Joshua Bishop struck a six with two balls remaining to lift the Saint Lucia Kings to a dramatic three-wicket victory yesterday over the Antigua and Barbuda Falcons in a rain-affected Republic Bank Caribbean Premier League match at the Daren Sammy Cricket Ground.
Chasing a revised target of 52 from eight overs, the Kings appeared headed for defeat after collapsing to 21 for six. However, valuable contributions from Matthew Forde and Shadley van Schalkwyk kept the hosts alive before Bishop completed the chase in the final over.
The Kings needed eight runs from Joshua James’ last over. Bishop eased the pressure with a powerful drive through the covers before dispatching a length delivery for six to spark celebrations among the home supporters.
Earlier, Kings captain Roston Chase won the toss and elected to bowl, with Forde immediately rewarding the decision. He removed Evin Lewis and Tim Robinson from successive deliveries before dismissing the dangerous Rahkeem Cornwall during the PowerPlay.
The Falcons ended the opening six overs on 44 for three but soon slipped further, losing another three wickets within seven balls. Charith Asalanka produced a brilliant catch to remove Moeen Ali, while Fabian Allen was run out without scoring.
Forde finished as the Kings’ leading bowler with impressive figures of four for 29 before rain stopped play with one over remaining in the Falcons’ innings.
After a lengthy delay, the Kings were initially set 84 runs from 15 overs. Chase opened the batting alongside Andries Gous but was dismissed early by Jayden Seales. Rain returned one ball later, resulting in another adjustment to the target.
The Falcons then fought back strongly as the Kings struggled to score and lost wickets regularly. James removed Asalanka and Darren Nedd with consecutive deliveries to leave the home side in serious trouble.
Forde contributed a crucial 11, while van Schalkwyk struck a six in the penultimate over to bring the Kings back into contention. Bishop then delivered the decisive blow as Saint Lucia secured their second win over the Falcons this season.
Summarised scores: Antigua and Barbuda Falcons — innings interrupted by rain; Saint Lucia Kings 52/7 off 7.4 overs (revised target: 52 from eight overs). Kings won by three wickets (DLS method).
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