Moqim breaks Kingsmen, Jangoo finishes the job as Falcons lift CPL trophy

Sufyan Moqim produced a spell that will stand among the Caribbean Premier League’s (CPL) greatest final performances, ripping through the Jamaica Kingsmen before Amir Jangoo and Hasan Nawaz completed a dominant chase to send the Antigua & Barbuda Falcons to their first CPL championship.

The three-year-old franchise sealed an emphatic eight-wicket victory at Kensington Oval on Sunday night, reaching 173 for two in only 16.4 overs after restricting the Kingsmen to 170 for nine.

Maaz Sadaqat had already made history by becoming the first batsman to score a century in a CPL final, but his extraordinary 114 from 58 balls could not withstand Moqim’s intervention.

The left-arm spinner finished with a remarkable 4-14, the best bowling figures ever recorded in a CPL final, transforming a Kingsmen innings that had been threatening to explode into one that never quite recovered.

With Antigua and Barbuda Prime Minister Gaston Browne among a massive crowd at Kensington Oval, the Falcons then completed the job in devastating fashion.

Moqim turns the final

The Kingsmen appeared to be building toward a total beyond 200 when Sadaqat and Saim Ayub combined for 80 from 46 deliveries.

At 110 for two after 11 overs, Jamaica was firmly in command.

Sadaqat had already reached his second half-century of the playoffs, bringing up the milestone from 27 balls with a two off Rahkeem Cornwall. He had arrived in the final carrying the momentum of his century against the Barbados Tridents in Wednesday's Eliminator.

Then came Moqim.

Ayub miscued a slog sweep and was caught at mid-on for 29. In the same over, captain Rovman Powell lasted only three deliveries before chipping the ball to Shamar Springer at backward point.

Suddenly, 110 for two had become 110 for four.

The collapse accelerated.

Shadab Khan removed Romaine Morris lbw for a duck in the following over, before Moqim returned to remove Hassan Khan for one and Keemo Paul for three.

By the 15th over, the Kingsmen had plunged to 127 for seven.

Moqim had changed the complexion of the final.

Sadaqat stands alone

Yet the Kingsmen still had Sadaqat.

The young batsman responded to the collapse by taking complete responsibility for the innings, unleashing a succession of powerful strokes that dragged Jamaica toward a defensible total.

His landmark moment arrived in the 17th over when he launched Joshua James for consecutive sixes before taking a single to deep cover.

The century came from 49 balls, a remarkable achievement in a CPL final, but there was no fairytale ending for the Kingsmen.

Sadaqat was dismissed from the penultimate delivery of the innings, caught by Springer at long-off for 114 from 58 balls, having struck nine sixes and eight fours.

His century had broken new ground in the competition.

But Moqim's four-wicket assault had already done the more damaging work.

Alzarri Joseph provided further support with 2-27 as the Falcons held Jamaica to 170 for nine.

Cornwall ignites the chase

The Falcons wasted little time in showing that 171 was within reach.

Rahkeem Cornwall attacked from the opening delivery of the reply, smashing Saim Ayub for two sixes and two fours in the first over before being bowled from the final ball.

Evin Lewis immediately kept the pressure on, striking Andre Russell for two fours before reaching another significant CPL milestone.

His boundary against Ayub took Lewis to 3,000 CPL runs, while his aggressive start helped carry the Falcons to 30 for one after three overs.

Jangoo then joined the assault.

The wicketkeeper-batter punished Hunain Shah for two fours and a six as the Falcons raced beyond 50.

Jamaica appeared to have another breakthrough when Lewis miscued a pull and was caught at long-on. But the reprieve came when replay showed Russell had overstepped.

Lewis made Jamaica pay.

He drilled the resulting free hit for four before tearing into Ayub for two sixes and another boundary in a 17-run sixth over.

At the end of the power play, Antigua and Barbuda stood at 76 for one.

Jangoo and Nawaz end the fight

Vitel Lawes finally ended Lewis's assault in the eighth over, bowling him off the inside edge for 38 from 26 balls.

But by then, the Falcons had complete control.

Jangoo took charge of the chase, and Nawaz provided the finishing surge as the pair refused to give Jamaica another opening.

Jangoo remained unbeaten on 57 from 34 balls, hitting four fours and three sixes.

Nawaz finished on 47 not out from 35 deliveries, striking three sixes and three fours.

Together, they added an unbroken 89-run partnership from nine overs.

The final was over with 20 balls still remaining.

A championship built on two explosive acts

The final ultimately belonged to two very different individual performances.

Sadaqat produced the first century ever scored in a CPL final and almost single-handedly revived the Kingsmen after their middle-order collapse.

Moqim, however, delivered the spell that determined the contest.

His 4-14 dismantled Jamaica's momentum, leaving the Falcons with a target that their batting lineup attacked without hesitation.

Then Jangoo and Nawaz made certain there would be no late drama.

The result was a landmark night for Antigua and Barbuda: the Falcons, only three years into their existence, had climbed to the summit of the CPL.

Their maiden championship came through a final in which history was made at both ends, Sadaqat with the bat, Moqim with the ball, but it was the Falcons who walked away with the trophy.