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| @Tim Seifert celebrates after completing his century vs ABF in CPL 2025 |
Falcon's Innings : A Foundation
When asked to bat, the Antigua and Barbuda Falcons took advantage of the conditions which were conducive to batting. The openers Amir Jangoo and Jewel Andrew gave a good opening racing 51/0 at the expiry of powerplay. Jangoo especially provided some stability in the top of the order and led the innings with a controlled, composed 56 off 43 balls with six fours and two sixes. But the entry of South African twirler Tabraiz Shamsi changed the tide temporarily.
Shamsi removed Andrew with his first ball, and followed it with a deep edge brought about by Karima Gore, who went away to a duck, Roston Chase taking a sharp catch at slip. Shamsi played four overs and managed to get 3/30, which stands out; he stopped the stream of runs when the Falcons were determined to do it.
The actual fireworks were provided by Shakib Al Hasan who opened fire with a scorching 61 off 26 balls only. His knock, with five fours and five sixes in it, gave motion to the innings. Shakib rewarded the bowlers of the Kings with his aggressive strokeplay; he gave them a reverse-sweep and a fine sweep to boundaries. Fabian Allen followed Shakib with a late cameo, smacking his mark on a 38 off 17 deliveries, which made sure Falcons crossed the 200-run barrier. The Falcons lost wickets in bunches, but their overall 204/4 looked domineering, and Jangoo, Shakib, and Allen all established a high target. Delano Potgieter contributed 1/20, and the bowlers of the Kings were hard pressed to keep down the Falcons middle and lower order.
Seifert' Materclass: The Kings Chase.
In pursuit of 205, the Saint Lucia Kings had to start off strong, and their openers, Tim Seifert and Johnson Charles played their roles in spectacular ways. Seifert broke the mood at the very beginning, as he smashed a six off the very first legal delivery by Imad Wasim. Charles entered the fray, and welcomed Jayden Seales with 6 in the second over, resulting in 23 runs.The Kings gained 40/1 in only 2.3 overs as Charles was caught behind on the bowling of Salman Irshad 17 off 9 balls. But this early defeat could do little to upset Seifert, who was in terrible form.
Seifert had played a masterpiece in T20 batting. He hit his fifty off only 18 balls, the shortest of the CPL 2025 season, in a mowing 24-run over.during the end of the powerplay against Shakib Al Hasan. There were two sixes and three fours on the over, and the bowlers of the Falcons were shell shocked by Seifert hitting reverses and making some strong hits and drives. Their powerplay mark of 92/1 was the highest in CPL history, the third-highest of the Kings, and the chase was a comfortable one. Seifert did not stop his violence, but he threw Usama Mir a four and a six and nonchalantly tossed his head over a dropped catch falling safely between three players.
Ackeem Auguste also allowed necessary support with 19 off 15 balls and smashed three successive fours before being stumped off Usama Mir. Roston Chase made 11, but he left, and was caught brilliantly by Irshad at short leg, making no difference to Seifert. The momentum was maintained until Tim David, with two sixes and a four off 16 hits, was caught at deep midwicket by Seales. Seifert was not to be stopped and he hit his century in a mere 40 balls, matching the record of Andre Russell who had hit his century in the fastest time in CPL, which was in 2018. His 125 off 53 balls, with 10 fours and 9 sixes was the second-highest individual score in CPL history, only surpassed by Brandon King and his 132 in 2019. Seifert completed the chase in 17.5 overs by smashing a six over the mid-wicket off Seales.Key Moments and Records
The victory of the Kings depended on the play of Seifert. Not only did his 125 make him the Player of the Month, but he also set a number of records. He broke the record of most sixes in a CPL innings by the Kings (9), which was 8 by Kieron Pollard. His 40-ball century was the quickest in CPL history as well as the quickest of any overseas player, surpassing Alex Hales in 2023 with a 47-ball ton. This 206 chase was the fifth-highest successful chase in CPL history and the third in their series of 200+ chases (both in the 2025 season alone).
Falcons bowlers were unable to keep Seifert down, and Usama Mir (1/39) and Salman Irshad (1/40) only managed to take a wicket each but at a high cost. Their situation was made worse by fielding errors such as a no-ball and a dropped catch, as Imad Wasim pointed out in the aftermath of the match: Fielding wins games. Lost hits and opportunities cost or missed. The powerplay by the Kings, spearheaded by Seifert and Charles, kept them ahead of the required run rate at all times.
Post-Match Reflections:
David Wiese complimented Seifert on his appetite to run, saying; he is an incredible player, I cannot bowl to him when he is in song like today, it is literally hard. Although they lost, Imad Wasim also admitted that the Falcons had batted very well, especially Shakib with 61 and Allen with 38 star, but they had failed in their fielding. Seifert himself indicated how the team was planning: Johnson Charles at the top is attempting to get us off to a good start... then, should we lose two or three wickets, we will nonetheless be ahead of the game. An inspired hop dance among the Caribbean people at a recent street party led him to celebrate, which gave the victory lap a festive flavor and made him popular with the crowd in Gros Islet.
Impact on the Points Table:
The victory took the Saint Lucia Kings to 10 points, making them second only to the Trinbago Knight Riders in the CPL 2025 table based on net run rate. The fourth loss in eight games left the Falcons third, but under increasing pressure to win their remaining games to hold onto their playoff hopes.
Conclusion:
The highlight of a match that promised the exciting possibilities of T20 cricket was the spectacular 125* of Tim Seifert. They had heroes in their family, as the Saint Lucia Kings clinical chase coupled with a record-setting powerplay and the historic Seifert knock proved. In the case of the Falcons, even good performances by Shakib and Jangoo were not enough to counter fielding mistakes, and the brilliance of Seifert. This game will be remembered as a milestone in the history of CPL, and the name of Seifert will be engraved with the legends of the tournament.
Brief Scores:
Antigua & BarbudaFalcon Innings: 204/4 (20 Overs) Amir Jangoo 56 off 43 Balls (6 Fours & 2 Sixes), Shakib Al Hasan 61 off 26 Balls (5 Fours & 5 Sixes)
Saint Lucia Kings Bowling: Tabraiz Shamsi 3/30 (4 Overs), Delano Potgieter 1/20 (3 Overs)
Saint Lucia Kings Innings: 206/4 (17.5 Overs) Tim Seifert 125* off 53 Balls (10 Fours & 9 Sixes), Tim David 23 off 16 Balls (1 Four & 2 Sixes)
Antigua & Barbuda Falcon Bowling: Salman Irshad 1/40 (4 Overs), Usama Mir 1/39 (4 Overs)
Player of the Match: Tim Seifert
Result: Saint Lucia Kings Won by 6 Wickets