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
| Team | Score | Overs | Key Performers |
| Barbados Royals | 187/4 | 20 | Brendon King 98* (6×4, 7×6), Chris Green 16* (6 balls) |
| Antigua Falcons | 188/6 | 20 | Andres Gus 85* (5×4, 4×6), Kevin Wickman 26 (21) |
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.
