Match Details

ABF vs SLK, 3rd T20, CPL 2026 summary

ABF

183-7(20.0)

St Lucia Kings won by 4 runs 🏆

SLK

(20.0)187-8

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Commentary

For now, this is me, AkshayaKrishna Polya, signing off on behalf of my co-commentator, Karthik Raj and scorer, Bishal Mandal. We will meet again. Until then, it's cheers!

St Lucia Kings' next challenge is at home against St Kitts & Nevis Patriots on 12th August as per local time, while Antigua & Barbuda Falcons will return to face the same opponents in the reverse fixture in Gros Islet on 14th August as per local time.

That also brings an end to the Kingstown leg of the CPL! It's the first time Saint Vincent and the Grenadines has hosted this marquee league. Three good matches to begin the 14th edition of the biggest cricketing party on Earth. Next up in the CPL, it is Jamaica Kingsmen taking on Barbados Tridents from Kingston. Before that, we will have a day off!

End of a thrilling contest at the Arnos Vale Ground! After all the drama we had tonight, St Lucia Kings hold their nerve to win the contest by 4 runs and kick off their campaign with a positive result! Despite the struggles from Jahmar Hamilton, the Falcons were in the game till the very last ball, but Matthew Forde can breathe easy in the end. Daren Sammy is the happy man, while Sir Curtly Ambrose went home disappointed. So, it's St Lucia Kings 4, Antigua & Barbuda Falcons 0 in the head-to-head battles in the CPL!

Roston Chase (St Lucia Kings Captain): "[Was it too close for comfort?] It was too close for me. I thought we had a good score on the board. When we went out, I told my guys that we will try to defend 160. I thought was 160 was a good total to defend. We didn't start as well as we would have liked but we pulled it back and I am happy for the win.

[187 batting first, was that justice to your decision to bat first?] Yeah, as I said we were looking for 165 from the beginning but Gous played a very nice innings and we got up to 180 odd. We were very happy with that and it was just for us to come out and execute the plans in the bowling. As I said we didn't start well but happy for the W.

[What prompted you to bowl tonight as you weren't supposed to bowl, was it pre-planned?] I wasn't supposed to bowl tonight as my finger is still healing but desperate times call for desperate measures. I just tried to bowl through the pain and was able to get four overs in tonight and pull back the run-rate. The guys executed in the end and it was good.

[What was your word to Matthew Forde ahead of the final over?] Just went to him and asked what are his plans coming into the over, what he wants to execute and then we will set the field according to that. So, it was just for him to execute what he wants to do. Whether he gets hit or doesn't, once he stuck to his plan that he told me, I am happy with that."

Fabian Allen (Antigua & Barbuda Falcons Captain): "[Where you felt you lost this game?] To be honest, I thought we had it, and at the end we just did not get over the line. But credit to St Lucia, I think they put us under pressure. But having said that, I think we boys fought to the end, but we did not get over the line, unfortunately.

[187 was the score. What did you make of that score at the halfway stage?] Yeah, I thought it was a good wicket, to be honest. But, as I said, the boys did not capitalise on that. But we just have to go back to the drawing board, and we have a few days off, and then come back up.

[You were cruising until the 14-15 overs. Required rate was skyrocketing after the departure of Evin Lewis. Was there anything that you could have done differently?] Yeah, I always back my player, and I thought he (Jahmar Hamilton) is a good player. And I thought he would get us over the line. But it was not his day, but unfortunately we fell short.

[You still had the chance. Did you believe that you could still score 13 runs in the last over and cross the line?] Yeah, I always believe. I always believe to the last ball, the last delivery. I always believe. So, tough luck tonight, and we're just going to go back home and refresh our minds, and come back in the next game."

Andries Gous (Player of the Match): "[What were the key elements in being successful tonight?] I think just giving yourself a chance in the wicket. Obviously, they had a quality opening attack of Jayden and Alzarri coming at the back of the Powerplay. So, we just got to make sure we had some wickets in hand. You have to give yourself a chance and once you got used to the wicket and the wind helped as well. So, you just have to play the wind and get used to the wicket.

[About his constant communication and mentorship to the team-mates] Yeah, we obviously have a very young team, a lot of debutants. Lot of guys haven't played CPL before. I just looked to help them as much as I can. They are really good players, just young and inexperienced. We just looked to get the experience quicker in front of them. The smartness wasn't there at some stages tonight, hopefully it can be there in the upcoming matches.

[What is the recipe for you being successful in all the different leagues around the world?] I don't know. It is tough in the US. Facilities are sometimes tough, it is more on the mental side. I have got good people, got a good family and got good people around me that support me who I can speak to."

Player of the Match: Andries Gous

Lowest Win Margins for St Lucia Kings in CPL (By Runs):

1 vs Trinbago Knight Riders, Tarouba, 2022

2 vs Guyana Amazon Warriors, Gros Islet, 2015

3 vs St Kitts & Nevis Patriots, Basseterre, 2025

3 vs Barbados Tridents, Port of Spain, 2020

4 vs Antigua and Barbuda Falcons, Kingstown, 2026*

5 vs Trinbago Knight Riders, Basseterre, 2021

Lowest Defeat Margins for Antigua & Barbuda Falcons in CPL (By Runs):

4 vs St Lucia Kings, Kingstown, 2026*

26 vs St Lucia Kings, Gros Islet, 2024

27 vs Guyana Amazon Warriors, Providence, 2024