Miraz-Tahir Magic Crushes Saint Lucia in Guyana, 4-Wicket Win for Guyana

Bangladeshi all-rounder Mehidy Hasan Miraz made an instant impact as soon as he set foot in the Caribbean. The off-spinner bagged 3 wickets in a brilliant bowling display during his debut match in the CPL, conceding just 13 runs in his 4 overs. Driven by his remarkable spell alongside a destructive 5-wicket haul from skipper Imran Tahir, Guyana Amazon Warriors defeated Saint Lucia Kings by 4 wickets.

Batting first after losing the toss on the Providence pitch, Saint Lucia's innings crumbled for just 119 runs under the spin trap set by Miraz and Tahir. Coming into the attack for the first time in the seventh over, Miraz struck on the final ball by dismissing John Campbell, who was caught at long-off. He turned even more lethal in his third over, picking up two more wickets—first trapping Ackeem Auguste (Kemol Savory) leg-before, and shortly after, sending Charith Asalanka back as he was caught by Shai Hope.

Alongside Miraz, the true hero of Guyana's victory was their 47-year-old captain, Imran Tahir. The experienced leg-spinner single-handedly dismantled Saint Lucia's middle order, capturing 5 wickets for just 17 runs in his 4 overs.

Chasing a modest target of 120 runs, Guyana also had to struggle a bit. They secured the win in 18.3 overs at the loss of 6 wickets, losing wickets at regular intervals. While Miraz shone bright with the ball, he failed to make a mark with the bat, returning to the pavilion after scoring just 1 run.

It is worth noting that Miraz received a late call-up from Guyana as a replacement after Afghan all-rounder Mohammad Nabi left the tournament midway to participate in a T20 series against India.

After winning the Player of the Match award, captain Imran Tahir heaped high praise on his teammate Miraz. He stated, "We had Nabi in our team, who was our best and a top-quality bowler. After Nabi left, the way Miraz came in and bowled was simply fantastic. This was exactly the kind of performance we were expecting. Having a world-class bowler like Miraz, who performs consistently in international cricket, is truly a joy for our team."