Falcons vs Trinbago, Eliminator at Providence, CPL, Sep 16 2025 - Ball by Ball Commentary

That concludes all the CPL action from us today. Thank you for tuning in! Do join us again tomorrow for Qualifier 1. Until then, this is Rashad Mahbub, signing off on behalf of Sudeep Poojar and the rest of the ESPNcricinfo crew. Goodnight!

Imad Wasim: "I think the wicket was good. We were 20 runs short, I guess. With seven or eight wickets in hand, we should have gone harder, but unfortunately, that's not the case. However, we played really good cricket throughout the tournament. [Defending the total] It was always going to be tough. Nicholas Pooran came in and played an innings like that on that wicket. We still had a chance, but if we would have gotten him out early on, we could have taken the game deep. But he played incredibly well, as did Alex Hales. So credit goes to them. Look, last season we didn't qualify. This year, at least we qualified. We played some good cricket. It's a new franchise, a new team, and new players, so you need time to gel together. But I am proud of the boys and how they played. Qualifying for the playoffs is a great achievement. [Standout player] In our team, Karima Gore is a very good player, and Jewel Andrew and Jangoo played well. Jayden Seales is my number one pick. The way he runs in, the way he bowls, and his attitude toward the game are very good. I am really looking forward to him playing for the West Indies and showcasing his talent there as well. [A Message to the Fans] Thank you very much. The Antigua fans supported us throughout the tournament. Thank you, Guyana, for supporting us, and we will come back next year hard."

Player of the Match, Nicholas Pooran: "First of all, I want to give God all praise and thanks for this opportunity. It's always good to come out on top. The last couple of days have been disappointing for us as a group, especially coming here to Guyana. Today, it didn't matter how we got that win, we had to. Antigua played a really good match, and the boys came back into the game beautifully. We knew they were going to make it really hard for us. [Emotional Moments] In big games, players try to be in the moment as much as possible, and when some decisions don't go your way, you can feel a bit emotional. Today was tough to keep emotions in check. I apologize to the umpire at the end of the game, but I'm just really happy that we could get the win. It was a win in the hard work throughout the tournament. I've been digging deep throughout the innings, and today, getting the opportunity to bat three, and also asking to bat at number two, I had to lead from the front. That's what we keep speaking about: taking responsibility. I could have gotten out first ball, but the game is all about being brave and smart. Today was just our day. [Alex Hales] He's class. He's been really good throughout the tournament. The last few games for us as a group, we haven't batted well, but it's really nice that we could stitch a partnership there together. Even Munro, the way he went out and set the tone for us, was really nice. We won this game by nine wickets, and it gives us a big boost as well. The Eliminator is a different display of cricket, with different energies and a different atmosphere in our dressing room. We know what it takes to play these games, and we've been in this position before. For us, it's all about responsibility and holding each other accountable. Emotions are going to come out, but at the end of the day, we will do everything we need to win this game. [Individual performance] For me, it doesn't really matter because we got the job done. I could have gotten out first ball, and it would have been a different game. But again, just being here to the end, getting that win, putting this game behind us, and going forward. We want to take every game as it comes, one game at a time. The job is not complete yet, so we want to continue to improve and continue to get better. [Captaincy] I've captained other teams that have won tournaments and have done well. You're always under pressure when you're representing the country. We take pride in doing that. We've been a really successful franchise, but we haven't won a title in the last couple of years. The pressure was on. We are searching for one, but if we continue to search for perfection, we are going to get frustrated. So, for us as human beings and as players, we need to try to be consistent on and off the field and accept that we are going to have bad days and good days as well. [Next games] Our focus is on ourselves; we can't control who's going to win. Both Guyana and St Lucia Kings have done extremely well to be in that position. We need to focus on ourselves, how we're going to improve as a group, and what we have to do as individuals."

11:32 pm Alex Hales survived an early run-out scare in the first over, and after that, both openers went all guns blazing, striking boundaries in the Powerplay. Cornwall was introduced in the fourth over and struck straightaway, picking up the wicket of Munro. Hales continued the power-hitting, striking three sixes off Cornwall's sixth over to finish the Powerplay on a high note. Hales and Nicholas Pooran then complemented each other, building a massive 143-run partnership. After 10 overs, the Knight Riders were cruising towards the target. The Falcons' bowlers never seemed to worry the batters, as they kept on bludgeoning the ball all around the ground. There were a few close calls, and Pooran won two reviews, but there were also a lot of heated exchanges with the umpire. At one point, DJ Bravo had to intervene and drag Pooran away during the Timeout. But all's well that ends well for the TKR, as they went on to win the game. Hales remained unbeaten on 54 runs off 40 balls, but it was Pooran who was more destructive, scoring 90 runs off 53 balls, including 8 sixes. Amidst all the tension, the match ends with a friendly handshake and a pat on the shoulder between umpire Ryan Banwarie and Nicholas Pooran.

Trinbago Knight Riders won by 9 wickets

Here's Imad Wasim