[Watch] Mohammad Amir slammed for a six off the final ball by Dwaine Pretorius in ABF vs GAW CPL 2024 clash
Guyana Amazon Warriors (GAW) all-rounder Dwaine Pretorius completed a stunning run chase for his side with a towering last-ball six against Antigua and Barbuda Falcons' (ABF) Mohammad Amir. The Proteas ace scored the maximum when four runs were needed off the final delivery at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in Antigua on Friday, August 30.
The Falcons put on 168 on the board following Fakhar Zaman and Imad Wasim's 40-run knocks. In reply, the Guyana Amazon Warriors were hurt by the regular fall of wickets, and the contest was deemed out of their reach at one point. The chasing side needed 64 off the last four overs. They lost Shai Hope's wicket in the 17th over.
Mohammad Amir conceded two sixes in the 18th over while Shamar Springer was also met with the same fate as the contest headed into the final over. The responsibility was on Pretorius, as Romario Shepherd departed after playing a vital 32-run cameo off 16 deliveries.
With 16 runs needed off the final over, Pretorius began proceedings against Amir with successive boundaries on the second and third deliveries. After another boundary and a dot ball, the equation was reduced to four runs off the final ball.
The Pakistan left-arm pacer bowled well outside the off-stump, hoping to take the ball away from his arc. However, it was full enough for the all-rounder to get his bat under the ball, and he connected perfectly to send it well over the long-off fence. Have a look at the last-ball brilliance right here:
This marked the second consecutive game that the Falcons lost on the final ball of the match.
"Mohammad Amir is one of the best bowlers in the world" - Chris Green
Despite conceding four boundaries in the final over and failing to close out the match for the Falcons, Mohammad Amir had bowled a brilliant first spell. The left-arm pacer set the tempo for the second innings by conceding only three runs in his first spell in the powerplay, including a maiden. However, his final figures read 0-39 after four overs.
Antigua and Barbuda Falcons skipper Chris Green backed Mohammad Amir during the post-match presentation, saying (via Cricbuzz):
"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."
Mohammad Amir, who recently featured for Pakistan in the 2024 T20 World Cup, returned with figures of 1-31 in the tournament opener against the St.Kitts and Nevis Patriots, accounting for Kyle Mayers' wicket.