Antigua and Barbuda Falcons‘ challenging campaign continued as they fell to their second straight defeat in the Caribbean Premier League, losing by six wickets to St Lucia Kings at Gros Islet despite posting a formidable total of 204/4.
The Falcons’ batting display was anchored by a spectacular 26-ball 61 from Shakib Al Hasan and a solid 56 from opener Amir Jangoo, but their efforts were overshadowed by an extraordinary century from Kings’ Tim Seifert that rewrote CPL record books.
Seifert’s devastating 125* off just 53 balls equaled Andre Russell’s record for the fastest century in CPL history, as the Kings chased down the 205-run target with ease in just 17.5 overs, completing the fifth-highest successful chase in the tournament’s history.
The defeat compounds the Falcons’ recent struggles and sees them slip further down the standings while the Kings moved to the top of the table with their commanding performance.
The Falcons got off to a promising start through openers Jangoo and Jewel Andrew, who guided their team to 51 without loss during the powerplay. However, the introduction of Tabraiz Shamsi turned the tide dramatically for the home team.
Shamsi struck with his very first delivery, inducing Andrew to sky a catch, before immediately claiming Karima Gore for a golden duck with a thick edge that was well caught by Roston Chase at slip. The South African spinner’s early double strike threatened to derail the Falcons’ innings completely.
Shakib’s arrival at the crease transformed the match dynamics. After safely negotiating the hat-trick ball, the experienced all-rounder unleashed a batting masterclass that temporarily shifted momentum back toward the visitors. His assault on the Kings bowlers was relentless, featuring back-to-back sixes off Chase and a brutal over against David Wiese that yielded 25 runs through three fours followed by two maximums.
