CPL 2026: Qualifier 1, ABF vs GAW Match Prediction & Fantasy Tips

Match Preview

Antigua and Barbuda Falcons face Guyana Amazon Warriors at the Kensington Oval in Bridgetown in Qualifier 1, with the winner going straight through to the final and the loser getting a second chance in Qualifier 2. Antigua and Barbuda have had a solid run, two wins and a no-result in their last three, and they hold a slight edge in the recent head-to-head too, winning their last meeting by 65 runs on September 9. Hasan Nawaz has been a key contributor for them with 173 runs this season, while Evin Lewis has provided plenty of firepower at the top, especially in the six-hitting department. Guyana Amazon Warriors have been a bit more inconsistent, three wins in their last five, but Shai Hope remains their most dependable batter, 276 runs at an outstanding average of 55.2, and Shimron Hetmyer has been genuinely explosive alongside him with a strike rate near 192. With the ball, Alzarri Joseph has been the standout bowler for Antigua and Barbuda, 14 wickets this season, and Joshua James has backed him up nicely. Guyana will lean on Imran Tahir and Shamar Joseph, 14 and 13 wickets respectively, to control this contest. This is a knockout game where a place in the final is on the line, so composure under pressure could matter just as much as the numbers on paper.

Match Details

ABF vs GAW Pitch Report – Kensington Oval, Bridgetown

The Kensington Oval pitch is currently playing slow to balanced, though it’s shown noticeably better conditions for batting in some second innings this CPL season. The six most recent men’s first-innings totals here read 147/6, 138/6, 118, 99, 150/9 and 144/6, averaging around 133, and five of those six games were won by the chasing side, so the venue trend right now strongly favours bowling first. The Eliminator match on September 16 showed just how two-sided this pitch can be, Barbados slipped to 30/5 early on before recovering to 144/6, which suggests the new ball can still seam, bounce and stop batters somewhat. But Jamaica then chased that total down in just 14.1 overs without much trouble, with Barbados’s frontline spinners going wicketless in that chase, which tells you the pitch can get a lot easier to bat on once it settles, especially under lights. For this playoff phase, 145-155 is a fair competitive range, 160-plus is strong, and 170-plus would be excellent. On a dry or heavily used strip, 135-145 can still be defendable since spin, cutters and slower balls have worked well throughout this venue leg. If there’s any dew around though, the chasing side gets a real advantage since grip for the spinners can disappear. Bowling first remains the clearer toss option right now, unless the pitch looks exceptionally dry and likely to break up further.

👉Pitch Report Sourced From: CricBuzz

ABF vs GAW Recent Form

👉 Data Sourced From: ESPNcricinfo

ABF vs GAW Head-to-Head (Last 5 Matches)

👉 Data Sourced From: ESPNcricinfo

ABF vs GAW Probable Playing 11

Antigua and Barbuda Falcons:

Evin Lewis, Amir Jangoo (WK), Karima Gore, Hasan Nawaz, Moeen Ali (C), Shadab Khan, Fabian Allen, Joshua James, Sufyan Moqim, Jayden Seales, Alzarri Joseph

Guyana Amazon Warriors:

Glenn Phillips (WK), Mavendra Dindyal, Shai Hope (WK), Shimron Hetmyer, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Quentin Sampson, Romario Shepherd, Dwaine Pretorius, Ronaldo Alimohamed, Veerasammy Permaul, Imran Tahir©

Top Picks for ABF vs GAW Fantasy Prediction

Top Batting Picks

• Shai Hope (GAW, BAT/WK) — 276 runs this season at an outstanding average of 55.2 | The most consistent batter in this contest by a distance.
• Shimron Hetmyer (GAW, BAT) — 263 runs at an explosive strike rate of 191.97, including a century | A genuine game-changer capable of putting any total out of reach.
• Hasan Nawaz (ABF, BAT) — 173 runs at an average of 28.83 | Antigua and Barbuda’s most reliable option with the bat.
• Evin Lewis (ABF, BAT) — 159 runs, with 16 sixes this season | A dangerous opener who can change the momentum in a few overs.

Top Bowling Picks

• Alzarri Joseph (ABF, BOWL) — 14 wickets this season at an economy of 9.23 | Antigua and Barbuda’s leading wicket-taker and their most dangerous new-ball option.
• Imran Tahir (GAW, BOWL, C) — 14 wickets at an economy of 6.74, best figures of 5/17 | Guyana’s captain and their most consistent wicket-taking option.
• Joshua James (ABF, ALL/BOWL) — 11 wickets at an excellent economy of 7.73 | A tight and dangerous bowling option for Antigua and Barbuda.
• Shamar Joseph (GAW, BOWL) — 13 wickets at an economy of 8.13 | Guyana’s second most important bowler this season.

ABF vs GAW Best Fantasy Team

Captain & Vice-Captain Choices

• Captain: Shai Hope
• Vice-Captain: Alzarri Joseph

ABF vs GAW Toss Prediction

Bowl first.

Five of the last six completed matches at this ground have been won by the chasing side, and the recent Eliminator here showed exactly why, once the pitch settles under lights, batting can get a lot easier. Unless the strip looks unusually dry or worn, bowling first remains the clearer option, and whoever wins the toss should look to bowl, apply early pressure, and chase down the target.

ABF vs GAW Today Match Prediction

Prediction: Guyana Amazon Warriors to Win — 55%

This abf vs gaw today match prediction gives a narrow edge to Guyana Amazon Warriors, largely because of the sheer batting quality they have in Shai Hope and Shimron Hetmyer, along with a genuinely strong bowling attack led by Imran Tahir and Shamar Joseph. That said, this is far from straightforward. Antigua and Barbuda have won their last head-to-head meeting by a big margin, and with Alzarri Joseph in good form with the ball and Hasan Nawaz and Evin Lewis capable of quick starts, they have every chance of getting through to the final. In a knockout game on a pitch that can behave very differently from one innings to the next, this could easily go either way, but Guyana’s overall depth gives them a slight edge.