Falcons overcome TKR to earn first CPL win

NORTH SOUND, Antigua (CMC):

The Antigua & Barbuda Falcons held their nerves to register a last-over win over the Trinbago Knight Riders (TKR) and record their first victory in this year’s Caribbean Premier League here on Thursday night.

Smart bowling by medium pacer Roshon Primus resulted in two dismissals in the last over to limit TKR to 170 for nine in their 20 overs, six runs short of the Falcons’ competitive total of 176 for six.

While Player of the Match Fabian Allen was instrumental in guiding the Falcons over the line with an impressive showing with both bat and ball, Primus was the real hero, as he kept his cool to bowl an outstanding final over with the game on the line.

With the Falcons having suffered two previous heartbreaking, last-ball defeats, they would have been feeling the pressure with TKR requiring 16 runs off the 20th over.

And the TKR started in good fashion, too, when Akeal Hosein pulled Primus’ first delivery to the midwicket boundary for four.

However, Primus conceded just one run off the second delivery and then plucked Terrance Hinds’ middle stump out the ground with his third ball.

New batsman Josh Little could only muster a single off the next delivery and, when Hosein was run out off the penultimate ball trying to come back for a second run, it meant TKR needed a six from the last ball to force a Super Over.

But last man Waqar Salamkheil failed to make contact to give the Falcons their first win in their fifth game of the season.

Earlier, Allen removed three of the Knight Riders’ top four batsmen – including the dangerous Nicholas Pooran – to leave them stumbling at 79-4.

The left-arm spinner trapped opener Shaqkere Parris in front for 31 and then, with the next delivery, he held a stunning return catch to dismiss Pooran for a first-ball duck.

Allen then had topscorer Andries Gous caught on the midwicket boundary for 39 to put the Falcons in the driver’s seat.

Keacy Carty and captain Kieron Pollard rescued their side in a 63-run partnership to put them back in the hunt for a second consecutive victory.

But, once medium pacer Mohammad Amir bowled Pollard for 30, the Knight Riders lost five wickets for 28 runs to derail their chase.

Allen finished with 3-23 from his four overs and Primus claimed 2-40.

The Falcons’ top order all provided solid contributions after they were sent in to bat by TKR.

Openers Fakhar Zaman (38) and Justin Greaves (37) gave them a brilliant start by blasting 65 runs in six overs.

Once off spinner Sunil Narine claimed Greaves’ wicket and Zaman was outfoxed by Salamkheil, the Falcons found runs hard to come by, managing only 55 runs between the eighth and 15th overs.

It took cameos from Allen, who scored an unbeaten 25 off 11 balls, and Imad Wasim, who made 46 from 29 balls, to bolster the Falcons’ eventual total.

Both Salamkheil and Sunil Narine took two wickets for TKR.