In a thrilling, last-over battle of the 2024 Caribbean Premier League (CPL), the Antigua and Barbuda Falcons pulled off a dramatic three-wicket victory over the bottom-placed St. Kitts and Nevis Patriots, catapulting them into the top four of the seven-team tournament standings. With the match hanging in the balance until the final three deliveries, the Falcons chased down a challenging 188-run target to finish 191 for seven, securing a crucial win that boosts their playoff qualification hopes.
The Falcons got off to a disastrous start, losing opening batter Amir Jangoo in the very first over of their chase. Left-hander Evin Lewis stepped up to steady the innings, building two critical partnerships to keep the Falcons in the game: a 34-run stand with Karima Gore, followed by a 78-run collaboration with Hasan Nawaz. Lewis led the scoring for the Falcons with a 38-ball 48, while Nawaz contributed a solid 33 to the chase.
The match turned tense once again when Lewis and Nawaz departed back-to-back in consecutive overs, leaving the Falcons needing 74 runs from fewer than six overs – a target that seemed well out of reach for most sides. But Pakistan all-rounder Shadab Khan changed the course of the game with a blistering, match-winning innings, cracking an unbeaten 30 runs off just 12 deliveries to reignite the Falcons’ run chase. When Shadab fell late in the innings, captain Moeen Ali picked up the momentum, finishing not out on 25 from 12 balls, while all-rounder Shamar Springer added a quickfire 15 off just six deliveries to close out the chase with three balls to spare.
Earlier in the day, Falcons captain Moeen Ali won the toss and sent the Patriots in to bat, a decision that ultimately paid off despite a late middle-order assault from the Patriots. The Patriots got off to a steady start, with Kyle Mayers scoring 34, but lost four wickets to slip to 80 for four after the first 11 overs, struggling to build consistent momentum through the middle stages of their innings.
Sri Lankan all-rounder Dasun Shanaka turned the Patriots’ innings around with a devastating late hitting display, smashing an unbeaten 49 off just 17 deliveries that included five fours and four massive sixes. Shanaka joined forces with fellow Sri Lankan Wanindu Hasaranga for a rapid 40-run final-over partnership that lifted the Patriots to a competitive 187 for six from their 20 overs, a total that many expected would be enough to secure them a win.
On the bowling side, Springer led the Falcons’ attack with impressive figures of two wickets for 42 runs, while for the Patriots, Jason Holder claimed two wickets for 39 runs in a disciplined bowling display. The result reshapes the CPL standings: the Falcons now sit fourth, the final playoff qualification spot in the seven-team competition, while the Patriots remain rooted to the bottom of the table after the defeat.