Left-arm spinner Sufyan Moqim delivered a spell for the ages as the Antigua & Barbuda Falcons captured their first-ever Caribbean Premier League title with a commanding eight-wicket win over the Jamaica Kingsmen in a riveting final at Kensington Oval on Sunday night.
Maaz Sadaqat became the first man to score a century in a CPL final, but his superb knock was overshadowed by Moqim, who delivered the best bowling figures in a final to restrict the Kingsmen to 170 for nine in 20 overs after they were sent in to bat.
Before a massive crowd that included Antigua & Barbuda’s Prime Minister Gaston Browne, the Falcons soared to 173 for two in just 16.4 overs on the back of an unbeaten half century from Amir Jangoo and Hasan Nawaz’s 47 not out off 35 balls, to give the three-year old franchise its maiden title.
On a night that featured spectacular performances from Sadaqat and Soqim, the latter’s four wicket haul proved to be more decisive.
The Kingsmen lost Kirk McKenzie in the first over for a duck, with the left-hander edging a rising delivery from pacer Jayden Seales to first slip where Rahkeem Cornwall held on to the catch.
Keacy Carty struck fast bowler Alzarri Joseph over point for a boundary to start the fourth over, but three balls later he drove a delivery to cover for Shadab Khan to take a sharp catch leaping at full stretch to make the score 30 for two But opener Sadaqat and Saim Ayub put their side in the ascendancy during an 80-run partnership in 46 balls that left them in prime position to post a score in excess of 200 runs, having reached 110 for two after 11 overs.
During that stand, Sadaqat – who scored a century in the Kingsmen’s win over the Barbados Tridents in the Eliminator on Wednesday – brought up his half century in 27 balls by collecting two runs with an edge to third man off Cornwall.
However, Moqim turned the match on its heels by having Ayub caught at mid on for 29 after he mistimed his slog sweep, and he also dismissed captain Rovman Powell for a three-ball duck in the same over, with the batter chipping a delivery straight into the hands of Shamar Springer at backward point to reduce the Kingsmen to 110 for four.
Shadab Khan trapped Romaine Morris lbw for a duck in the next over, and when Moqim had Hassan Khan caught at long off for one and Keemo Paul stumped for three, the Kingsmen had collapsed to 127 for seven in the 15th over.
Sadaqat then singlehandedly dragged his side to a competitive total with a series of exhilarating shots to all parts of the ground.
He reached his second century of the playoffs off 49 balls by thumping pacer Joshua James for two sixes in the 17th over, followed up by a single to deep cover.
Sadaqat was eventually dismissed off the penultimate ball of the innings, with Springer having him caught at long off for 114 off 58 balls, inclusive of nine sixes and eight fours.
Moqim finished with 4-14, while Joseph claimed 2-27.
Chasing a competitive total, the Falcons were given a magnificent start by Cornwall, who clubbed Ayub for two sixes and two fours in the very first over before being bowled off the last ball.
Evin Lewis drove Andre Russell for two fours in the ensuing over and also hit Ayub to the boundary ropes in the following over to reach 3000 CPL runs and carry the score to 30 for one after three overs.
Jangoo got in on the act by striking Hunain Shah for two fours and a six in the ensuing over to take the Falcons past the 50-run mark.
The Kingsmen thought they had Lewis when he miscued a pull and was caught at long on, but the replay showed Russell had overstepped the crease.
Lewis responded by hitting the ensuing free hit for four and clobbering Ayub for two more sixes and a four in the sixth over that leaked 17 runs and carried the Falcons to 76 for one after the power play.
Wrist-spinner Vitel Lawes did get the breakthrough by bowling Lewis off the inside edge for 38 off 26 balls, to make the score 84 for two in the eighth over.
However, Jangoo, who scored an unbeaten 57 off 34 balls with four fours and three sixes, and Nawaz, who struck three sixes and three fours in his unbeaten knock, shared an unbroken partnership of 89 in nine overs to end the contest with an incredible 20 balls to spare.
The post Moqim’s historic haul carries Falcons to maiden CPL title appeared first on nationnews.com.