Falcons Triumph over Knight Riders by 8 Runs in CPL 2025 Thriller
Antigua and Barbuda Falcons defeated Trinbago Knight Riders by 8 runs in North Sound. Fabian Allen’s explosive 45 off 20 and Imad Wasim’s 39* lifted Falcons to 167/6. Obed McCoy starred with 4/39, dismissing Munro (44) and Carty (35). Despite Pollard’s unbeaten 43, Trinbago fell short at 159/6. McCoy was named Player of the Match.
When the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) saw the Antigua and Barbuda Falcons square off against the Trinbago Knight Riders on August 20, 2025, the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in North Sound, Antigua, came alive under the floodlights. It was the seventh match of the 2025 season, and the atmosphere crackled with excitement. The Knight Riders won the toss and opted to chase, sending the Falcons in to bat.
Antigua and Barbuda Falcons Innings
The Falcons kicked things off with Rahkeem Cornwall, a local hero whose massive frame and even bigger hitting make him a crowd favourite. He strode out with a mission to take the attack to the Knight Riders’ bowlers. Cornwall didn’t hold back, crunching two boundaries in quick succession to race to 9 runs off 9 balls. The Antigua faithful roared, but their cheers turned to groans in the 2.5th over when Akeal Hosein, the Knight Riders’ sly spinner, got one to grip and turn. Cornwall’s ambitious lofted cover drive found Colin Munro’s safe hands, and the Falcons were 18/1.
4️⃣0️⃣0️⃣ of the very best from Mohammed Amir! 🙌
— CPL T20 (@CPL) August 21, 2025
400 T20 wickets for Amir👏#CPL25 #CricketPlayedLouder#BiggestPartyInSport #ABFvTKR #RepublicBank pic.twitter.com/YyJhXVA8Ve
Karima Gore joined wicketkeeper Jewel Andrew at the crease, and the pair set about stitching the innings back together. They added a steady 22 runs for the second wicket, playing with care against a probing Knight Riders attack. Gore looked in decent touch, stroking two crisp fours in his 10 off 11 balls, but his resistance ended in the 7th over. Nathan Edward, steaming in, sent Gore’s stumps flying with a peach of a delivery. At 40/2, the Falcons were wobbling, and the Knight Riders smelled blood.
Jewel Andrew took on the role of steadying the ship, showing the kind of grit you’d expect from a young wicketkeeper with big dreams. He grafted 22 runs off 25 balls, picking up two boundaries with deft placements. But the pressure of a climbing run rate got to him in the 9th over, when Edward struck again. Andrew edged a rising ball to the slips, and the catch was snaffled. The Falcons were 55/3, and their powerplay had been tame, mustering just 35 runs for one wicket. It was clear the Knight Riders’ bowlers were calling the shots.
Bevon Jacobs was next in, but he found the going tough against a tight bowling unit. He scratched out 8 runs off 11 balls before Usman Tariq pinned him lbw in the 9.4th over. Jacobs, hoping for a reprieve, called for a review, but the umpire’s decision stood firm. At 60/4, the Falcons were in a hole, and the situation grew grimmer when Shakib Al Hasan, the veteran all-rounder, failed to fire. He managed just 7 runs off 13 balls, looking out of sorts before nicking Tariq to a fielder in the 14th over. At 77/5, the Falcons’ innings was teetering on the edge.
Enter captain Imad Wasim and Fabian Allen, who turned the game on its head with a thrilling 69-run stand for the sixth wicket. Allen was pure dynamite, smashing 45 runs off just 20 balls in a knock that had the crowd on its feet. He hammered three fours and launched three massive sixes, batting at a strike rate of 225. His fearless assault, taking on the likes of Akeal Hosein and Mohammad Amir, was a masterclass in T20 batting, with balls sailing into the stands and fielders left chasing shadows.
Imad Wasim, meanwhile, played the anchor with the cool-headedness of a seasoned pro. He finished unbeaten on 39 off 27 balls, stroking one four and two sixes, guiding the innings with a steady hand while Allen went berserk. The duo pushed the Falcons past 100 in the 15th over, and their partnership carried the score to 146 before Allen’s fireworks ended in the 18.3rd over, caught off Amir’s bowling after a miscued shot.
Shamar Springer joined Imad for the final flourish, and he didn’t disappoint. Springer smashed 10 not out off 5 balls, including a towering six that sent the crowd into a frenzy. The Falcons closed their 20 overs at 167/6, with 17 extras (14 wides, 2 leg byes, and 1 no-ball) adding crucial runs. Their run rate of 8.35 was a testament to a stunning fightback, driven by Allen’s explosive batting and Imad’s composure.
We've got a game on hands! 🙌
— CPL T20 (@CPL) August 21, 2025
Can TKR take home a win over the Falcons?#CPL25 #CricketPlayedLouder#BiggestPartyInSport #ABFvTKR pic.twitter.com/3QkidM3gvs
The Knight Riders’ bowlers had a day of highs and lows. Akeal Hosein was tight, giving away 23 runs in 4 overs while snagging Cornwall’s wicket. Sunil Narine was the standout, bowling a stingy 0/17 in his 4 overs, tying the Falcons’ batsmen in knots. Nathan Edward and Usman Tariq grabbed two wickets each but were costly, leaking 56 and 37 runs, respectively. Mohammad Amir took one scalp but conceded 32 runs. The Falcons’ late charge, led by Allen and Imad, set a daunting target of 168.
Trinbago Knight Riders Innings
Chasing 168, the Knight Riders needed to keep up with a run rate of 8.4 an over. Openers Colin Munro and Alex Hales came out swinging, and Munro was in a mood to destroy. He blazed 44 runs off 18 balls, smashing eight fours and a six at a strike rate of 244.44. His brutal assault had the Falcons’ bowlers reeling, with the Knight Riders racing to 49 in just 4.3 overs. But Obed McCoy, the left-arm pacer, had other ideas. In the 5th over, he struck twice, first getting Hales to nick one for 5 off 10 balls, then removing the rampant Munro. At 50/2, the game was back in the balance.
Pooran bamboozled! 💫
— CPL T20 (@CPL) August 21, 2025
Rahkeem Cornwall gets the TKR Skipper! 💥#CPL25 #CricketPlayedLouder#BiggestPartyInSport #ABFvTKR #Sky365 pic.twitter.com/kBmHmwgIFZ
Nicholas Pooran, the Knight Riders’ skipper, came in at number three but couldn’t find his groove. He scratched out 10 runs off 14 balls before Rahkeem Cornwall, turning his off-breaks, lured him out of his crease for a stumping in the 10th over. At the strategic timeout, the Knight Riders were 68/3, with Keacy Carty and Darren Bravo at the crease. Carty played with calm assurance, scoring 35 off 31 balls with three fours and two sixes, keeping the chase on track. Bravo, though, was stuck in the mud, managing just 2 off 8 balls before Shakib Al Hasan bowled him in the 13th over, leaving the Knight Riders at 83/4.
Kieron Pollard, the old warhorse, joined Carty and looked to take the fight to the Falcons. They added 20 runs before McCoy struck again, getting Carty caught by Usama Mir in the 15th over. At 103/5, the Knight Riders needed 65 runs off 36 balls, and the tension was palpable. Akeal Hosein’s stay was brief, nicking McCoy behind for 2 off 5 balls in the 17th over, leaving the Knight Riders at 110/6. McCoy’s spell of 4/39 in 4 overs was turning the game, breaking partnerships at critical moments.
Pollard, however, wasn’t done. He finished unbeaten on 43 off 28 balls, smashing three fours and four sixes, keeping the Knight Riders’ hopes alive. With Nathan Edward (10 not out off 6 balls) for company, they reached 150 in the 19th over. Needing 14 runs off the final over, Pollard faced Shamar Springer, who bowled with nerves of steel. Springer fired in four dot balls to Pollard, choking the chase. The Knight Riders ended at 159/6, agonizingly 8 runs short.
Falcons defend home turf! 🇦🇬#CPL25 #CricketPlayedLouder#BiggestPartyInSport #ABFvTKR #Sky365 pic.twitter.com/qUA7fwLMc5
— CPL T20 (@CPL) August 21, 2025
The Falcons’ bowlers were superb, with McCoy earning Player of the Match for his four-wicket haul. Rahkeem Cornwall and Shakib Al Hasan chipped in with a wicket each, while Imad Wasim and Usama Mir kept things tight. Jayden Seales and Shamar Springer bowled well, with Springer’s final over stealing the show. Despite Munro’s fiery start and Pollard’s late charge, the Knight Riders fell short against the Falcons’ relentless attack.
TCNI’s Magic Moment of the Game
Fabian Allen’s blistering 45 off 20 balls was the TCNI Magic Moment of the Game. Walking in at 77/5 after 13.4 overs, Allen transformed the Falcons’ innings with a fearless display of power-hitting. His knock included three fours and three massive sixes, struck at a strike rate of 225.
Defiant knock from Fabian Allen! ✨#CPL25 #CricketPlayedLouder#BiggestPartyInSport #ABFvTKR #BetExc pic.twitter.com/WncU57PUvT
— CPL T20 (@CPL) August 21, 2025
Facing a tough attack led by Akeal Hosein and Mohammad Amir, Allen’s audacious shots lit up the stadium. His 28-minute blitz, alongside a 69-run stand with Imad Wasim (39* off 27), lifted the Falcons to 167/6. Though he fell to Amir in the 18.3rd over, caught by Bravo, Allen’s explosive knock was the turning point.
TCNI’s Hero of the Day
Obed McCoy was the TCNI Hero of the Day for his match-defining bowling. His 4/39 in 4 overs was the backbone of the Falcons’ defense. Despite an economy of 9.75, McCoy’s knack for striking at key moments turned the game. He dismissed Alex Hales and Colin Munro (44 off 18) in the 5th over, breaking a rapid 49-run stand.
His third scalp, Keacy Carty (35), halted a budding partnership, and he later removed Akeal Hosein for 2. With 11 dot balls, McCoy’s clever variations kept the Knight Riders in check. Despite Pollard’s unbeaten 43, McCoy’s breakthroughs and Springer’s nerveless final over secured an 8-run win, earning the Falcons 2 points and the top spot on the CPL table.
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