Shakib’s Jamaica clinch second CPL title

Shakib Al Hasan’s Jamaica Tallawahs became the first team to win the Caribbean Premier League twice as they cantered to an easy nine-wicket victory over Guyana Amazon Warriors at the Warner Park in St Kitts on Sunday (August 7).

An all-round effort from the bowlers led by Imad Wasim (3 for 21) meant Amazon Warriors were shot down for just 93 in 16.1 overs.

In reply, Chris Gayle hammered a 27-ball 54 before Chadwick Walton (25 not out) and Kumar Sangakkara (12 not out) polished off the chase with 43 balls to spare.

Amazon Warriors, who were making their third final appearance, failed to turn up on the night, with as many as eight batsmen failing to go register double-digit scores. Asked to bat, they lost Nic Maddinson on the fourth ball of the game even before the left-hander could open his account.

Chris Lynn, who orchestrated a number of comebacks earlier in the tournament, too, fell on the first ball of the third over to Shakib al Hasan for 7. With the scorecard reading 9 for 2, Dwayne Smith (17) and Sohail Tanvir (42) revived the innings with a 41-run stand in just 5.4 overs.

The duo was particularly aggressive against Shakib, but failed to carry the momentum into the latter stages of their innings.

Smith fell first, caught at long-on by Rovman Powell trying to deposit a slower delivery from Oshane Thomas after a 22-ball stay.

The Warriors innings nosedived from there with Shakib and Wasim spinning a web around their opposition. They lost their last seven wickets for just 43 runs in the next 8.2 overs.

Tanvir played a lone hand but with no support coming from the other batsmen, it was always going to be an uphill task to give the bowlers something to work with. Jason Mohammed, the second-highest scorer for Warriors this season, Anthony Bramble and Rayad Emrit, the captain, failed to open their account, rounding off a sorry batting display.

In a desperate attempt to post some runs on the board, Tanvir started chancing his arms in the 14th over and picked up 12 runs off Thomas. However, the onslaught didn't last too long as he mistimed a slog straight to Jonathan Foo at midwicket in the 16th over.

If nerves of the big match night got to Amazon Warriors, Gayle showed why he's the most lethal in the shortest format of the game. While he ensured that he didn't give away his wicket to Tanvir, the second-highest wicket-taker of the tournament behind Dwayne Bravo, he clobbered Steven Jacobs all around the park.

Walton too kept the runs flowing but was more than happy to play second fiddle to Gayle as the burly left-hander reached his half-century off 22 balls with a boundary in the eighth over. The only blip in an otherwise straightforward chase for the Tallawahs was Gayle's dismissal.

The captain was caught by Jacobs at midwicket in the 10th over. The experienced Sangakkara then ensured there were no more hiccups as he added 16 runs for the second wicket in 3.1 overs with Walton to seal the game.

Brief scores: Guyana Amazon Warriors 93 in 16.1 overs (Sohail Tanvir 42; Imad Wasim 3-21) lost to Jamaica Tallawahs 95/1 in 12.5 overs (Chris Gayle 54) by 9 wickets.