Tallawahs move closer to qualification for the final

– after CPL victory over Patriots

Defending champions Jamaica Tallawahs have returned to their winning ways in the 2023 Republic Bank Caribbean Premier League, and have edged closer to qualification for the final with a 59-run win against the St Kitts and Nevis Patriots under glorious sunshine at the National Stadium at Providence, EBD.

With the game being watched mostly by school children, Tallawahs posted 178-7 in their 20 overs, before reducing the Patriots to 119-9 in 17.3 overs. Ashmead Nedd was unable to bat for the Patriots, due to injury.
In their quest for the win, the Patriots were reduced to 37-2 within six overs. Evin Lewis (02) and Andre Fletcher (11) were sent back by the Pakistani duo of Mohammad Amir and Imad Wasim respectively. Will Smeed failed to score more than a-run-a-ball, and was dismissed for 13 from 14 balls. And the Patriots slumped further when Guyanese Sherfane Rutherford made only one run, being brilliantly caught by Chris Green, who took a screamer off his own bowling.

Already at the bottom of the points table, the Patriots were reduced to 40-4 in 7.1 overs by the time Corbin Bosch joined Yannic Cariah at the crease. Cariah produced his first CPL fifty from 34 balls, but received little support, as wickets fell around him.
All hope was lost for the Patriots when Yannick Cariah fell for 65 runs from 40 balls while the score was at 119-8 in 17.1 overs. He had struck eight fours, but the Patriots folded for 119-9 in 17.3 overs.

The Tallawahs produced a collective bowling effort in which Imad Wasim ended with 3-25 in four overs, while Amir was the best bowler with 4-19 in three overs.
Having earlier won the toss, the Tallawahs had opted to bat first. They had a rough start, being reduced to 31-2 in the powerplay.
Ashmead Nedd started the ball rolling by picking up two wickets in his first CPL game at home. He removed Brandon King (08) and Kirk McKenzie (01), but his final over in the powerplay yielded 17 runs.

Left-arm spinner George Linde then took two wickets in two balls when he removed the dangerous Alex Hales for 17 and Imad Wasim for a golden duck. Tallawahs were 32-4 after 6.4 overs, and 59-4 at the half-way stage.
Shamarh Brooks and Raymon Reifer, in a rebuilding effort, took the score to 65-5 in 11 overs. Brooks made 19 before he was removed by Yannic Cariah off a stunning Joshua Da Silva catch at short cover. Reifer, no stranger to the Providence ground, got to work with Shamar Springer, and Springer danced into Cariah, hitting him for a six and then cutting him into the boundary for four in successive deliveries.

Reifer, who looked set for a big score, fell for 28 from 22 balls, but that wicket saw Fabian Allen entering the arena and taking Corbin Bosch to the cleaners. In the 17th over, he hit Bosch for 23 runs, including three fours and one might six.
Springer and Allen added 62 runs from 28 balls before Springer was run out for 38 from 27 balls. His innings had two sixes and two fours.
Chris Green then came into his second home, the Providence Stadium, and he got off to a brilliant start with back-to-back boundaries off Oshane Thomas. Tallawahs ended on 178-8 in their 20 overs, with Allen unbeaten on 33. The Jamaican franchise added 119 runs in their last 10 overs.
Nedd ended with 2-25 in three overs, while Linde had 2-33 in four overs.
Jamaica Tallawahs have one more preliminary game to play. They will meet St Lucia Kings today, Sunday September 17, from 10:00h at Providence. A win for the Tallawahs would strengthen their title defense chances.