Forde's all-round starrer takes Kings past Falcons in rain-reduced thriller

St Lucia Kings 54 for 7 (Bishop 12*, Forde 11, Springer 3-13, James 2-13) beat Antigua and Barbuda Falcons 98 for 9 (Cornwall 26, Jangoo 23, Forde 4-29, Chase 2-7, Bishop 2-16) by three wickets (DLS method)

Falcons struggled to reach 98 for 9 in 19 overs when rain arrived and ended their innings. Kings' target was first set as 84 in 15 overs, but more rain eight balls into the chase truncated the game further. As a result, Kings needed 52 to win in eight overs, and got there at seven down with just two balls left.

Kings were 21 for 6 in five overs - Joshua James and Shamar Springer had two wickets each for Falcons - before a counter-attack from Matthew Forde brought Kings back. Forde hit Springer for a four and a six either side of two wides, but was dismissed next ball. Shadley van Schalkwyk (8* off three balls) and Joshua Bishop (12* from ten balls), though, saw the chase off from 33 for 7.

Forde had a say with the ball too after Kings had opted to field. He was even on a hat-trick in the second over when he got Evin Lewis and Tim Robinson off back-to-back balls. Rahkeem Cornwall fought back for Falcons with a cameo of 26, but Forde finished the seventh over by dismissing him.

Bishop and Roston Chase then got into the wickets, with the latter keeping it tight with a spell of 4-0-7-2. Falcons' innings never got going, but Alzarri Joseph's 16* from No. 10 eventually took them to what turned out to be a competitive score with rain lurking.