Amir Jangoo and Hasan Nawaz complete a comfortable chase as the Falcons beat Jamaica Kingsmen by eight wickets in Bridgetown.
Antigua and Barbuda Falcons lifted their maiden Caribbean Premier League title after a dominant eight-wicket victory over Jamaica Kingsmen in Sunday’s final in Bridgetown.
Playing in only their third CPL season, the Falcons produced a clinical all-round performance to restrict the tournament debutants to 170 for 9 before chasing down the target with 20 balls to spare.
Sufyan Moqim was the architect of the Kingsmen’s collapse, claiming an outstanding 4 for 14. Amir Jangoo and Hasan Nawaz then finished the job with an unbeaten 89-run partnership.
Sadaqat’s spectacular hundred goes unrewarded
Jamaica Kingsmen’s innings revolved almost entirely around Maaz Sadaqat, who produced a remarkable 114 from 58 balls.
The explosive right-hander struck nine sixes and eight fours, scoring more than half of his team’s total.
Sadaqat initially rebuilt the innings alongside Saim Ayub after the Kingsmen lost Kirk McKenzie for a four-ball duck in the opening over and Keacy Carty for 9 in the fourth.
The pair added 80 for the third wicket, taking Jamaica from 30 for 2 to 110 for 2 and putting the Kingsmen in a strong position.
Ayub contributed 29, but the Falcons’ bowling attack then turned the match on its head.
Moqim sparks dramatic collapse
Moqim ripped through the Kingsmen middle order in a decisive spell.
He struck twice in the 12th over, removing Ayub after he attempted to slog towards the leg side before dismissing Rovman Powell for a duck.
Jamaica collapsed from 110 for 2 to 113 for 6 in just three overs.
Although Sadaqat continued his assault at the other end, the wickets around him prevented Jamaica from producing the late-innings acceleration they needed.
Sadaqat was finally dismissed from the penultimate delivery of the innings, leaving the Kingsmen on 170 for 9 — a total that ultimately proved insufficient.
Falcons make light work of the chase
The Falcons immediately put the pressure back on Jamaica.
Rahkeem Cornwall smashed two fours and two sixes from Saim Ayub’s opening over, collecting 20 runs before being bowled by the final delivery.
His explosive cameo dramatically reduced the required rate.
Evin Lewis and Amir Jangoo then ensured there was no collapse, adding 64 for the second wicket.
Lewis eventually fell for 38 to Vitel Lawes, but by then Antigua and Barbuda had already scored almost half the required runs with more than 12 overs remaining.
Jangoo and Nawaz took complete control from there.
The pair attacked relentlessly, combining for seven fours and six sixes in an unbeaten 89-run partnership.
Jangoo finished unbeaten on 57, while Nawaz remained not out on 47.
The result was effectively settled with four overs still remaining, before Nawaz put the finishing touches on the victory with two sixes in the 17th over.
Shadab named tournament MVP
Antigua and Barbuda Falcons’ triumph was built on a strong collective campaign, with allrounder Shadab Khan named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player.
Shadab contributed 132 runs and 11 wickets during the competition, playing a key role in the Falcons’ march to their first CPL championship.
For the Falcons, it was a landmark achievement — their maiden CPL title — while the Jamaica Kingsmen were left to reflect on a campaign that ended one step short despite Sadaqat’s extraordinary final innings.
