A new look Jamaica Tallawahs got their 2022 Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL) campaign off to a winning start with a 47 run victory over the defending champions, St Kitts & Nevis Patriots.
The Patriots won the toss and opted to field first but the decision backfired as a sparkling 89 off 57 balls from Brandon King led the way for the Tallawahs who set an imposing 183/2 from their 20 overs.
In reply the Patriots fell to a sizable defeat losing wickets in regular clusters as the Tallawahs put on an excellent display in the field to back up their performance with the bat.
The Tallawahs had got off to a circumspect start with Duan Jansen bowling a beautiful three over opening spell. However once Brandon King got into his groove the runs started to flow.
He took 14 and 19 runs respectively off Akila Dananjaya and Jon Russ Jaggesar to ensure the Tallawahs ended the PowerPlay on 48/0.
Whilst King was timing the ball well, the same could not be said for his opening partner Kennar Lewis. Normally a powerful striker of the ball, Lewis struggled in his time at the crease but had lady luck on his side.
Twice he should have been run-out but Sherfane Rutherford and Dewald Brevis failed to execute before Andre Fletcher and Jansen also dropped Lewis.
Lewis benefitted from those misses to help put on a 100 run partnership with King before he eventually fell for 48 off the bowling of Jaden Carmichael.
That wicket brought Tallawahs captain, Rovman Powell, to the crease and he added a quickfire 30* from 15 balls at the death to ensure the Tallawahs set a match winning target. Although much like Lewis he benefitted from two dropped catches along the way.
The Patriots were never really in the game in their reply as scoreboard pressure told.
Evin Lewis, Dewald Brevis and Darren Bravo all fell inside the first half of the innings which left the Patriots needing 12.5 runs per over.
That proved too steep a mountain to climb, and despite some pyrotechnics from Sherfane Rutherford it was Nicholson Gordon who stole the show with the ball taking 3/24 to ensure a comfortable victory for the Tallawahs.
