CPL 2025: Amir and Carty play the starring roles as Knight Riders end Falcons jinx

Nicholas Pooran finished the game with a huge six off Jayden Seales with eight balls and eight wickets in the bank, but Trinbago Knight Riders’ jinx-breaking win over Antigua and Barbuda Falcons (they had lost all three games prior to this one) on Wednesday night in CPL 2025 had been all-but confirmed well before that.

First, by Mohammad Amir, Andre Russell and Akeal Hosein, who picked up seven wickets between them to set up a chase of 147. And then by a partnership worth 87 runs between Alex Hales and Keacy Carty for the second wicket, which took its time (73 balls), but Knight Riders were never in a hurry.

In between, young McKenny Clarke pulled off a most remarkable catch in the deep, running to intercept a shot off Jewel Andrew, Falcons’ best batter on the night, and then just sticking a hand out and finding the ball in it.

It was all rather comprehensive for Knight Riders, who had lost all their three games against Falcons before this one, and gave them a big start to their home leg, while also taking them to No. 2, just behind Falcons, on the points table.

Pooran, though, had done exactly what Knight Riders wanted him to at the start, winning the toss and giving Amir & Co a chance to have a go at the Falcons batters. Amir was on the job right away, trapping Rahkeem Cornwall lbw second ball and doing the same to Karima Gore off the fifth ball of the over.

The comeback came from Andrew, in the main, and Andries Gous, as Falcons made 43 runs in the powerplay, giving them a bit of a base to build from. Except that Hosein soon sent back Gous, who made a slow 17-ball 14, and Shakib Al Hasan (13 from 14), and then came that catch from Clarke, which ended Andrew’s stay at 40 from 31 balls. Russell, the bowler, also sent back Fabian Allen in the same over, leaving Falcons at a precarious 71 for 6.

Another fightback was in order for the table-toppers, and it came from captain Imad Wasim and his countrymate Usama Mir. Imad ended with 37 not out in 25 balls and Mir 34 in 26, and Falcons had at least something to play with. And when Shakib got rid of the in-form Colin Munro in the fourth over, there was hope in the Falcons camp.

But that’s when Hales, slow to start with and then at pace with the requirement, and Carty got together, batted till the middle of the 16th over, and left the rest of the Knight Riders batters with very little to do. Carty got to his half-century first, finishing with 60 from 45 before being the second man out.

Hales, though, stayed put, completed his half-century, and remained unbeaten on 55 off 46 balls when Pooran finished the game, himself unbeaten on an 11-ball 23. (ESPNcricinfo)