PORT OF SPAIN – Disciplined bowling steered the Jamaica Tallawahs to a narrow five-run victory over the Trinidad and Tobago Red Steel in their Limacol Caribbean Premier?League (CPL) Twenty20 match at Queen’s Park Oval on Wednesday night.
Defending a modest 146 on a good pitch, the Tallawahs restricted the Red Steel to 141 for five off their 20 overs.
The Red Steel, after winning the toss and sending in the Tallawahs, were in range of pulling off their first victory of the tournament but were unable to counter the accuracy and variations of veteran off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan, swing bowler Vernon Philander and pacer Andre Russell in the critical overs.
With captain Dwayne Bravo at the crease with teenager Nicholas Pooran, and the score on 83 for four after 15 overs, the home team seemed in position to pull off a win. However, once Bravo (29) was caught by wicketkeeper Carlton Baugh early in the 19th over off a skier from a short ball from Russell, the ambitions of the Red Steel were dashed.
Pooran, who hit 20 from 15 balls, and Cooper, not out eight, tried desperately to find the boundary in the last over, when 21 runs were needed from six balls, but were pegged back by Philander.
The Tallawahs also owed their victory to some late aggression from eventual Man-Of-The-Match Danza Hyatt and South African Philander, who propelled them to a total they were able to defend after the top order struggled.
Hyatt scored an aggressive 42 not out off 26 balls, in adding an important 41 off the last 14 balls with Philander, who was unbeaten on 23 off eight balls. (CMC)
