Tallawahs end Kings’ campaign to set up qualifier with Warriors tonight

By Brandon Corlette

Led by a collective bowling effort and Mohammad Nabi’s finishing touches, the Jamaica Tallawahs defeated the St Lucia Kings by 33 runs in the Eliminator match of the 2022 Hero Caribbean Premier League, played at the Guyana National Stadium at Providence.

This win for Tallawahs sets up the second Qualifier with home team Guyana Amazon Warriors this evening from 19:00h at Providence.
Tallawahs posted 148-8 in their 20 overs, and bowled out Kings for 115 in 18 overs. In the chase, which was watched by a fair-sized gathering, Kings lost CPL 2022 leading run-scorer Johnson Charles for three when he was bowled by the consistent Mohammad Amir at 10-1. Captain Faf du Plessis continued to strike the ball cleanly, but he watched Niroshan Dickwella perish for seven and Roston Chase go by way of a soft dismissal for one. Both batsmen fell to left-arm spinner Imad Wasim, and Jamaica continued to hunt wickets.
Kings’ skipper Faf took advantage of the powerplay, with Kings scoring 54 runs in that period. A low Fabian Allen delivery rattled the stumps of Faf for a 26-ball 41, to send the South African out of the game after he had slammed two sixes and four fours in his knock.

Englishman Adam Hose and Mark Deyal took Kings to the halfway stage with the score on 74-4 in ten overs. Allen continued to bowl stump to stump, and his deliveries kept low. Mark Deyal played a poor shot and was cleaned up for nine by Nabi, while Matthew Forde ran past an Allen delivery. Allen then sent back David Wiese for a golden duck with another ball that kept low and hit the stumps at 81-7 in 12 overs.
Hose, who was bowled by Nabi, laboured for his 18 from 26 balls. Jeavor Royal was Nabi’s third victim of the evening. Alzarri Joseph looked to threaten, but was left stranded for 28 from 18 as Kings were bowled out for 115 in 18 overs.
Nabi completed a good all-round game with 3-10 in his quota, and Allen ended with 3-28 in his four overs.

Earlier, Kings won the toss and opted to field first. The Jamaica Tallawahs lost the openers early with only 21 runs on the board. Brandon King was softened up and then trapped leg-before by the impressive Alzarri Joseph for seven, and Kennar Lewis was trapped by the promising young right-arm seamer Matthew Forde.
In the powerplay, Tallawahs were 29-2, and West Indies players Shamarh Brooks and Rovman Powell had to drop anchor. Powell failed to get going, as he made a 14-ball seven. The Jamaican skipper was playing across the line when he was trapped leg-before by Royal at 47-3 in 8.3 overs.
Raymon Reifer and Brooks then surpassed their 50-run stand in 32 balls, as Tallawahs flexed their muscles. Brooks had looked classy and set to score big, but he held out and was caught off David Wiese for a constructive 47, which included four timely sixes and one four.
At 98-4 in 14.2 overs, Fabian Allen took centre stage at Providence, but his struggles continued this season, as he made a second-ball duck. Allen spooned one to short cover and gave Wiese his second wicket.
A set Reifer, who made 25, was then sent back by the impressive Joseph, and the Tallawahs were falling apart. The Barbadian Reifer struck two fours and one six in his knock.
Imad Wasim (07) and Chris Green (02) failed to make an impact with the bat, as Kings bowlers where aiming to pull off the ultimate restriction job. However, the Afghan star Mohammad Nabi had other plans. After Green departed with the score on 115-8 in 17.3 overs, Nabi took control. He slammed Kesrick Williams for 19 runs in the final over, and as Tallawahs ended on 148-8 in 20 overs, Nabi ended on a 15-ball 31.
Wiese was the pick of the Kings’ bowlers with 3-19 in three overs. Tallawahs and Warriors are now set to lock horns in a sold-out game at Providence.