zimbabwe 2-1, while in their last ODI series, they defeated South Africa by 2-1. The series will not be part of the ICC World Cup Super League as both the PCB and NZC have mutually agreed to swap the status of this series with the one taking place in the 2022-23 season. This means the ODI series in the 2022-23 season will count towards the World Cup 2023 qualification while the series commencing on Friday will be a bilateral fixture in which team and player ranking points will be up for grabs. Pakistan captain Babar Azam, in his pre-series media conference held online, said: “Finally, the day has arrived and our entire camp is very excited to play New Zealand at home. We have practiced hard for this series and I am sure we will take full advantage of our home conditions. “We have a balanced squad and I remain optimistic about our chances in what promises to be an exciting series. I am sure fans at the stadium and millions watching us on screens will enjoy these matches.” New Zealand captain Tom Latham: “We know it is special for Pakistan to have cricket in their country and we are excited to be here. Pakistan are a quality side and they have some talented white-ball players in their line-up. “We have desired fire-power in our ranks to win this series and I am sure our batters and bowlers will rise to the occasion and make this historic series memorable for us.”

Abdul Jabbar Faisal ISLAMABAD (September 16, 2021): Secretary, Pakistan Cricket Association for Physically Handicapped (PCAPH), Waqar Ahmed Khan viewed that the bilateral disable cricket series should be resumed between Pakistan and India, which would be beneficial for the promotion of disable cricket in the region. While talking to the Special Correspondent of www.sports-bulletion.com at his office on Wednesday, Waqar said that in the past Indian disable cricket team visited Pakistan twice and Pakistan also visited India for a bilateral tie and both series were staged excellently. “Indian team visited Pakistan in 2014. Also, PCAPH had invited them on the occasion of World Day for Disable Persons, which has been celebrated on December 3 each year, “he maintained. “If Indian juniors’ tennis team can visit Pakistan to participate in the international fixture then other sports ties between both countries can be restored. Indian tennis team participated in the South Asian Junior Team Qualifying Event that concluded on September 15, 2021 at PTF Tennis Complex Islamabad. It is a nice omen for sports, as players of both countries want to restore bilateral ties in all sports including cricket, “he added. To a question, he said that new chairman of Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Ramiz Hasan Raja should look into the affairs of disable cricket. “We have tremendous talent in disable cricket but the activities have been shrinking, as there is a monopoly of one city. Disable cricket should be organized in all cities and players are eager to show their talent. Ramiz Raja will certainly take strong measures to promote the disable cricket in the country, “Waqar hoped.  Secretary PCAPH further said, “Prime Minister Imran Khan was himself a great cricketer and he selected Ramiz Hasan Raja as head of Pakistan Cricket Board on merit. Raja played cricket under the leadership of Imran. The PM knows the abilities of Ramiz and he will produce the results up to the expectation of the prime minister. I hope cricket will flourish all over Pakistan and young guys will get opportunities to represent Pakistan at international level on merit, “he concluded.                    

Sports Desk ISLAMABAD (September 16, 2021): St Kitts and Nevis Patriots claimed their first ever Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL) title as they defeated the Saint Lucia Kings by three wickets in a closely contested encounter at Warner Park. The Saint Lucia Kings won the toss and chose to bat, as they did in their semi-final match. Despite losing wickets at key stages of the game, they built a total around the batting of Roston Chase, who stabilised the innings, allowing the likes of Rahkeem Cornwall and Keemo Paul to play with attacking intent and guide them to 159/7. In what was a dramatic final, the Patriots managed to successfully chase their target with Dominic Drakes the hero with the bat, scoring 48 off 24 balls and securing a remarkable victory with the last ball of the match. Saint Lucia Kings started their innings with the loss of both captain Andre Fletcher and Mark Deyal in the Powerplay. Cornwall got the innings back on track with some power hitting but the Patriots utilised spin to great effect; Fabian Allen, Jon-Russ Jaggesar and Fawad Ahmed working in unison  to pick up three wickets in the middle overs and leave the Kings in peril. Roston Chase anchored the innings and a late burst from Paul, which saw him hit three consecutive sixes in an over as he scored 39 runs off just 21 balls, took the Kings to a challenging total. It was a dream start for the Kings with the ball, as Chris Gayle was bowled by a Chase delivery, and not long after, Evin Lewis was caught out, with Chase being the fielder. Joshua da Silva and Sherfane Rutherford began to rebuild, but quick wickets, including that of captain DJ Bravo,  saw the Patriots in trouble at 95-5. However, things would take a dramatic turn as Drakes recorded his highest ever score in cricket, firing six boundaries to take the Patriots over the line in dramatic fashion with a single off the last ball.

Sports Bulletin Report RAWALPINDI (September 15, 2021):Pakistan today announced their 12-player team for the first One-Day International against New Zealand, which will be played at the Pindi Cricket Stadium on Friday. The match will start at 1430 local time. The second and third ODIs will be played at the Pindi Cricket Stadium on 19 and 21 September, respectively while Gaddafi Stadium will host the T20Is from 25 September to 3 October.  Names of players: Babar Azam (captain), Shadab Khan (vice-captain), Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Iftikhar Ahmed, Imam-ul-Haq, Mohammad Rizwan (wicketkeeper), Saud Shakil, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Usman Qadir, Zahid Mahmood

Sports Bulletin Report LAHORE (September 15, 2021):-After the Pakistan Cricket Board Chairman Ramiz Raja announced an increase in the retainers of domestic contracts by PKR100,000 across all five categories, the cricket board confirmed the list of 191 players who will be offered the enhanced packages for the 157-match six senior men’s events from 15 September to 30 March. Monday’s announcement means 10 players in A+ category will now receive a monthly retainer of PKR250,000 each, followed by PKR185,000 each for the 40 cricketers in Category A, PKR175,000 each for 40 players in Category B, PKR165,000 each for the 64 players in Category C and PKR140,000 each for the 37 players in category D. The retainers are in addition to the match fees, daily allowances, share in prize moneys and PCB-arranged lodging, boarding and traveling the domestic cricketers will receive during the six-and-a-half months of cricket. As such, a Category A+ player, featuring in all matches, can earn up to PKR5million, whereas, a Category D player, who shows fitness and form throughout the season, can earn up to PKR3.75m annually. This is a significant rise compared to a flat retainer of PKR50,000 that was offered to the domestic cricketers when the revised cricket structure was launched in the 2019-20 season. In the 2020-21 season, slab system was introduced and remunerations were fixed at PKR150,000 for A+ Category, PKR85,000 for Category A, PKR75,000 for Category B, PKR65,000 for Category C and PKR40,000 for Category D. The latest announcement reflects the value and importance the PCB has decided to put into its domestic events as it aims to attract, incentivise, challenge and provide opportunities to the talented youngsters so that top-notch cricketers can graduate to the next level and strengthen the men’s national cricket team. PCB Chairman Ramiz Raja: “It is extremely important that our domestic cricketers are paid well-enough so they continue to focus on upgrading their skills and fitness levels without worrying about how they have to take care of their families, loved ones and careers. “It is duty of Pakistan Cricket Board to look after the cricketers in the country and I am very happy to announce this move. The significant increase in salaries, which I am hopeful will improve further in future, strengthens our current domestic system and removes ambiguities surrounding the welfare and sound earning opportunities for our cricketers who can adopt first-class cricket as a career.” Amongst the 191 cricketers who have been offered domestic contracts for 2021-22 include 20 cricketers from the recently-organised CCA two-day tournaments. Out of these 20 cricketers, 11 are from far-flung areas of Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa as the PCB remains committed in not only tapping talent from these areas but also involving them in the national framework. The 20 players to breakthrough the CCA Two-Day Tournament are: Balochistan – Abdul Hanan (Killa Abdullah), Aftab Ahmed (Loralai), Fahad Hussain (Jaffarabad), Mohammad Idrees (Quetta), Mohammad Javed (Pishin), Sanaullah (Loralai), Syed Zainullah (Pishin) and Tariq Jameel (Loralai) Central Punjab – Haseeb-ur-Rehman (Lahore), Mohammad Irfan Jnr (Sheikhupura), Mohammad Tabriaz (Sialkot) and Mohammad Waheed (Lahore) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa – Mohammad Ibrahim (Swabi), Waqar Ahmad (Lower Dir) and Yasir Khan (Bannu) Northern – Asad Raza (Faisalabad) Sindh – Khuzaima Bin Tanveer (Karachi), Mushtaq Ahmed Kalhoro (Sukkur) and Junaid Ilyas (Karachi) Southern Punjab – Mohammad Shroon Siraj (Sahiwal)

By Bipin Dani The Sri Lankan team management had sought the match official's permission to allow Dinesh Chandimal, the reserved player to keep wickets in place of Kusal Perera, who batted but was unfit to field in the last T-20I against South Africa on Tuesday. Consent of the opposing captain (Keshav Maharaj in this case) was not required, according to Jonny Singer, the Laws of Cricket Advisor at the MCC. Speaking exclusively over the telephone from Lord's, London, he says, "Law 24.1 states: 24.1.1 the umpires shall allow a substitute fielder 24.1.1.1 if they are satisfied that a fielder has been injured or become ill and that this occurred during the match, or 24.1.1.2 for any other wholly acceptable reason. "If the umpires were satisfied that there had been such an injury (I believe a hamstring injury is being reported) then a substitute is permitted". Law 24.1.2 adds: A substitute shall not bowl or act as captain but may act as wicket-keeper only with the consent of the umpires. The umpires appear to have given consent on this matter. In both cases, this is a decision for the umpires, not the opposing captain", Singer added. Tom Smith’s Cricket Umpiring and Scoring, MCC’s Official Interpretation of the Laws of Cricket, has the following to add on the subject: “It is the umpires alone who decide whether a player can have a substitute or runner for whatever reason. The captains have no say. Once a substitute fielder is allowed, there can be no objection as to who it is or where he/she can field. If a wicket-keeper is injured, a captain may ask for the umpire’s consent for a substitute to keep wicket – this will be a decision for the umpires, and the umpires alone, to make. There is nothing to stop them saying yes, but they should not be swayed by the pleas, or complaints, of either captain". There may, of course, be specific ICC Playing Conditions that supersede the Laws for this fixture.

Sports Bulletin Report ISLAMABAD (September 15, 2021) Saint Lucia Kings and Patriots qualified for the final of Caribbean Premier League (CPL) after beating Trinbago Knight Riders and Guyana Amazon Warriors in the semifinals respectively on Tuesday night. SAINT LUCIA KINGS STORM INTO FINAL AFTER THRILLER A high-scoring thriller saw Saint Lucia Kings reach the final of the 2021 Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL) and eliminate defending champions Trinbago Knight Riders. The Saint Lucia Kings won the toss and chose to bat. Mark Deyal got the side off to a flying start and they maintained a high intensity throughout the innings, as Tim David and David Wiese combined to cause carnage in the latter overs, taking the side to a mammoth 205/4 after their 20 overs.  Trinbago Knight Riders got off to a fast start in response but slowly unravelled amidst a growing run rate, as David Wiese took his second five wicket haul of this year’s Hero CPL to end their title defence as they finished on 184 all out . Saint Lucia Kings had got off to a troublesome start as Rahkeem Cornwall was caught out in the first over. Yet Deyal would come in and play with an attacking intent that saw him launch eleven boundaries and reach his highest ever T20 score, 78 off just 44 balls. Roston Chase would aid the side with a valuable knock, before David and Wiese came in and formed a destructive partnership: 75 runs coming off the last 34 balls. Despite the high score, Sunil Narine was excellent with the ball for the Trinbago Knight Riders, conceding a paltry twelve runs from his four overs. Trinbago Knight Riders responded with a strong start, scoring 66 runs in the Powerplay for just the loss of one wicket, as Narine and Colin Munro kept the required run rate within reach. However, Wiese starred with the ball as he took both of their wickets, adding pressure to the chase. Despite quick-fire cameos from Darren Bravo and captain Kieron Pollard, it was not enough as the champions faltered under disciplined bowling from Alzarri Joseph and Wahab Riaz. Wiese then capped off a superb game by taking late wickets to reach his five wicket haul. Saint Lucia Kings reached their second successive Hero CPL final with the win and the result means we will have a new champion this year. Saint Lucia Kings 205/4 (Deyal 78, David 38; Narine 1/12, Hosein 1/27) beat Trinbago Knight Riders 184 all out (Narine 30, Ramdin 29 ; Wiese 5/39, Paul 2/21) by 21 runs. GAYLE AND LEWIS FIREWORKS TAKE PATRIOTS TO FINAL   In front of a home crowd, St Kitts and Nevis Patriots secured a place in the 2021 Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL) final with a dominant seven wicket victory over the Guyana Amazon Warriors. The Patriots won the toss and chose to field first. Despite a bright start from the Amazon Warrior’s openers, wickets tumbled in the middle overs before a late burst from Shimron Hetmyer took his side to a substantial 178/9. In their chase, the Patriots once again opted to open with Chris Gayle, and he laid the platform for a successful chase, lashing the ball into the stands on numerous occasions, before Evin Lewis then took over to guide his side to a crushing victory. The Warriors consolidated after losing Brandon King in the fourth over of their innings, with Chandrapaul Hemraj and Shoaib Malik patiently building. However, three wickets in three successive overs, including that of captain Nicholas Pooran, saw the side collapse, reaching 131-8 at one point. Spinners Jon-Russ Jaggesar and Fawad Ahmed were exceptional for the Patriots during this period. It was left to Shimron Hetmyer to salvage the innings and he did so in spectacular style, scoring 45 runs from 20 balls, including a remarkable 25 runs from the last over of the innings. St Kitts and Nevis Patriots in turn reached their highest powerplay score of this year’s Hero CPL, Gayle and Lewis bringing up 68-0 after the first six overs. Gayle was in destructive form, scoring 42 from 27 balls, and after he fell to youngster Kevin Sinclair, it was Lewis who took responsibility to lead the chase. Supported by captain DJ Bravo, who promoted himself to number three, Lewis blasted 77* off just 39 balls as the Patriots won with thirteen balls to spare. With this win St Kitts and Nevis Patriots will now go on to meet the Saint Lucia Kings in Wednesday’s Hero CPL final, with one side set to win their maiden title. St Kitts and Nevis Patriots 181-3 (Lewis 77*, Gayle 42; Smith 2/48, Sinclair 1/31) beat Guyana Amazon Warriors 178-9  (Hetmyer 45*, King 27, Hemraj 27; Jaggesar 2/19, Fawad 2/22) by seven wickets.