NORTH SOUND, Antigua – The Antigua and Barbuda Falcons soared to the top of the Republic Bank Caribbean Premier League with an emphatic 30-run victory over the Barbados Tridents on the back of a superb performance by their bowlers here on Tuesday.
Joshua James grabbed three wickets to derail the Barbados Tridents’ run chase.Firstly, captain Moeen Ali and Shamar Springer led an impressive recovery by the home side that saw them rebuild from 80 for five to finish on 155 for five in their 20 overs at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium.
The Tridents then looked headed for their third successive victory before Joshua James, Shadab Khan and Sufyan Moqim orchestrated a spectacular collapse that saw them being bowled out for 125 in 18 overs.
It gave the Falcons their fourth win in seven games and propeled them to eight points, two more than the Guyana Amazon Warriors and St Lucia Kings.
No one could have predicted such a turnaround when the Tridents were coasting at 93 for three.
Pacer Alzarri Joseph claimed the wickets of debutant Shian Brathwaite for seven and Zachary Carter for a quickfire 17 off 10 balls and Rahkeem Cornwall dismissed the dangerous Quinton de Kock for 16 to reduce the visitors to 54 for three in the eighth over.
Rivaldo Clarke and Kevlon Anderson put them back on track during a 39-run partnership that installed them as favourites.
However, James, who was named Player-of-the-Match, had Anderson spectacularly caught by a diving Springer at deep midwicket for 22 to end the partnership, and with his next delivery he enticed Sherfane Rutherford to pull a short delivery into the hands of Anderson Phillip, who took a good catch at deep fine leg to make the score 93 for five.
Shadab then had Clarke caught at deep midwicket for 27 off 26 balls in the ensuing over and when he also had Gudakesh Motie caught by Jayden Seales at long on two balls later the Tridents were in dire straits at 95 for seven.
James, along with Moqim subsequently wrapped up the tail in quick order to hand the Tridents their first loss of the tournament.
James finished with 3-18, while Joseph (2-12), Khan (2-23) and Moqim (2-36), provided good support.
Earlier, the Falcons needed an unbroken partnership of 75 between Ali and Springer to post a competitive total after their top order faltered.
They got off to the worst possible start when Daniel Sams bowled Cornwall with a brilliant yorker with the first ball of the match.
Amir Jangoo and Karima Gore put on 39 runs for the second wicket before spinner Mujeeb Ur Rahman bowled the latter for 27.
The Tridents were on top when Ramon Simmonds bowled Hasan Nawaz for seven, Motie rattled the stumps of Jangoo for 26, and Ur Rahman held on to a return catch to account for the wicket of Khan for seven, to see them slide to 80 for five in the 14th over.
But Ali, who scored an unbeaten 56 off 37 balls with four sixes and three fours, and Springer, who ended on 19 not out off 16 balls, stemmed the flow of wickets during their partnership that required just 41 balls.
Ali brought the innings to an end in fine style by blasting Sams for three successive sixes to begin the final over, the latter bringing up his half century off 34 balls.
Ur Rahman was the Tridents’ best bowler with 2-32.
