Caribbean Premier League 2025 kicked off in electrifying style at Basseterre on August 14, with St Kitts and Nevis Patriots asserting their authority over the Antigua and Barbuda Falcons within the very first match. Batting first, the Falcons have been put to the sword by a spirited Patriots bowling unit, headlined by the sensational left-arm wrist spin of Waqar Salamkheil. The outcome was an emphatic six-wicket victory for the hosts, achieved with 5 overs to spare, igniting celebrations amongst Patriots’ supporters and setting the tone for an action-packed CPL season.
Waqar Salamkheil’s spin net grounds Antigua and Barbuda Falcons by a four-wicket mauling
There’s one thing about opening nights and large gamers delivering underneath lights, and Salamkheil seized his second brilliantly. Approaching after the preliminary breakthroughs, Salamkheil wasted no time weaving his spell, making the ball speak on a vigorous Basseterre floor. The Afghan spinner made key inroads simply because the Falcons threatened to stage a restoration after early wickets.
Salamkheil’s first scalp was the harmful Fabian Allen, clear bowled earlier than he might impose himself. Subsequent, the veteran Shakib Al Hasan was coaxed right into a miscued shot, caught by Jason Holder. Salamkheil wasn’t performed; he had Falcons captain Imad Wasim caught quickly after after which ripped by way of Odean Smith for a duck. His variations and aggressive fields left the batting order rattled. Salamkheil’s figures—4 overs, 22 runs, 4 wickets—earned him Participant of the Match, and rightly so. His spell not solely broke the Falcons’ spine however ensured the Patriots chased a much more manageable goal than at one stage appeared doubtless, particularly after Karima Gore’s 61 off 34 balls threatened to balloon the rating.
St Kitts and Nevis Patriots cruise to a press release win in CPL 2025 opener
In reply, St Kitts and Nevis Patriots wasted no time asserting their dominance. Openers Evin Lewis and Andre Fletcher gave the chase early impetus, with Lewis smashing 25 off simply 13 balls. Kyle Mayers supplied a cameo, nevertheless it was Alick Athanaze’s composed 37* off 28 and Jason Holder’s fluent unbeaten 18 that guided the hosts to security. Regardless of a number of stutters in the course of the center overs, the Patriots all the time had the chase underneath management, hardly ever letting the required fee climb or stress mount. The Patriots reached 125/4 in simply 15 overs, sealing a complete six-wicket victory with 30 deliveries left—an early assertion of their intent for the match.
For the Falcons, Rahkeem Cornwall’s two wickets supplied transient hope however couldn’t stem the tide. Earlier, after Gore’s lone heroics (8 fours, 2 sixes), the batting merely crumbled underneath relentless stress, falling from 95/4 to 121 all out inside 17.1 overs, thanks largely to Salamkheil’s destruction.
Additionally READ: Caribbean Premier League: Full Squads of all 6 groups for CPL 2025
Waqar Salamkheil stars with the ball and secures Participant of the Match honours! 💫#CPL25 #SKNPvABF #CricketPlayedLouder #BiggestPartyInSport #GuardianLife pic.twitter.com/ylEv9HUujT
— CPL T20 (@CPL) August 15, 2025
The St. Kitts & Nevis Patriots dominate in Match 1️⃣ of #CPL25 🇰🇳#CPL25 #BiggestPartyInSport #CricketPlayedLouder #SKNPvABF #Sky365 pic.twitter.com/UIyjSViRqL
— CPL T20 (@CPL) August 15, 2025
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