The Antigua & Barbuda Falcons kicked off their home leg in style, edging the St. Kitts & Nevis Patriots by three wickets at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in a thrilling Republic Bank Caribbean Premier League (CPL) encounter.
In a closely fought battle between the CPL’s bottom two teams, Evin Lewis, Shadab Khan and Moeen Ali starred in a dramatic run chase that once again went down to the final over.
The competitive spirit was evident from the outset, with an early battle between Johnson Charles and Jayden Seales setting the tone. Seales eventually had the last laugh, removing Charles for 19 just as the opener was beginning to put pressure on the Falcons attack.
The conditions demanded patience, with a strong Caribbean cross-breeze sweeping across the ground and the pitch offering some early grip and turn. The Patriots made a solid start, reaching 51 for 1 at the end of the Power Play, with Charles the only wicket to fall.
That grip and turn continued to trouble the Patriots in the middle overs as Shadab Khan and Fabian Allen applied the pressure. The dismissal of Kyle Mayers and the run-out of Andre Fletcher in the same over compounded the visitors’ problems, before Khan produced a beautiful googly to bowl Kevin Wickham and leave the Patriots in real trouble.
However, the Falcons were unable to maintain that control at the death. Their quicks struggled to contain the ball, with Seales, Shamar Springer and captain Moeen Ali all coming under pressure.
Dasun Shanaka took full advantage, launching a furious late assault that transformed the Patriots’ innings. His blistering hitting produced 55 runs from the final three overs, lifting the visitors from a modest total to a formidable 187 for 6. Shanaka finished unbeaten on 49.
The Falcons’ reply got off to a shaky start when Amir Jangoo was brilliantly caught by Obed McCoy at short third man just four balls into the innings.
At the other end, however, Evin Lewis was quietly assessing the conditions. After the Falcons matched the Patriots’ PowerPlay score, Lewis began to find his timing and, crucially, the boundary.
The left-hander blasted five sixes before eventually falling to Jason Holder at long-on, but his explosive contribution had put the Falcons firmly in the hunt.
Hasan Nawaz and Shadab Khan then picked up where Lewis left off, with Khan unleashing a quickfire 30 from just 12 balls. He looked set to crank up the pressure on the Patriots before Wanindu Hasaranga produced a spectacular running catch to end his charge.
The Patriots may have felt their regular strikes were enough to keep the Falcons at bay, but the contributions of Lewis, Nawaz and Khan had quietly kept the home side within striking distance.
Shamar Springer then swung the momentum decisively in the Falcons’ favour, smashing 15 from just six balls to leave the hosts needing seven from the final over.
Ali delivered the perfect finish. He sent the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium into raptures by slicing a four over short third before launching a massive six to seal a crucial three-wicket victory with three balls to spare.
The Falcons move to four points from four matches and will face defending champions Trinbago Knight Riders on Saturday. The Patriots, meanwhile, remain at the bottom of the table with two points from four matches and now head home for their home leg, beginning next Thursday against the Jamaica Kingsmen at Warner Park.
