Antigua and Barbuda Falcons Survive Spin Bowling to Defeat Trinbago Knight Riders

Saturday started a 3 game in 4 day blitz for the Antigua and Barbuda Falcons at the Sir Vivian Richard’s Stadium in North Sound. Their opponents, the defending champions Trinbago Knight Riders, were playing their first contest after losing to the Jamaica Kingsmen a week ago.

On a night where spin bowling was on top it would be the Falcons that handled the conditions best. From there, Shadab Khan would compliment his 1-8 from four overs bowled and turn it into his first CPL half century in a 5 wicket win for the Antigua and Barbuda Falcons.

Having been put into bat to start the contest, Colin Munro was in a mood. When he wasn’t defending, he was finding a boundary. 2 fours would be bettered by 3 maximums. Alex Hales was a spectator in his 3 deliveries and would be gone for 2 in the 4th over, Rahkeem Cornwall getting Hales to pop up to Moeen Ali at cover. Enter Nicholas Pooran.

If Munro was in a mood, Pooran was playing like the cricket ball was a beach ball. With 6 fours and 2 sixes, Pooran complimented what Munro did to start the power play as the Knight Riders blasted their way to 73-1 to end the power play.

While Pooran was in a mood, a warning was there in the 7th over when Kusal Perera should have caught him out on 38. Pooran wouldn’t last much longer. Joshua James would end Pooran’s innings an over later on a shot the did carry to Perera at deep backward point.

Shadab Khan would come in and put a choke hold to the run rate before Cornwall would get his second wicket of the night when he got Matthew Breetzke to whiff on a delivery outside the crease, Amir Jangoo with the regulation stumping. With only 25 runs before drinks the innings was starting to swing back the way of the Falcons.

That would continue with the first ball after drinks when Shadab Khan bowled Munro out on 46. Shadab would finish his 4 over spell with a maiden, nearly getting Kieran Pollard on a LBW shout, DRS showing impact and wickets as umpire’s call. The 1 wicket for 8 runs truly swinging the innings back the hosts way.

The only over that the Knight Riders was able to punish was Alzarri Joseph in the 12th, taking it for 13. The middle order of Kieran Pollard and Jyd Goolie were hesitant to attack and the Falcons bowlers took full advantage of it as after Shadab’s spell the Knight Riders were only 127-4 going into the final 5.

Shamar Springer and Joshua James would start the final 5 picking up the last 2 wickets of the innings. Springer would get Goolie to chop onto his off stump while James would get Pollard to fly out to Hasam Nawaz at long on. Joshua James would end his 4 over spell 2-23.

While the Knight Riders would recover in the final 3 overs, the 14 overs after the power play would go for only 94 runs. Despite 28 of those coming in the final 3 overs, a 165-6 total on the wicket looked to be at a minimum 5 runs below par, realistically 15 below.

Sunil Narine has turned into one of the toughest bowlers to face in the power play. Rahkeen Cornwall was having none of it in the opening over going for 14, 2 fours and a 6. Cornwall wouldn’t face another ball as Amir Jangoo called a quick single with the first ball of the 2nd over, something one should never do with Cornwall at the crease. A quick Terrance Hinds to Nicholas Pooran throw and Cornwall departed.

That wicket grounded the Falcons. Nathan Edward, Usman Tariq and Narine only allowed 19 additional runs after opening over, the only over of consequence coming when Edward was taken 9 in the fourth.

When Akeal Hosein was added to the bowling attack, the run rate only climbed with Terrance Hinds had the ball in hand. With the runs came wickets, Hinds getting Evin Lewis to edge to Nicholas Pooran in the 7th over while getting Hasan Nawaz to put a fly ball right to Edward at deep square. After Hosein limited the Falcons to 5 in the 10th, the run rate was comfortably over 10 an over.

It quickly became apparent in the final quarter of the contest the Falcons were going to wait the spin bowling out and hope to have enough time to punish the run rate. When Usman Tariq got Jangoo to fly out to midwicket for 31, the game truly looked like it had swung in the Knight Riders favor. That looked more likely when Kieron Pollard got the wicket of Moeen Ali after a rapid fire 11.

Enter Shadab Khan.

Shadab Khan and Kusal Perera would survive Narine’s last over leaving 62 needed from the final 5. Shadab Khan would begin to tee off for run. Hosein and Usman would be taken for 24 in the 16th and 17th overs before the Knight Riders called Nathan Edward in for the 18th. What happened would be Shadab going for 3 maximums, Perera going for 4 and Edward ineligible to bowl the last ball after his 2nd full high toss no ball.

When the 18th over was completed, 27 additional runs had been added to the total and the result had turned into a formality. Shadab Khan would finish the contest with two additional sixes to end 52* from 20 deliveries as the Falcons would win with 9 balls remaining.