Antigua Snatch Last-Ball Victory as Shakib’s Performance Falters

In a thrilling Caribbean Premier League (CPL) encounter, Antigua and Barbuda Falcons clinched a last-ball victory over the Barbados Royals, chasing down a target of 188 with four wickets in hand. However, star all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan could not deliver his expected performance with either bat or ball.

Match Summary

Barbados Innings

At Kingston Oval, Barbados batted aggressively from the start. By 11.2 overs, the opening pair had already put together 91 runs.

• Quinton de Kock played a slow-paced innings, scoring 27 runs off 28 balls, while Brendon King tore through the bowling.
• King partnered with Sherfane Rutherford for a 73-run stand. Rutherford was dismissed for 29 off 17 balls, breaking the partnership.
• Quick wickets followed, with Rovman Powell (3) and Rassie van der Dussen (0) falling within six runs.
• Chris Green contributed a quick 16 runs off 6 balls, but King remained 98 off 65 balls*, hitting 6 fours and 7 sixes.

Barbados eventually posted 187/4, setting a challenging target for Antigua.

Antigua Bowling

• Shakib Al Hasan bowled 3 overs for 33 runs but went wicketless.
• Salman Irshad was the standout bowler with 2 wickets for 13 runs in 4 overs, earning the man-of-the-match title.
• Obed McCoy took 1 wicket.

Antigua Chase

Antigua started well with Amir Jangu and Andres Gus putting on 45 runs in 4.2 overs before Jangu was dismissed for 23 off 14 balls.

• Despite the loss of Karima Gore, Gus anchored the innings and finished 85 off 53 balls*, hitting 5 fours and 4 sixes, guiding Antigua to victory on the final ball.
• Contributions from others included Kevin Wickman 26 off 21, Imad Wasim 17 off 11, and Shakib 15 off 12.
• Daniel Sams took 3 wickets for Barbados.

Points Table Impact

Following the victory, Antigua has 9 points from 9 matches, placing them third in the CPL standings. The Saint Lucia Kings and Trinbago Knight Riders occupy the top two spots with 12 points each from 8 matches.

This match highlighted Antigua’s resilience under pressure while Shakib’s personal performance remained underwhelming despite his team’s last-ball triumph.