PROVIDENCE, Guyana, CMC – The Trinbago Knight Riders are still in the hunt for their first Caribbean Premier League title since 2020, this after they advanced to the next round after a commanding nine-wicket victory over the Antigua & Barbuda Falcons here on Wednesday’s Eliminator.
The Falcons, playing in their first-ever knockout match, will head home despite a valiant effort, as their campaign ended with the Knight Riders’ powerful batting lineup clicking at the perfect time.
The match turned on a dramatic collapse. After a magnificent 108-run second-wicket partnership between Andries Gous and Amir Jangoo, the Falcons were cruising at 129-1 with just four overs remaining.
However, the innings unravelled spectacularly, as both set batters fell in quick succession to the miserly spin of Usman Tariq, who bagged 2-19, triggering a cascade of wickets.
Tariq first had Jangoo caught for 55 from 49 balls, then he trapped Gous in front for 61 off 45 balls.
The death bowling of Saurabh Netravalkar, 3-23, and Andre Russell, 2-30, strangled the Falcons’ momentum, limiting them to a below-par 161-8 from a position that promised a much larger total.
Shakib Al Hasan weighed in with an unbeaten 26.
The Knight Riders’ chase suffered an early blow when Rahkeem Cornwall dismissed stalwart Colin Munro for 14. Any Falcon hopes were short-lived, as Nicholas Pooran and Alex Hales proceeded to put on a breathtaking batting clinic.
Their unbroken 143-run partnership was a masterclass in controlled aggression, dismantling the bowling attack with ease.
Hales provided the steady anchor with a composed 54 not out from 40 balls, while Pooran was utterly dominant, blasting an unbeaten 90 from 53 balls to seal the victory with 15 balls to spare.
By the midway point of the innings, the result was a foregone conclusion, with the pressure entirely evaporated.
This victory is a massive momentum shift for the Knight Riders, who snapped a three-game losing streak at the most crucial time.
With their two star batters in sublime form, they now await the loser of the Qualifier 1 match between the Guyana Amazon Warriors and Saint Lucia Kings later on Wednesday, for a chance to move one step closer to the final.
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