Forde holds his nerve at the close after Gous and spinners set up win for Kings

10 Aug-It went down to the last over, with 13 runs needed. Someone had to hold their nerve. Someone was bound to bottle it. ESPNcricinfo's win predictor had swung from close to 90% in favour of the chasing team, Antigua and Barbuda Falcons, not long ago, to 50-50 or so, in a closely fought CPL 2026 contest in Kingstown on Sunday night.

In the end, the one who did most things right was Matthew Forde, conceding just eight runs, to win the game for St Lucia Kings. Fabian Allen did a lot right too, but missed the strike for all but two balls in that over, and Jahmar Hamilton, his partner for the first half of that over, was just not the right man for a tough job, scoring 10 in 20 balls in a crucial phase. Kings, then, were winners by four runs on the night.

The chase of 188 for back-to-back wins started well for Falcons, and it was primarily due to Evin Lewis. Rahkeem Cornwall and Lewis gave Falcons a quick start, crossing 30 inside three overs, but Cornwall fell soon after, the first of two wickets for Maheesh Theekshana. Lewis still made sure Falcons got 65 in the powerplay and then got to 109 by the halfway mark, even though Theekshana had struck again by then.

The chase started to go off the rails in the 11th over, when Joshua Bishop spun Lewis out for a 24-ball 42, and Roston Chase then sent back Karima Gore and Tajinder Singh, and after 16 overs, Falcons were at a somewhat shaky 145 for 5, with 43 needed from four overs. Two more overs went Kings' way, the 17th and 18th costing just four and nine respectively.

Till Allen came to the party with a six and a four off Shadley van Schalkwyk in the 19th. It could have gone either way from there. Forde ensured it went Kings' way.

Earlier, Player of the Match Andries Gous was completely in control of the Kings innings after Chase opted for first strike. His 82 in 51 balls, which went from the first ball of the innings to midway into the 18th over, made sure that the failings of the other batters didn't hamper Kings' progress.

The next-highest scorer was Ackeem Auguste, with 18 in 20 balls from No. 3, as most of the Falcons bowlers did their job when it came to picking up wickets. Alzarri Joseph returned 3 for 32 - after 3 for 34 in the first game - to lead the attack, but Gous never allowed Falcons to feel that they were on top. Which happened in the second half until it came apart in the end.Cricinfo