CPL 2025: Falcons snatch last-ball victory to keep Royals winless

Antigua and Barbuda Falcons nearly lost grip of the last-ball thriller in Bridgetown with their over-reliance on singles and doubles in a tense chase of 188, but Shamar Springer hit the winning runs for them to strengthen their third spot on the points table.

It meant Barbados Royals continued to scrape the bottom without a single victory to their name so far this season, as they failed to defend 187 after Brandon King’s 98 not out.

Royals captain Rovman Powell thought they had enough runs at the halfway mark but two Royals fielders went on to drop six catches – Chris Green four and Daniel Sams two – which hampered their chances of getting their first victory. Royals have just one point from six games season, their qualification chances narrowing with every loss.

Andries Gous was the leading man for Falcons, starring with an unbeaten 85 off 53 with five fours and four sixes, but he barely got strike in the last over, off which they needed 12.

Powell rolled the dice by giving the ball to Sherfane Rutherford, who had last bowled 26 T20s ago, against England in June.

Rutherford started with three wides in his first four balls before bowling hard lengths on a straight line.

Three off two became two off one when Imad Wasim attempted a second after hacking the ball to long-on but a quick collection of the throw, turning around and hitting the stumps from Quinton de Kock found Imad short.

Local boy Springer calmly collected two next ball and sealed Falcons’ first win away from home this season.

Openers Gous and Amir Jangoo had given Falcons a quick-fire start in the chase by pummeling 38 in the first four before Jangoo was cleaned up by a slower delivery from Sams, and Ramon Simmonds sent back Karima Gore.

Green put down two chances off Kevin Wickham in consecutive overs after the powerplay and once again in the 11th one before Wickham was eventually taken by substitute fielder Kofi James at mid-off for 26.

Needing 78 from 47 from there at over 9.75 an over, Gous, who had brought up his fifty off 32 balls, anchored the chase while Shakib Al Hasan and Fabian Allen holed out after hitting a few boundaries.

Gous belted his fourth six in the 18th over before being dropped next ball by Green to bring it down to 19 from 12 before they sealed victory on the last ball.

When Royals were put in to bat, they crawled their way to 31 for 0 in the powerplay before King took off with boundaries in every over till the halfway mark. De Kock tried to replicate it – and succeeded to an extent – but was run-out for a scratchy 27 off 28.

King then took on Shakib and Imad before smashing Jayden Seales for three sixes in an over to reach 94 off 58 after 16.

He faced only seven off the last 24 balls and scored only four of those as Salman Irshad sent down skiddy deliveries to rattle the stumps of Powell and Rassie van der Dussen and Falcons managed just 38 off the last four. (ESPNcricinfo)