That brings an end to our coverage of this rain-hit encounter at Warner Park. Thank you for staying tuned and keeping us company throughout the delay. This is Rashad Mahbub signing off on behalf of Sudeep Poojar and the rest of the Cricinfo crew. Until next time, take care!
9:45 pm Well, folks, the weather has simply refused to play ball tonight. The ground staff gave it their absolute all every time the rain relented, but in the end, nature, the tropical storm Dolly, has won out here in Basseterre. The match has officially been called off due to persistent rain and inclement weather, with both the Falcons and the Patriots taking a point apiece. It's a tough break for the home fans, who braved the wet conditions in hopes of seeing some live action, though the DJ certainly did his best to keep the atmosphere lively with tunes buzzing around the stadium.
9:36 pm The fourth umpire is walking to the dressing rooms, umbrella in hand, having a chat with the skippers. In the meantime, a few Patriots players have joined the fans out in the relentless rain, dancing away and soaking up the lively atmosphere at the stadium. Riyaz Misir: "@jp, no it's not 9 mins for a single over. 9 minutes is the allotment for one over per side, eg, it would be a 19 over per side if 9 mins were lost "
9:05 pm The rain has picked up again. 10:11 pm is the cutoff to get a 5-over game underway, and it's exceptionally windy out there right now. The players can only wait patiently in the dugouts and dressing rooms. Keep in mind that even if the rain ceases right now, the ground staff will still need at least 30 minutes to get the field ready for play. 8:44 pm It seems the rain has stopped for the moment, but there's still zero activity out on the field. The Patriots coach was seen having a chat with the ground staff near the boundary advertisement boards. Meanwhile, the fourth official is out there walking around with an umbrella, joined by a couple of groundsmen as they inspect the areas around the covers. Now, the ground staff are slowly trickling back out with ropes and buckets to drain the excess water. The super sopper is also back in motion, making its rounds across the outfield. Oh, by the way, a light drizzle has returned, but the groundstaff are pressing on with their work out there. And now the ground staff have left the field again, except for a few who are still hanging around near the parked super sopper.
JP: "So hypothetically, we start at 11pm local (180 minutes after start time, so 20 overs lost)- meaning a 10 over game, likely finishing around 1am. Is that right ? Crazy...."
8:20 pm As of 8 pm local time, we have officially started losing overs at a rate of one over every nine minutes. Just as I was about to highlight the heroic efforts of the groundstaff battling against the elements, a second wave of rain has swept in. All their hard work goes down the drain for now, as they leave the covers intact and head off the field. And so, the waiting game continues...
7:55 pm Finally, some good news! The rain has eased off at the venue, and the groundstaff are out there gradually clearing the standing water off the covers. The super sopper has been called into action as well. However, there's still a threat of the rain returning, so let's keep our fingers crossed. With strong winds sweeping across the ground, the covers over the square are getting blown right off!
Amit: "Is it gonna be cooked for Guyana in the back end for literally playing every single match from the second half of the comp and right into playoffs (saying playoffs because clearly they are going to be in the playoffs because don't see anyone else playing like them and we've seen every other team for at least 6 matches each)"
7:40 pm Well folks, there's no fresh news from the venue other than the rain continuing to hold center stage. We're left waiting in the hope of a positive update, but it's turning into a grim night for the cricket fans tuning in from around the globe.
Christian Hamid: "Team of the tournament so far: 1) Kamil Pooran 2) Seifert 3) Hope 4) Ayub 5) Shadab Khan 6) Pollard 7) Narine 8) Keemo Paul 9) Matthew Forde 10) Shamar Joseph 11) U Tariq ...12) A Russell 14) H Shah " Interesting squad there, Hamid.
Ramit: "Kamil Pooran, Quinton De Kock, Nicholas Pooran, Shai Hope*, Dasun Shanaka, Jason Holder, Rovman Powell, Alzarri Joseph, Matthew Forde, Sunil Narine, plus an extra player in Vitel Lawes are my dream team." Thanks, Ramit. A strong team - that one. Who is your skipper though?
M. hamza shaikh: "is match going to start or should i sleep with blanket on? weather is pretty good out here Karachi, Pakistan...." Well, Shaikh, I'm afraid I don't have good news for you right now. It's hammering down at the stadium, and even if we do get any live action tonight, it's going to take a while.
7:05 pm It's absolutely pelting down at Warner Park right now and the waiting game begins. It looks like it's going to be a long night, folks. In the meantime, head over to the feedback section and share your team of the tournament based on player performances in CPL 2026 so far!
Naseem Shah: "[Experiencing the tournament with your little brother] Obviously it's a proud moment for me, for my family, and especially for my father. There was a time he didn't allow us to play cricket, and now he watches us on TV early in the morning. So it's a proud moment for me and for him as well. My brother has performed well so far, he worked really hard for that, and credit goes to him. [What do you expect to bring for the Patriots?] We're not in a very good position right now, and I'm trying my best to do well for my team. You never know - cricket is a funny game. Half the tournament is done for us, but we still have to try to play good cricket and win games. You never know with the points table, it keeps changing. [What excited you the most as a team performance?] Honestly, we have a good combination. So far, the results haven't gone our way, but I'm hopeful we will play good cricket because we have good all-rounders and a balanced team. We just need to play well, and hopefully the results follow. [What do you have to do to win tonight?] I believe we need to be better in our execution, both in batting and bowling. We had a good meeting, and we will try our best to execute and win the game."
Darim: "Hopefully Hasan Nawaz rises from the ruins and shows his worth as an explosive youngster. Been a big fan of him ever since PSL 10"
6:40 pm The pitch was already covered when the live feed started, and now more covers are being brought out to shield the square as the rain picks up slightly. Not a great sign for the cricket fans! Never mind - our scorer Sudeep Poojar just informed us that it's pouring down heavily at the stadium right now!
Alzarri Joseph: "[Bowling performance this season] I think generally just keeping it simple. I haven't tried to do too much. Obviously, the wickets were a bit helpful for the games we played so far, so it's all about keeping it simple. [Resurgence of West Indies fast bowlers] Yeah, it's been really good. When I first saw the squad, I told myself the same thing - we have a really good fast bowling unit made up of mostly locals. From what I've seen so far, I'm really happy, and I can't wait to see how we all put it together for the rest of the tournament. [How do you all complement each other?] I mean, generally we're all different bowlers in our own way. Jayden does his thing with the new ball. Myself, I occasionally bowl with the new ball a bit. There's a difference in pace in terms of Springer, but Springer bowls his cutters and yorkers, and I think he's mixing and matching his variations well. [Any banter between you guys?] I wouldn't necessarily call it a rivalry, but it's always good when you have the local boys bowling at that pace. But who knows? That might change tonight [fastest delivery of the tournament]. I mean, we'll see who comes out on top by the end of the season as well."
Both teams have made a few changes to their starting XI. For the St Kitts and Nevis Patriots, Alick Athanaze, Jeremiah Louis and Navin Bidaisee come in for Kevin Wickham, Mikyle Louis and Obed McCoy. Meanwhile, the Antigua and Barbuda Falcons have brought in Evin Lewis and Fabian Allen to replace Rahkeem Cornwall and Karima Gore.
St Kitts and Nevis Patriots: Johnson Charles, Kyle Mayers, Andre Fletcher (wk), Alick Athanaze, Dasun Shanaka, Jason Holder (capt), Wanindu Hasaranga, Navin Bidaisee, Naseem Shah, Jeremiah Louis, Waqar Salamkheil
Antigua and Barbuda Falcons: Amir Jangoo (wk), Evin Lewis, Hasan Nawaz, Moeen Ali (capt), Shadab Khan, Shamar Springer, Joshua James, Fabian Allen, Sufyan Moqim, Alzarri Joseph, Jayden Seales
Pitch Report from Niall O'Brien: "We have had real extreme weather over the last 24 hours here: thunder, lightning, excessive rain, and gusts of wind like you've never seen before. But thankfully, right now we're okay. The groundstaff have done a great job. Now, the weather for tonight's fixture, another day-night game here in Saint Kitts - it's looking a little bit ominous, I must say. There's a 75% chance of rain and a strong wind blowing across toward the stand to my left. It could end up being a curtailed game, but we're keeping our fingers crossed that it's not. It's the same pitch as before, so what does that mean for the dimensions at this venue? It's 70 meters down the ground, which in this day and age is such a short hit. 64 is the longer boundary and 61 is the shorter one, though you're hitting into the wind. Honestly, I don't think players even take that into consideration these days. It's a small, six-hitting ground here at Warner Park. Since we're on the same surface where 350 runs were scored the other night, expect another belter. There were sixes galore and a plethora of balls landing among the fans. Even though the pitch has been under covers for 24 hours because of that inclement weather, it still looks pretty good, albeit a little clammy. A couple of nights ago, Wanindu Hasaranga and Saim Ayub got the ball to turn, which is slightly uncommon for this venue if you look through the stats over the last few seasons, and I think it might grip a bit more this evening. All in all, standing here as a former batter at the Lozack Road end for the Republic Bank Pitch Report, I think it's all about runs on the board. It's a beauty, the boundaries are small, and we're just keeping everything crossed that the rain stays away tonight. Looks really good for plenty of runs."
Jason Holder: "Yeah, like I said, it's a good surface and we just have to make full use of it. We've got first dig, so it's important to grasp the opportunity and put a solid score on the board. [How is the group feeling?] A lot better than I was a couple of days ago. It's a new day, and that game is in the past. It's important for us to focus strictly on this one. I told the guys not to look too far ahead in the tournament. We've got Antigua tonight, so we have to pay special attention to them and make sure we execute. That's the main thing - executing in the key moments to win them. [Loyal crowd behind you] Yeah, 100%. They've been so loyal over the years. We had a great crowd in the last game and expect another big turnout tonight. Hopefully, the weather stays away and we get a really good match. [Any team changes?] Three changes for us. Navin Bidaisee comes in, Alick Athanaze comes in, and Jeremiah Louis comes in, with Obed McCoy missing out."
Moeen Ali: "We would have a bowl. Just because the wicket seems like it's going to stay good. Obviously the weather as well. I think it suits us. [Important to finish the group stage well] 100%. Every game is crucial for us. We're playing well, but we also had a couple of bad losses in between. So we just got to stay focused and do the right things. [Bowling options] A lot. It's great to have those options, with different types of bowlers as well. Different surfaces make a big difference. Springer didn't bowl in the last game and he's been probably our best bowler. So yeah, it's a very exciting side and we have a nicely balanced team. Sometimes you want to play the extra batter, sometimes the bowler, but it's just great for our side. [Any changes?] Yeah, Rahkeem Cornwall misses out, he has a sore hip. Fabian Allen comes in, and Evin Lewis is in for Karima Gore."
Antigua and Barbuda Falcons won the toss and elected to bowl first
6:25 pm The home side are currently languishing at the bottom of the table with just a single win from five matches. Time is running out for Jason Holder and his men, and nothing short of a victory today will keep their top-four hopes alive. The Falcons, on the other hand, sit in a much healthier position - third on the points table with 8 points from 7 games. They've been brilliant this season, driven by a never say die attitude and solid all-round teamwork. In their previous encounter this season, the Falcons edged past the Patriots by 3 wickets. With rain in the forecast throughout the day, we've got our fingers crossed for a full game. Let's see how things unfold!
6:18 pm Hello and welcome, cricket fans from all across the globe! Welcome to Cricinfo's live ball-by-ball coverage of another exciting day of action in the CPL. It's match number 21 as St Kitts and Nevis Patriots lock horns with the Antigua and Barbuda Falcons, live from Warner Park in Basseterre, St Kitts.