Photo: Andre Russell
It was another day of heroics from the Jamaica Tallawahs “Superman” Andre Russell , as the allrounder produced another fantastic late order batting display to help the defending champions pull off a nail biting win over the Trinidad and Tobago Red Steel in the Limacol Caribbean Premier League T-20 play-offs on Wednesday.
It was the first game of the play-offs and Russell smashed an unbeaten 67 runs off just 27 deliveries to pull the champions from the jaws of defeat after the Red Steel seemed as though they would be the ones facing the Guyana Amazon Warriors in the second play-off game on Thursday.
The Tallawahs won the toss and put the Red Steel in to bat and were vindicated when they had the Dwayne Bravo led team on the ropes at 36-3 in the 5th over. However, a fourth wicket stand of 110 runs between Ross Taylor and Dwayne Bravo help pushed the Steel to a challenging total of 155 for 6 from their 20 overs. Taylor, who top scored for the Steel, hit 70 runs off 44 deliveries with 7 fours and 3 sixes in his innings. Bravo was the next highest scorer with 33 off 35 deliveries. David Bernard Jr was the leading wicket taker for the Tallawahs with three wickets for 19 runs in his four overs.
Needing 156 runs to win, the Tallawahs were rocked back unto their heels when they lost Captain Chris Gayle for 1 in the first over. Chadwick Walton went at 24-2 and Adam Voges went one run later as the Steel grabbed control of the game. When Jermaine Blackwood went at 4-39 in the 7th over, the Tallawahs were slipping out of the contest.
A mini revival saw the Tallawahs get to 72 before they lost their 5th wicket when Bernard went for 6 and just four runs later it was 76-6 when Bonner was run out for 39, midway the 14th over. The champions required exactly 80 runs from 39 deliveries at that point and the odds were squarely in favour of the bowling team.
But Russell has warmed to the title of Superman and he gave another “out of this world” display, smashing 5 fours and 4 sixes to drag his team into a second play-off game in two days. The Tallawahs entered the final over needing 8 runs to win and after scoring two runs off the 2nd and 3rd deliveries respectively, Rusty Theron smashed the fourth delivery for six to secure the win by four wickets with 2 balls to spare. Theron finished not out on 18.
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