Falcons soar to fourth after Shadab masterclass against Patriots

Antigua and Barbuda Falcons moved up to fourth place on the CPL table after chasing down 188 to defeat St Kitts and Nevis Patriots by three wickets with three balls to spare in North Sound.

Patriots' Slow Start & Late Burst: After being sent in to bat, Patriots struggled to generate momentum despite a 57-run stand between Kyle Mayers (34) and Andre Fletcher (20 off 24). They reached a shaky 80/4 after 11 overs.

Shanaka's Fireworks: Dasun Shanaka provided a massive late push, blasting an unbeaten 49 off just 17 balls (5 fours, 4 sixes). He scored 20 in 9 balls with Jason Holder, followed by 29 off 8 balls alongside Wanindu Hasaranga to lift Patriots to 187/6.

Falcons' Chase Platform: Falcons lost Amir Jangoo in the opening over, but Evin Lewis (48 off 38) and Hasan Nawaz (33 off 28) set up the chase with a 78-run partnership.

Shadab & Moeen Finish the Job: Needing 74 off the final six overs, Shadab Khan provided crucial acceleration with a rapid 30 off 12 balls. Unbeaten contributions from captain Moeen Ali (25* off 12) and Shamar Springer (15 off 6) carried Falcons across the line.

Evin Lewis and Karima Gore put up 34 runs in 24 balls for the second wicket, and then Lewis partnered with Hasan Nawaz for 78 more in 56 balls - not electric but quicker than Patriots went through the middle overs.

Lewis fell for 48 off 38 balls in the 14th over, and Nawaz went in the following over for 33 in 28. The job still needed to be done at that point with 74 needed in just under six overs, and that's where Shadab raised his hand, scoring a quick 30 in 12 balls. With Moeen chipping in with an unbeaten 25 in 12 deliveries and Shamar Springer adding 15 in six, Falcons were past the line. Not very convincingly, but good enough on the day.

Antigua and Barbuda Falcons 191 for 7 (Lewis 48, Nawaz 33, Shadab 30, Holder 2-39) beat St Kitts and Nevis Patriots 187 for 6 (Shanaka 49*, Mayers 34, Springer 2-42) by three wickets