The Antigua and Barbuda Falcons opened their Caribbean Premier League campaign with a dramatic two-wicket victory over debutants Jamaica Kingsmen, chasing down 168 on the final delivery of the match.
Tajinder Singh starred with a composed half-century before a late Jamaica fightback turned what appeared to be a comfortable Falcons chase into a final-ball thriller.
Needing two runs from the last delivery, Shamar Springer managed to squeeze the ball into the outfield, allowing the Falcons to scramble the winning runs and finish on 168 for 8.
Tajinder, playing his first CPL match, anchored the chase with 62 from 37 balls. He combined with Tim Robinson, who made 40, in a crucial third-wicket partnership that put the Falcons firmly in control.
With fewer than 20 runs required in the closing overs and wickets in hand, Antigua and Barbuda appeared headed for a routine victory. Jamaica refused to surrender, however, as Keemo Paul, Andre Russell and Hunain Shah applied late pressure and dragged the contest down to the final delivery.
Earlier, the Falcons restricted Jamaica Kingsmen to 167 for 7 after electing to field.
Antiguan fast bowler Alzarri Joseph led the attack with three wickets, disrupting Jamaica’s middle order and earning Player of the Match honors. Jayden Seales and Usama Mir also kept the scoring in check with economical spells.
Reeza Hendricks gave Jamaica a strong start with 42 from 25 balls, while captain Rovman Powell top-scored with 47. The Kingsmen, however, lost momentum during the middle overs as the Falcons tightened their grip on the innings.
Late contributions from Hassan Khan and Paul pushed Jamaica to a competitive 167, setting up a chase that ultimately went down to the wire.
The victory gives the Falcons their first points of the season and a winning start to their CPL campaign, while the Kingsmen were left narrowly short of victory in their first appearance in the competition.
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