BRIDGETOWN, Barbados — In a stunning display of controlled aggression and clinical execution that has rewritten Caribbean Premier League (CPL) record books, the Antigua and Barbuda Falcons have secured their maiden berth in the tournament’s grand final after steamrolling the Guyana Amazon Warriors by a nine-wicket margin in Thursday night’s Qualifier 1 at Kensington Oval.
The clash, which will go down as one of the most one-sided playoff matches in CPL history, saw the Falcons’ bowling attack tear through Guyana’s batting line-up to dismiss the Amazon Warriors for a paltry total of 76 all out. The Falcons then chased down the tiny target in just 5.2 overs, ending the contest at 77 for one with a staggering 88 balls left unused in their innings. This lopsided win marks the second-fastest completed victory in the 10-year history of the CPL.
Two Pakistani international stars spearheaded the Falcons’ bowling demolition: Shadab Khan and Sufyan Moqim combined to claim all but two of the ten Guyana wickets, with each bowler finishing with four wickets apiece.
The match started deceptively for the Amazon Warriors, who reached 34 for the loss of just one wicket by the end of the mandatory Powerplay overs. But the bottom fell out of their innings in spectacular fashion after Shadab Khan triggered a historic collapse, claiming a hat-trick by removing key batters Shimron Hetmyer, Mehidy Hasan Miraz and Quentin Sampson off three consecutive deliveries.
From a relatively stable 40 for two, Guyana crumpled to 49 for nine in quick succession. A late-order 27-run stand between pace bowlers Romario Shepherd and Shamar Joseph pushed the final total past 75, but the damage had already been done. Shadab closed his devastating spell with figures of four wickets for just 16 runs, while Moqim was even more economical, taking four wickets for 13 runs to round out the attack’s dominance.
When it came to chasing the modest target, Antigua and Barbuda opening batter Rahkeem Cornwall made sure the Falcons did not spend any unnecessary time at the crease. The home-grown talent bludgeoned 49 runs off only 16 deliveries, smashing six sixes and three fours to take the Falcons to the brink of victory. He fell just one run short of a half-century, but by that point the Falcons had already reached 76 on the scoreboard, leaving just one run to get.
Opener Evin Lewis closed out the chase unbeaten on 23, wrapping up the victory after only 32 deliveries from the Falcons’ batters.
The lopsided win guarantees the Falcons a direct spot in Sunday’s CPL final, which is scheduled to take place on September 20 at Kensington Oval. They will await the winner of Qualifier 2, which will be contested between the defeated Guyana Amazon Warriors and the Jamaica Kingsmen for the second final spot.