CPL T20: Russell takes Jamaica Tallawahs to top

The Jamaica Tallawahs surged to the top of the Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL) table with a superb win against the Trinbago Knight Riders at Sabina Park, their third successive home victory in three matches.

A career best 44 by Rovman Powell and a brilliant display of hitting at the end of their innings from Andre Russell helped the Tallawahs to set a target of 159 to win.

Runs from Hashim Amla further cemented his place at the top of the Hero CPL run-scoring chart, but he played a lone hand with wickets falling around him as the Tallawahs won by 19 runs with Russell backing up his batting display with four wickets with the ball.

Much of the speculation before the match was about whether Chris Gayle would be fit to play, and the Tallawahs would have been delighted when he was able to take the field.

Unfortunately for the packed crowd at Sabina Park his innings did not last long. Gayle struggled to get off the mark and was dismissed for a nine-ball duck when he edged behind off Kevon Cooper.

With both openers gone it fell to Sangakkara and Rovman Powell to rebuild. Powell struck four sixes during his knock.

Sangakkara and Powell departed within three balls of each, both falling to short balls from Cooper. Their partnership of 72 came from just 50 balls.  

Cooper finished with figures of 3-22, his best figures in Hero CPL.

It looked like the Tallawahs would set a sub-par total, but a brilliant counter-attacking 44 from Russell gave the home team a chance.  

Russell smacked five fours and three sixes using a neon pink bat to give the Knight Riders a stiff chase.

Trinbago Knight Riders lost Brendon McCullum and Colin Munro early. McCullum was out stumped off the bowling of Imad and Munro spooned a catch into the covers off Dale Steyn.

Hashim Amla held the innings together with a knock of 42. Knight Riders felt they were in with a chance when Amla was at the crease with Denesh Ramdin.

After Amla's depature, Dwayne Bravo struck back-to-back boundaries to bring the rate down but another cluster of wickets including two wickets in two balls from Russell ended TKR’s chances of reaching the victory target.

Brief scores

Jamaica Tallawahs 158-7 (R Powell 44, A Russell 44, K Cooper 3 for 22) beat Trinbago Knight Riders 139-9 (H Amla 42, A Russell 4 for 23) by 19 runs

Follow Emirates 24|7 on Google News.