Patriots Start CPL 2025 with Convincing Win Over Falcons

The Caribbean Premier League (CPL) 2025 exploded into life on August 14, 2025, with a thrilling night game at Warner Park, Basseterre, St Kitts, where the Antigua and Barbuda Falcons took on the St Kitts and Nevis Patriots. The electric atmosphere under the floodlights set the stage for a cracking tournament opener, but it was the Patriots who stole the show, romping to a six-wicket victory with 30 balls to spare.

Antigua and Barbuda Falcons Innings

The Falcons were thrown into the deep end when Patriots captain Jason Holder won the toss and chose to bowl, a decision that screamed confidence on a Warner Park pitch known for giving bowlers an early edge. Kyle Mayers, steaming in with the new ball, got one to jag away, and Jewel Andrew, eager to make a statement, poked at it. The ball kissed the edge, and Jyd Goolie at slip gobbled up the chance. Andrew was gone for a duck, and the scoreboard showed a grim 4/1 after just three balls. The Patriots were off to a dream start, and the Falcons were already on the back foot.

Waqar, the Wizard strikes early! 🪄#CPL25 #SKNPvABF #CricketPlayedLouder #BiggestPartyInSport #GuardianLife pic.twitter.com/Tv0D8YK43F

— CPL T20 (@CPL) August 15, 2025

Rahkeem Cornwall, the burly all-rounder with a reputation for clearing boundaries with ease, strode out to join Karima Gore. But the big man looked out of sorts against Fazalhaq Farooqi’s fiery pace. After scratching around for 3 runs off 6 balls, Cornwall tried to break free with a lofted drive, only to pick out Holder at mid-off in the fourth over. At 30/2 after 3.5 overs, the Falcons were wobbling, and the Patriots’ bowlers were circling like sharks. Farooqi’s swing and Mayers’ accuracy had set the tone, and the Falcons needed someone to stand tall.

Enter Karima Gore, who decided it was time to take the fight to the Patriots. With the field up during the power play, he unleashed a barrage of shots that had the crowd roaring. His bat was like a paintbrush, stroking elegant drives through the covers and hammering two massive sixes that soared into the stands. Gore raced to 61 off just 34 balls, a knock studded with eight fours and two sixes, boasting a strike rate of 179.41. His fifty, reached off 30 balls, was pure class, a crisp cover drive off Naseem Shah, and a lofted six over midwicket off Mayers had fans on their feet. But while Gore was in full flow, his partners kept letting him down, leaving him to wage a lone battle.

Bevon Jacobs, sent in at number four, barely had time to blink. He faced three balls, scored a single, and then edged Naseem Shah to Alick Athanaze in the slips. The Falcons were 40/3 in the fifth over, and the pressure was mounting. Fabian Allen, the explosive all-rounder, tried to spark a revival, smashing a six in his 12 off 10 balls. But just when it seemed the Falcons might find their footing, Waqar Salamkheil, the Patriots’ left-arm wrist-spinner, entered the fray and changed the game. In the eighth over, he tossed up a beauty that spun sharply, clean-bowling Allen and leaving the Falcons at 65/4. It was the start of a collapse that would haunt the Falcons.

Gore kept fighting, linking up with Shakib Al Hasan for a 30-run stand that briefly raised hopes. By the 10th-over strategic timeout, the Falcons were 83/4, with Gore on 53 and Shakib on 5. The dugout dared to dream of a total around 160, but the Patriots had other plans. Farooqi returned in the 12th over, and Gore, trying to keep the momentum, miscued a drive to Andre Fletcher behind the stumps. His 61 was a gem, but its end left the Falcons at 95/5, and the wheels were coming off. The middle order, expected to dig in, crumbled like a house of cards.

Shakib, usually so reliable, couldn’t find his rhythm. He scratched out 11 off 16 balls before Salamkheil struck again in the 13th over, enticing a lofted shot that Holder plucked out of the air at long-on. Two balls later, Odean Smith was bamboozled by Salamkheil’s spin and bowled for a duck. The spinner was on fire, mixing his lengths and turning the ball square on a pitch that was starting to grip. His 4/22 in four overs was a game-changer, and the Falcons were in tatters. Imad Wasim, the captain, tried to rally with a six in his 11 off 13 balls, but Salamkheil got him too, caught by Holder in the 16th over.

Quick-fire 121 in 17.1! 💥

Now it’s the Patriots’ turn to light up Warner Park!#CPL25 #CricketPlayedLouder #BiggestPartyInSport pic.twitter.com/MyXbrcuArZ

— CPL T20 (@CPL) August 15, 2025

The tail was no match for the Patriots’ attack. AM Ghazanfar was pinned lbw by Holder for 1, and Jayden Seales managed just 1 before Mayers took a catch off Naseem Shah. Obed McCoy swung hard, finishing not out on 10 off 6 balls with a four and a six, but it was a drop in the ocean. The Falcons were skittled for 121 in 17.1 overs, with a run rate of 7.04. Extras added 10 runs (7 leg byes, 3 wides), but the innings was a story of missed opportunities. Apart from Gore’s heroics, no one could handle Salamkheil’s magic or the pace of Farooqi (2/30) and Naseem Shah (2/25). Holder (1/15) and Mayers (1/18) chipped in, but it was the Falcons’ inability to build partnerships that left them stranded.

St Kitts and Nevis Patriots Innings

Chasing 122, the Patriots knew they had a golden chance to kick off CPL 2025 with a statement. Openers Evin Lewis and Andre Fletcher came out swinging, determined to make the most of the powerplay. Lewis was in a mood, blasting 25 off 13 balls with four fours and a massive six off Jayden Seales that sailed into the stands. Fletcher played second fiddle but kept the runs flowing. Just when it seemed the Patriots would cruise, Obed McCoy struck in the fourth over, getting Lewis to miscue a lofted shot to Shakib Al Hasan at mid-off. At 36/1, the Falcons had a foot in the door.

Rahkeem Cornwall cooks up a double! 👨‍🍳#CPL25 #CricketPlayedLouder #BiggestPartyInSport #RepublicBank pic.twitter.com/oYOcbzwgat

— CPL T20 (@CPL) August 15, 2025

Kyle Mayers walked in and kept the pedal down, smashing two fours and a six in his 15 off 8 balls. By the end of the power play, the Patriots were 55/1, looking unstoppable. But Rahkeem Cornwall, bowling his off-spin, gave the Falcons a lifeline in the seventh over. He fired in a quicker ball to bowl Mayers, and two balls later, Rilee Rossouw was cleaned up for a duck, bamboozled by another sharp delivery. At 56/3, the Patriots were wobbling, and the Warner Park crowd sensed a fight. Fletcher, trying to hold things together, struggled against the spinners, scraping 19 off 26 balls with a lone six before AM Ghazanfar bowled him in the 10th over. At 76/4, with 46 runs needed off 60 balls, the game was poised for a twist.

The strategic timeout came at the perfect moment for the Patriots, allowing Alick Athanaze and Jason Holder to steady the ship. Athanaze, the young left-hander, played with the calmness of a veteran, finishing unbeaten on 37 off 28 balls. His innings was a thing of beauty, three crisp fours and two towering sixes, played with a mix of caution and flair. He picked gaps like a seasoned pro, keeping the run rate in check. Holder, the captain, was the perfect foil, unbeaten on 18 off 14 balls with a four and a six. Their 49-run partnership for the fifth wicket was pure class, guiding the Patriots to 125/4 in just 15 overs, wrapping up the win with five overs to spare.

The St. Kitts & Nevis Patriots dominate in Match 1️⃣ of #CPL25 🇰🇳#CPL25 #BiggestPartyInSport #CricketPlayedLouder #SKNPvABF #Sky365 pic.twitter.com/UIyjSViRqL

— CPL T20 (@CPL) August 15, 2025

The Falcons’ bowlers couldn’t find enough bite. Cornwall was the pick, taking 2/19 in three overs, while Ghazanfar (1/22) and McCoy (1/28) kept things tight. Imad Wasim bowled well, giving away just 16 runs in three overs, but Jayden Seales (0/26) and Odean Smith (0/11) couldn’t break through. Extras (11 runs, including 8 wides and 1 no-ball) didn’t help, and a failed review against Athanaze in the 14th over sealed the Falcons’ fate.

TCNI’s Magic Moment of the Game

Karima Gore’s blazing 61 off 34 balls was the TCNI Magic Moment of the Game. With the Falcons reeling at 4/1 and 30/2, Gore took charge, hammering eight fours and two sixes at a strike rate of 179.41. His fifty off 30 balls, with a glorious cover drive and a soaring six over midwicket, was a lone spark in a faltering innings.

Karima Gore announces himself at the Biggest Party in Sport! 🇦🇬

A maiden CPL fifty for Gore! 🙌#CPL25 #SKNPvABF #CricketPlayedLouder #BiggestPartyInSport #BetExc pic.twitter.com/MPZIT4ziMW

— CPL T20 (@CPL) August 15, 2025

Despite his efforts, wickets fell around him, with Waqar Salamkheil’s 4/22 ripping through the middle order. Gore’s knock ended in the 12th over, caught by Fletcher off Farooqi, leaving the Falcons at 95/5.

TCNI’s Hero of the Day

Alick Athanaze was the TCNI Hero of the Day for his match-winning, unbeaten 37 off 28 balls. Coming in at 56/3 after the quick dismissals of Lewis, Mayers, and Rossouw, Athanaze played with poise, striking three fours and two sixes at a strike rate of 132.14.

Alick Athanaze he held the innings together with his 37 off 28 and for me he should be batting at no later than Number 3 because that's his position so as the opening spot which is already occupied.

— Tyrelle Audain (The Cricket Rockstar Divo) 🇹🇹🏏 (@tjaudain) August 15, 2025

His 49-run stand with Holder (18 not out) steered the Patriots to 125/4 in 15 overs, sealing a commanding victory and setting the tone for the CPL 2025 opener in a clinical chase.