CPL T20: Sammy's Zouks stun Gayle's Jamaica Tallawahs

St Lucia Zouks continued their excellent run of recent form with a stunning 63-run win over table toppers Jamaica Tallawahs in the 2016 Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL) at the Central Broward Stadium in Lauderhill, Florida.

A solid 74 not out from Andre Fletcher was the foundation of the Zouks 206-3.

It proved too much for the Tallawahs as they never recovered from the early losses of Chris Gayle and Kumar Sangakkara to finish well short of their target.

The victory also secured the Zouks qualification for the Hero CPL play-offs for the first time in their history.  

The Zouks got off to a flying start with 60 runs coming without loss in their best PowerPlay performance of Hero CPL 2016 so far.

Johnson Charles dominated the early exchanges, hitting two Hero Maximums together with six boundaries on his way to his third fifty of the tournament off 29 balls.

At the other end Andre Fletcher showed similarly aggressive intent, sending a six back over of Powell as the Zouks opening pair kept up a strike rate of more than ten per over.

The introduction of the slow left-arm of Shakib Al Hasan temporarily applied the brakes to the scoring. Only four runs came from his first over, and when his second brought the much-needed breakthrough as the well-set Charles chased a ball into the hands of Rovman Powell the Tallawahs began to grow in confidence as only 12 runs came from the next three overs.

The 13th, however, saw the Zouks find their feet again as 19 runs were scored, Shane Watson hitting six, four, six off successive deliveries from Powell.  

Watson continued to deal mainly in Hero Maximums, hitting two more off Russell to move ahead of his partner as the Zouks reached 148-1 at the end of the 15th over.

Although Watson fell next ball, caught by Walton near the backward point boundary off the bowling of Kesrick Williams, momentum had been re-established, and David Miller quickly settled in and provided good support to the accelerating Fletcher.

The opener, having earlier become the fifth batsman to score his 1000th run in the Hero CPL, brought up his fifty with a crunching Hero Maximum off the bowling of an apparently struggling Andre Russell who was having a game to forget with the ball, finishing with 0-64 off his four overs.

After Miller fell in the penultimate over to an excellent one-handed catch by Sangakkara to give Williams his second wicket, some last over hitting from Fletcher and new batsman Daren Sammy took the Zouks to an imposing 206-3, their highest team score of Hero CPL 2016.

The Tallawahs reply got off to an eventful start as Chris Gayle, having struck successive Hero Maximums, caught the shoulder of the bat as he pushed at the next ball from Delorn Johnson into the hands of Sammy at slip.

Kumar Sangakkara arrived at the crease in good touch, striking several beautifully timed boundaries as he and Chadwick Walton comfortably kept up with the required rate.   

The sixth over, however, brought disaster as Sri Lankan Sangakkara, backing up at the non-strikers end, was run out for 18 going for a quick single which Walton was slow to respond to.

A PowerPlay score of 57-2 had kept the Tallawahs in the hunt, but when Powell skied an outside edge to Sammy, who completed the catch off his own bowling, they began to struggle as the required run rate began to rise.       

Walton tried to maintain some momentum, reaching his fifty in the 14th over, but boundaries were in short supply in the face of an excellent performance in the field from the Zouks.

Shane Shillingford bowled particularly well, and was rewarded with the wicket of the opener, caught by Johnson at long-off for 54. Despite some big hitting from Andre Russell, there was too much to do and wickets fell regularly as the innings drew to a close.

Finals

St Lucia Zouks thrashed table toppers Jamaica Tallawahs by 63 runs to book their berth in the Hero CPL T20 Finals in Lauderville, Florida on Saturday.

Tallawahs were never in the hunt chasing an imposing target of 207 finishing on 143-8 with Chadwick Walton top scoring with 54.

Zouks captain Sammy brilliantly marshalled his resources getting Gayle early.

Delorn Johnson was the pick of the bowlers claiming three for 30 while Taylor claimed two for 34.

Another one goes down as Tallawahs stumble chasing a huge target. Jam 115-4, 15.5 overs.

C Walton c Johnson b Shillingford 54 (51b 7x4)

Walton completes a 45 ball half century to keep Jamaica in the hunt. Jam 103-3, 14 overs.

Sammy strikes with his first delivery pouching a skier from Powell. Jam 63-3, 8.1 overs.

R Powell c & b Sammy 2 (7b)

A misunderstanding with his partner results in Sangakkara being stranded. Jam 57-2, 5.4 overs.

Kumar Sangakkara run out 18 (8b 3x4)

Gayle is gone after hammering two massive sixes off being scooped in the slips. JAM 22-1, 2 overs.

Chris Gayle c Sammy b Johnson 13 (6b 2x6)

Zouks innings

St Lucia Zouks powered by half centuries from Charles (59) and Fletcher (74 not out) and a swashbuckling 43 from Watson made 206-3 after being put into bat by Jamaica Tallawahs.

Fletcher's 49-ball knock contained four boundaries and four sixes.

Charles slammed seven boundaries and two sixes during an opening stand of 89 runs with Fletcher.

Watson weighed in with a 20-ball 43 belting five sixes.

Russell was the most expensive going for 64 his four overs.

Sangakkara takes a brilliant catch to dismisses Miller. SLZ 187-3, 18.2 overs.

David Miller c Sangakkara b Williams 13 (8b 2x4)

Fletcher clubs Russell for a massive six to bring up his 50 off 38 balls. SLZ 172-2, 17 overs.

Watson perishes after failing to clear the fielder on the boundary after attempting to slice Williams on the off. SLZ 148-2, 15.1 overs.

Shane Watson c Walton b Williams 43 (20b 1x4 5x6)

Another good over for Zouks as Watsom pummels two maximums off Powell. SLZ 148-1, 15 overs.

Watson is on fire hammering a couple of sixes and a boundary off Russell. SLZ 120-1, 13 overs.

Tallawahs get a breakthrough as Charles scoops Shakib to point. SLZ 89-1, 9.3 overs.

Jonathan Charles c Powell b Shakib Al Hasan 59 (37b 7x4 2x6)

Charles races to his third fifty of the tournament off just 29 deliveries.

Charles cracks three boundaries off Wasim to power Zouks to 60 after 6 overs.

Charles in on fire thumping Williams over midwicket for his second six. SLZ 46-0, 5 overs.

Charles cracks a couple of boundaries off Wasim who returns to the attack. SLZ 38-0, 4 overs.

Boundaries keep flowing off the blades of Charles and Fletcher. SLZ 28-0, 3 overs.

Left-arm spinner Wasim opens the attack and Charles smacks the final delivery for the first Hero Maximum. SLZ 7-0, 1 over.

Chris Gayle's Jamaica Tallawahs won the toss and invited Darren Sammy's St Lucia Zouks to bat first in Match 27 of Hero CPL at Lauderhill in Florida.

Teams

Jamaica Tallawahs: TP Allen, NE Bonner, JA Foo, CH Gayle, Imad Wasim, JL Jaggesar, AM McCarthy, GE Mathurin, D Paterson, R Powell, AI Ross, AD Russell, KC Sangakkara, Shakib Al Hasan, O Thomas, CAK Walton, KOK Williams

St Lucia Zouks: J Charles, DYA Davis, GD Elliott, ADS Fletcher, MEK Hussey, DE Johnson, NR Kumar, E Leie, K Lesporis, KR Mayers, DA Miller, M Morkel, GD Pope, K Ramsaran, DJG Sammy, S Shillingford, JE Taylor, SR Watson

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