Faf du Plessis’ decision to bowl first initially seemed to backfire for the Kings as Fakhar Zaman and Justin Greaves propelled Antigua to 30/0 in the first four overs.
However, the departure of the Pakistani opener during the powerplay unsettled Antigua’s batting lineup. The situation further deteriorated with the dismissals of Kofi James and Greaves, putting the team under pressure.
The turning point came when Noor Ahmad was reintroduced in the 14th over by captain du Plessis. On the third ball of that over, Noor bowled a superb googly that tempted the in-form Jewel Andrew into a big shot. Andrew misjudged the delivery, hitting it high into the air and leading to an easy catch at long-on.
Noor continued his impressive performance in the 17th over, dismissing Sam Billings with a straight delivery that unexpectedly bounced. Billings attempted a reverse sweep but missed completely, losing his balance.
The ball struck the chest of Kings’ wicketkeeper Tim Seifert before he could glove it. Amid the chaos, Billings failed to get back into the crease in time, allowing Seifert to dislodge the bails just before Billings could complete his run.
Noor Ahmad put on a show tonight✨#CPL24 #ABFvSLK #CricketPlayedLouder #BiggestPartyInSport #GuardianLife pic.twitter.com/DLpTvcz6Bc
— CPL T20 (@CPL) September 4, 2024
On the very next delivery, Noor bowled another similar ball to Fabian Allen, who attempted a slog but missed, resulting in the ball crashing into the stumps and earning Allen a golden duck.
