Photo: Chris Gayle blasts a ‘six’ for the Jamaica Tallawahs in his knock of 108 not out against the Trinbago Knight Riders on Monday night. The Tallawahs made 192/3 to win by seven wickets chasing the 191/4 set by the Knight Riders. (CPL/Sportsfile)
Led by an blistering 108 not out off 54 balls by Chris Gayle, the Jamaica Tallawahs made light work of 191/4 set by Trinbago Knight Riders in their second game in season four of the Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL) T20 competition. In the game played at the Queens Park Oval in Port of Spain, Trinidad on Monday night, the Tallawahs made 192/3 from 18.2 overs, winning by seven wickets with 8 balls to spare.
Gayle’s blistering knock included 11 sixes and 6 boundaries as the Tallawahs continued their perfect start to the tournament following their win over St.Kitts Patriots on July 3, 2016. The Trinbago Knight Riders poor start at home continued, with just one win in four matches.
The Tallawahs won the toss and chose to field but had to do without the bowling services of the injured Andre Russell and that would prove costly.
Brendon McCullum get off to a flyer, making 35 runs off just 18 balls, before being bowled by Imad Wasim in the 6th over with the score on 49 /1. However, Hashim Amla and Colin Munro put on a 103 runs partnership before Munro (55 runs off 39 balls) edged a Dale Steyn delivery to give Kumar Sangakkara a comfortable catch behind the stumps.
Amla though, found runs easily as he ensured the Knight Riders had a respectable total. Amla who played a timely 74 off 52 balls was given marching orders with the score on 180/3, after edging a delivery off Kesrick Williams and Sangakkara took an easy catch.
The Tallawahs opening pair of Captain Chris Gayle and Chadwick Walton found runs hard to get in the first six overs. Sunil Narine should have had the wicket of Chris Gayle in his first over but wicket-keeper Umar Akmal failed to gather the ball and break the stumps.
That missed stumping was very costly as Gayle would later find his range. Walton was run out in the 6th over by Kevaughn Cooper to leave the Tallawahs struggling at 29/1.
The experienced Sangakkara came and put on a 40 runs partnership with Gayle for the second wicket. Sangakkara became Narine’s only victim when he knocked back his stumps with one of his magical deliveries with the score reading 69/2.
It then became the Gayle show as his fellow Jamaican Andre Russell joined him at the crease.
Gayle who smartly waited until Narine was out of the attack, gave the rest of the Knight Riders bowling unit a serious punishment as the previously noisy home supporters went silent. Russell played an anchor role while his Captain stood and delivered at the other end.
Sulieman Benn came out of hiding and must regret bowling to the destructive Gayle who got 30 runs off his only over of the game. At this stage the Tallawahs were in the driving seat.
The Knight Riders thought they had the wicket of Gayle on 94, when he was caught in the deep, off the bowling of Ransford but it was a front foot no ball and Gayle wasted no time as he smashed the free hit for six runs to bring up his century.
Russell, 24 runs off 18 balls, was injured and tried to finish the game as quickly as possible but that was not to happen; he was caught my Brendon McCullum off the bowling of Dwayne Bravo. Amidst the chaos being created by the destructive Gayle, Narine bowled a brilliant spell 4 overs, 1 wicket for 9 runs.
At the fall of Russell’s wicket, Rovman Powell came and finished off the innings with a boundary and a six to take the Knight Riders out of their misery.
Tallawahs next play the Guyana Amazon Warriors in a top of the table clash on Thursday.
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