Third time Unlucky for the The Antigua & Barbuda Falcons

At the prestigious Sir Vivian Richards Cricket Stadium on a beautiful Sunday morning, the Barbados Royals won the toss and elected to field first against the Antigua Falcons.

Opening batsmen Kofi James and F. Zaman faced Theekshana's bowling attack. Despite a few challenging deliveries, James managed to score 6 runs off Theekshana and hit a boundary.

The Antigua Falcons are known for starting games strongly and achieving respectable scores. However, it was the Barbados Royals who made the perfect start by taking 4 wickets in the first 8 overs, leaving the Falcons struggling at 48. The Falcons needed a solid partnership to stabilize the innings. Springer and Jewel were at the crease, batting patiently, attacking the right bowlers, and accumulating 23 runs between them. With the score at 70/4, they needed to stay put to set a challenging total for the deep batting lineup of the Royals.

After losing his partner, Andrew was joined by his captain. The duo added 35 runs, reaching 109/5 in the 15th over. Green's dismissal at 115/6 brought Fabien Allem to the crease. Unfortunately, Allem did not last long, scoring just 1 run before being caught off Theekshana's bowling. Jewel Andrew missed out on what could have been his second 50 of the tournament after edging the ball onto his stumps off McCoy's bowling.

The Antigua Falcons finished their innings at 145/9, a total the Barbados Royals would be pleased to chase as they bowled effectively and restricted the Falcons well. Obed McCoy was the standout bowler with figures of 3/31, followed by Jason Holder with 2/24 and Theekshana with 2/21.

De Kock and Cornwall were in blistering form, racing to 70/0 after the first powerplay. Although Cornwall (34 off 20) was eventually dismissed, it did not disrupt the Royals' momentum. De Kock reached his 50 off 26 balls and continued to guide his team towards victory, with the score at 131/1 after 14 overs. De Kock sealed the win with a maximum, finishing on 87 runs off 45 balls. The Royals reached 149/1 in 15.3 overs, setting a strong foundation for the matches ahead.

This match was a one-sided affair, with the Falcons unable to match their previous intensity. They will face the Saint Lucia Kings next, another challenging opponent. However, this experience will help the Falcons identify areas for improvement and prepare for future victories. They have a few days to rest and fine-tune their game plan.