Nawaz, Cornwall lead Falcons to summit TKR brink of elimination

Hasan Nawaz scored 76 and Rahkeem Cornwall scored 20 in seven balls at the top to help the Antigua and Barbuda Falcons extend their lead at the top of the table in CPL in Kieron Pollard's possibly last home game for Trinbago Knight Riders (TKR).

TKR are second from bottom of the points table and are close to the exit door after their third successive loss as they have lost six of their eight games this season.

Falcons set a target of 184 for TKR and Pollard and Joshua Da Silva shared a 55-run partnership for the sixth wicket to keep them in the hunt almost until the end. Pollard was playing with an injury on the field and scored 41 off 36 before he holed out to deep midwicket in the 18th over, off Joshua James. TKR needing 36 off 15 after Jayden Seales’ diving catch. Pollard, 39, walked off with his arms raised, receiving a standing ovation from his team-mates and the crowd, hinting it could be the end of his 13-years-long CPL career, although TKR have two games left.

James conceded only three runs in that over, Shamar Springer conceded nine runs in the next and TKR needed 26 runs off the last over which James started with a single and two dots. TKR then needed 25 off the last three and Da Silva hit 6, 4 and 6, ending up on the losing side by eight runs.

Cornwall's 3 for 17 - which accounted for three left-handed batters - had long since delivered the killer blow in the chase, with TKR 63 for 4 after their first six overs. He had Colin Munro sky one to mid-on and Sunil Narine caught at long-off in three balls before claiming the big wicket of Nicholas Pooran for 22 toward the end of the powerplay .

Cornwall also got off to a quick start with the bat earlier in the day, hitting four successive fours in the first over off Akeal Hossain, and another off Usman Tariq before the latter bowled him with an inside edge. Then Nawaz intervened. He arrived at the crease in the seventh over and smashed 76 from 48 balls putting on a century stand with captain Moeen Ali. The two put on a 108-run partnership off 61 balls for the fourth wicket until Nawaz holed out to long-off in the final over after hitting nine fours and three sixes. Moeen in his own innings of 32 from 24 balls had three fours and a six.

TKR missed two chances, including Nawaz on 36, and missed two run-out chances with Moeen surviving at the throwing end on both occasions. The fine margins were the difference as defending champions TKR finished the nite with plenty to ponder about.