GAW vs ABF Fantasy Prediction, Qualifier 1: Guyana Amazon Warriors vs Antigua & Barbuda Falcons Fantasy Team, Playing XI, Pitch Report, CPL 2026

The winner of this one walks straight into Sunday’s final. The loser isn’t done yet, they get a second chance through the Eliminator, but nobody wants to take that path if they can avoid it. GAW vs ABF Fantasy Prediction becomes especially interesting with both teams in strong positions. Guyana finished the league stage on top of the table. Antigua finished the same stage on the hottest run of any team in the competition, and the two sides are already 1-1 against each other this season.

GAW vs ABF Match Details

Match: Guyana Amazon Warriors vs Antigua & Barbuda Falcons, Qualifier 1, Caribbean Premier League 2026
Date: Friday, 18 September 2026
Time: 12:00 AM Local Time
Venue: Kensington Oval, Bridgetown, Barbados
Live Streaming: Star Sports Network, YouTube, Crex & FanCode

The Story So Far

Guyana were nearly perfect all season. They won six in a row at one point and had only lost twice all year, across every tournament they played. Then Antigua turned up in their most recent meeting and took them apart, batting and bowling better on the day, winning by 65 runs to snap that run. Moeen Ali didn’t hide how much that win meant to him afterward. He said it was Antigua’s best performance of the season and that he wanted to prove Guyana could be beaten.

So now it’s 1-1 between these two, and whoever wins tonight gets the bigger prize.

Recent Form

Guyana have lost just twice in 12 matches this year, across every competition they’ve played. That one loss to Antigua stands out precisely because it’s so rare. Everything else has gone their way, built around Shai Hope and Shimron Hetmyer at the top of the order and Imran Tahir controlling things with the ball.

Antigua have carried real momentum into this knockout. Beating the best team in the tournament, and beating them badly, is the kind of result that sticks with a group. Hasan Nawaz and Evin Lewis have both scored well recently, and Alzarri Joseph has been the difference with the ball, picking up wickets when Antigua have needed them most.

Points Table

Guyana Amazon Warriors finished top of the CPL 2026 table. Antigua & Barbuda Falcons finished second, having climbed there with that big win in their final league match.

GAW vs ABF Head to Head Record

It’s 1-1 between these two this season. Guyana won the first meeting by 7 wickets. Antigua won the second by 65 runs. Whatever happens tonight settles nothing about who the better side has been, it just decides who plays for the title.

GAW vs ABF Squads

Guyana Amazon Warriors: Imran Tahir captains the side. Shimron Hetmyer has been outstanding all year, 263 runs in 10 matches at an average of 37.57 and a strike rate close to 192, the kind of numbers that can turn a game in six balls. Shai Hope gives the top order real stability, and the bowling has depth through Tahir himself, Khary Pierre and Shamar Joseph.

Full squad: Imran Tahir (c), Shai Hope, Shimron Hetmyer, Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Glenn Phillips, Mohammad Nabi, Romario Shepherd, Dwaine Pretorius, Khary Pierre, Veerasammy Permaul, Shamar Joseph, Mavendra Dindyal, Ronaldo Alimohamed, Matthew Nandu, Isai Thorne, Quentin Sampson.

Antigua & Barbuda Falcons: Moeen Ali captains the side, and he’s made clear how much this stretch of the season means to him. Alzarri Joseph has been their most important bowler, 14 wickets in 8 matches, always around the game even when the economy rate suggests he’s been expensive along the way. Hasan Nawaz and Evin Lewis have provided the runs up top.

Full squad: Moeen Ali (c), Alzarri Joseph, Evin Lewis, Hasan Nawaz, Karima Gore, Amir Jangoo, Fabian Allen, Jayden Seales, Shamar Springer, Jahmar Hamilton, Rahkeem Cornwall, Anderson Phillip, Joshua James, Kusal Perera, Shadab Khan.

Pitch Report

Kensington Oval hasn’t been kind to batters this tournament. The average first innings score has sat around 130, and the last match played here saw the side batting first bowled out for just 99. Spin has been doing most of the damage, and the team that wins the toss will probably choose to bowl.

Weather Report

No weather worries tonight. It should be clear, around 27 degrees, with no rain expected. The humidity will be up near 85 percent, but that shouldn’t stop a full match being played.

Probable Playing XIs

Guyana Amazon Warriors (Probable): Mavendra Dindyal, Shai Hope (wk), Shimron Hetmyer, Glenn Phillips, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Romario Shepherd, Dwaine Pretorius, Khary Pierre, Imran Tahir (c), Shamar Joseph, Veerasammy Permaul.

Antigua & Barbuda Falcons (Probable): Evin Lewis, Kusal Perera, Hasan Nawaz, Moeen Ali (c), Karima Gore, Amir Jangoo, Fabian Allen, Shadab Khan, Alzarri Joseph, Jayden Seales, Anderson Phillip.

These are estimates. Final XIs are confirmed at the toss.

Key Player Battles

Shimron Hetmyer vs Alzarri Joseph: Hetmyer has been the most destructive batter in this fixture all season. Joseph is the one bowler on either side who has consistently found a way to remove dangerous batters. Whoever wins this one probably wins the match.

Shai Hope vs Antigua’s new ball: Hope sets the tone for Guyana at the top. If he’s still there after six overs, Guyana usually go on to post something competitive.

Imran Tahir vs Antigua’s middle order: On a pitch that has favoured spin all tournament, Tahir’s experience could be the difference in a tight finish.

GAW vs ABF Fantasy Team

Wicketkeeper: Shai Hope

Batters: Shimron Hetmyer (C), Hasan Nawaz, Evin Lewis

All-rounders: Moeen Ali, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Fabian Allen

Bowlers: Alzarri Joseph (VC), Imran Tahir, Khary Pierre, Shamar Joseph

Hetmyer gets the captaincy on the numbers alone. Nobody in this match has been more destructive with the bat this season. Joseph is vice captain because he’s the bowler most likely to break a partnership when Antigua need it, even if his economy has sometimes suffered for it.

Also Read- BT vs JKM Fantasy Prediction, Eliminator 1: Barbados Tridents vs Jamaica Kingsmen Fantasy Team, Playing XI, Pitch Report, CPL 2026

Match Prediction

This is hard to call. Guyana have been the best team in the competition almost all year. Antigua just beat them, and beat them well, in the match that mattered most before this one.

Guyana’s overall body of work still points slightly in their favour. Two losses in twelve matches across an entire year is a remarkable record, and Hetmyer and Hope give them the kind of top order that can win a match on its own.

But Antigua have shown they know how to beat this exact team now. They’ve done it once already, and Moeen Ali’s side will believe they can do it again with a place in the final on the line.

FAQs – GAW vs ABF Fantasy Team

Q. Who will win the GAW vs ABF Qualifier 1 today?
A. This is close. Guyana Amazon Warriors have lost just twice all season, but Antigua & Barbuda Falcons beat them comfortably the last time these two played, and that win came with real momentum behind it.

Q. What is the GAW vs ABF Fantasy prediction for Qualifier 1?
A. Shimron Hetmyer is the top captaincy pick based on his numbers this season. Alzarri Joseph is the top pick for Antigua given his record of breaking partnerships.

Q. What happens if Guyana or Antigua lose this match?
A. They are not out of the tournament. The loser plays the winner of the Eliminator for a second chance to reach the final.

Q. What is the head to head record between Guyana and Antigua this season?
A. It’s 1-1. Guyana won the first meeting by 7 wickets. Antigua won the second by 65 runs.

Q. Is there a rain threat for the GAW vs ABF match?
A. No. The forecast is clear with no rain expected, so a full match should be played.