Cornwall, Nawaz keep Falcons on top; TKR on the brink of elimination

Kieron Pollard, who scored a 36-ball 41 in the chase, received a standing ovation in what might have been his final home game in the CPL

Antigua and Barbuda Falcons 183 for 4 (Nawaz 76, Moeen 32*) beat Trinbago Knight Riders 175 for 7 (Da Silva 54*, Pollard 41, Cornwall 3-17) by eight runs

Rahkeem Cornwall's seven-ball 20 at the top of the order and a three-for in the powerplay of the chase, combined with Hasan Nawaz's 76, stretched Antigua and Barbuda Falcons' lead at the top of the table in what might have been Kieron Pollard's last home game for Trinbago Knight Riders (TKR) in the CPL.

After their third loss in a row, TKR sit second-last from the bottom of the points table, on the brink of elimination with their sixth loss in eight games this season.

Falcons set TKR a target of 184, and in response, Pollard and Joshua Da Silva shared a 55-run partnership for the sixth wicket to keep them alive almost until the end. Pollard was battling an injury while on the field, and scored 41 off 36 before he holed out to deep midwicket in the 18th over, off Joshua James. The diving catch from Jayden Seales left TKR needing 36 off 15. As he walked off, the 39-year-old Pollard had his arms raised and got a standing ovation from his team-mates and the crowd, signalling it might be the end of his 13-years-long CPL career, although TKR have two games to go.

James conceded just three runs in that over, Shamar Springer nine in the next and TKR needed 26 off the last over, which James started with a single and two dots. That left TKR with 25 to win off the last three and Da Silva struck 6, 4 and 6 off those, ending in an eight-run loss.

Cornwall's 3 for 17 - accounting for three left-hand batters - had long landed the decisive blow in the chase: TKR were reduced to 63 for 4 at the end of their first six overs. He had Colin Munro sky one to mid-on and Sunil Narine caught at long-off in the space of three balls before taking the big wicket of Nicholas Pooran for 22 towards the end of the powerplay.

Earlier in the day, Cornwall had also made a rapid start with bat, hitting four consecutive fours in the first over off Akeal Hossain, then another off Usman Tariq, before the latter bowled him with an inside edge. Thereafter, Nawaz took over. He arrived at the crease in the seventh over, and smashed a 48-ball 76, stitching a century stand with captain Moeen Ali. The two shared a 108-run partnership off 61 balls for the fourth wicket, until Nawaz holed out to long-off in the final over, but after hitting nine fours and three sixes. Moeen finished with three fours and a six in his own innings of 32 off 24.

TKR also dropped two chances - including Nawaz, on 36 - and missed two run-out chances, both of which saw Moeen survive at the throwing end. The fine margins proved to be the difference as TKR, the defending champions, ended the night with lots to ponder about.