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Salamkheil’s Four-Wicket Burst Powers St. Kitts & Nevis Patriots to Convincing CPL 2025 Opener Win
Patriots Dominate Season Opener at Warner Park
The Caribbean Premier League (CPL) 2025 got off to an exciting yet one-sided start as St. Kitts & Nevis Patriots outclassed Antigua and Barbuda Falcons by six wickets in the opening fixture at Warner Park on Thursday.
The star of the night was Afghanistan’s left-arm wrist spinner Waqar Salamkheil, whose brilliant spell of 4 for 22 dismantled the Falcons’ batting order. Chasing a modest 122, the Patriots needed only 15 overs to wrap up the contest.
Falcons’ Batting Struggles Despite Gore’s Heroics
Early Pressure from Patriots’ Pace Attack
After being asked to bat first, the Falcons got off to a shaky start as Kyle Mayers, Fazalhaq Farooqi, and Naseem Shah struck early blows. Within the first six overs, the visitors slipped to 39/3, leaving them with a mountain to climb.
The only resistance came from Karima Gore, who played a fighting knock of 61 runs. His innings accounted for half of his team’s total, as the next highest score came from Fabian Allen with just 12 runs.
Salamkheil’s Game-Changing Spell
Salamkheil’s introduction in the eighth over brought immediate success, as he dismissed Allen to break the only budding partnership. Gore attempted to rebuild alongside Shakib Al Hasan, but Farooqi’s return ended Gore’s innings in the 12th over.
From there, Salamkheil ripped through the middle order, removing both Shakib and Odean Smith in the same over. The Falcons found themselves reeling at 102/7 before a brief cameo from Obed McCoy pushed them to 121 in 17.1 overs. Naseem Shah wrapped up the innings with a clinical finish.
Related reading: CPL 2025 Full Schedule & Fixtures
Patriots’ Swift Chase Led by Lewis and Athanaze
The Patriots’ chase began in attacking fashion. Evin Lewis set the tone in the second over by launching Jayden Seales for two massive sixes, one of which travelled 98 meters. He followed it up with four boundaries in the next over against Allah Ghazanfar.
Although McCoy dismissed Lewis in the fourth over, Kyle Mayers ensured the Patriots dominated the PowerPlay, smashing 4, 4, and 6 against McCoy to take the score to 55/1 in six overs.
Cornwall’s Double Strike Creates Brief Tension
Falcons’ hopes flickered in the seventh over when Rahkeem Cornwall picked up two quick wickets, reducing the Patriots to 76/4 in 10 overs. However, Alick Athanaze anchored the innings with a calm yet aggressive 37* off 28 balls.
Smith and Seales were taken apart in the 13th and 14th overs, leaking 12 runs each, before Athanaze finished the match with a boundary to secure a comfortable six-wicket win.
Brief Scorecard
Antigua and Barbuda Falcons – 121 in 17.1 overs (Karima Gore 61; Waqar Salamkheil 4-22)
St. Kitts & Nevis Patriots – 125/4 in 15 overs (Alick Athanaze 37*, Evin Lewis 25; Rahkeem Cornwall 2-19)
Key Takeaways from the Match
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Waqar Salamkheil’s 4/22 set the tone for Patriots’ dominant performance.
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Karima Gore stood out as the lone fighter for the Falcons.
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Evin Lewis and Kyle Mayers provided the initial momentum in the chase.
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Alick Athanaze displayed maturity to close out the match comfortably.
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