Cpl20

The CPL will have a full season and will feature overseas and Caribbean players with the standard higher than it has ever been with the likes of Rashid Khan, Chris Lynn, Carlos Brathwaite, Dwayne Bravo, Alex Hales and Kieron Pollard all set to take part.

Last year’s CPL had a combined broadcast and digital viewership of 312 million and with the tournament being the first franchise T20 event to take place in several months there will be more interest than ever.

The CPL have worked with the Trinidad & Tobago Ministry of Health and the CPL’s own board of medical advisors to create protocols which minimize risk of transmission of the COVID-19 virus to the population of Trinidad and in amongst those who will be travelling to Trinidad & Tobago from overseas.

All teams and officials will be housed in one hotel and everyone will be subject to strict quarantine protocols for the first two weeks they are in the country. Everyone travelling from overseas will be tested for COVID-19, before departure and then again on arrival in Trinidad.

Teams and officials will be put into “households” where social distancing will need to be in place. There will be smaller clusters within each household where these measures can be relaxed. However, if any member of this cluster display signs of COVID-19 at any time during the tournament all members of that cluster will be expected to self-isolate for a period of 14 days from the time that a member of that cohort first shows symptoms.

All members of the CPL party will be subject to regular temperature checks and will be re-tested for the virus throughout their stay in Trinidad and again before departure.

Pete Russell, COO of Hero CPL, said: "We would like to express our gratitude and thanks to The Hon. Dr. Keith Rowley, Prime Minister of Trinidad & Tobago, The Hon. Shamfa Cudjoe, Minister for Sport and Youth Affairs, The Hon. Terrence Deyalsingh, Minister for Health, Dr. Roshan Parasram, Chief Medical Officer for Trinidad & Tobago, Douglas Camacho, Chairman of Sport TT and their respective ministries and organisations for their support and guidance in making this all possible.

“We are really excited to bring high-class cricket to the Caribbean and to the rest of the world. The standard of players involved in this year’s tournament will be higher than ever and we can’t wait to get the tournament under way.”

The West Indies became one of the first teams to return to international cricket last month, after embarking on a three-match tour of England.  The entire series, which the West Indies lost 2-1, took place in a biosecure environment.

Likewise, the region has been among the first to return to hosting a major T20 franchise tournament when the CPL tipped off on Tuesday.  The entire tournament will take place in Trinidad and Tobago, where another bio-secure environment has been established.  Grave believes the return of the tournament to the region’s pitches will provide a boost to players and fans alike, despite this edition being played in an empty stadium.

“I think it’s great that we have cricket back on in the region.  We are very proud of the fact that with England and Wales Cricket Board we were able to bring international cricket back to the world,” Grave said.

“It’s great for everyone in the region, it’s brilliant for our players.  It’s great for cricket fans around the world that they’ve now got almost doubleheaders every single day for the next few weeks to enjoy,” he added.

“We haven’t had any regional cricket since the West Indies Championship finished in March.  So, I think the West Indians involved in CPL alone will pick up collectively US$2m.  It is really important to them as professional cricketers that they can earn some much-needed match fees from the tournament.”

Simmons slammed a whirlwind 96 from just 63 balls, registering 7 fours and a towering 6 sixes.  His performance anchored a 174 innings for the Tridents, who then restricted St Kitts to 115 to score an eighth straight win.

Prior to the fireworks, Simmons had eked out an average season to date, registering scores of 32 and 25 against the Barbados Tridents and Jamaica Tallawahs respectively but with ducks against the Tallawahs and St Lucia Zouks.  According to Simmons, however, being able to bide his time with the team winning and encouragement from his uncle provided the motivation.

“I’ve been struggling for the last couple of games that I played.  I didn’t get the start to the tournament that we wanted but seeing that we were winning it game me confidence that I would come good at some point in time,” Simmons said.

“Last night I had a talk with Phil(Simmons) and he told me what I needed to hear and that reminded me of my ability and talent and what I can do.”

All had looked lost after Mujeeb ur Rahman and Sandeep Lamichhane had worked their magic, but Mayers smashed 29 off a Carlos Brathwaite over that proved absolutely pivotal.

Mujeeb did for both Tridents openers - an off-break turned big to trap Shai Hope LBW and a carrom ball to Johnson Charles took the edge for Tallawahs skipper Rovman Powell to take a good catch at slip.

Veerasammy Permaul, replacing Russell, started well until Kyle Mayers lofted him for six over extra cover. Mayers repeated the trick off Edwards and the Tridents reached the Powerplay at 37/2.

Holder lifted Permaul onto the rope at long-on, and Mayers took a liking to Powell in an over that went for 17. Brathwaite didn’t escape punishment as Mayers timed him over point, bringing up a 50 partnership off just 29 balls. Powell went to Lamichhane, whose googlies restricted Mayers and Holder to three off the 10th over.

At halfway, the Tridents were 79/2.

Twenty balls later, that was 90/6. Brathwaite bounced out Holder, Rashid Khan’s promotion lasted two balls as he sliced a Lamichhane leg-break to backward point, Mujeeb skidded a carrom ball onto Corey Anderson’s stumps and Lamichhane beat Ashley Nurse’s slog-sweep with a googly.

Mujeeb could have had Mayers had a close LBW shout been given or had Glenn Phillips held a catch, but with the Afghan and Nepalese combining for 5/30, little did we know how crucial that would prove.

Brathwaite disappeared to all parts as Mayers launched four Hero Maximums, and even good death bowling saw the Tridents end on a competitive looking total.

Santner started superbly, bowling Phillips as part of a wicket-maiden. Chadwick Walton flayed Holder for four and pulled him for a Hero Maximum, but the Tridents captain nicked him off with a Test match-style seaming beauty. Santner followed up with another fine over, and the Tallawahs were 13/2 after three.

Walsh Jr went for just three runs, all due to misfields including a dropped catch. Blackwood’s first boundary was a thick inside edge off Holder, and the captain’s extra bounce did for his opposite number Rovman Powell who gloved to the keeper.

At 22/3 off 5 overs, the Tallawahs were precariously placed, and that was before Rashid Khan came on for the last over of the Powerplay. The required run rate was now approaching nine an over.

Walsh Jr spilled a tough caught-and-bowled off Blackwood, but finally got his first wicket of Hero CPL 2020 as Asif holed out to long-off to plunge the Tallawahs into even deeper strife. The leg-spinner celebrated his first wicket of this CPL season with a huge roar of delight.

Ashley Nurse went for just five off two overs, and Walsh Jr beat Blackwood on both edges to leave the Tallawahs 36/4 needing 11 an over off the last 10 with three overs of Rashid still to face. In a familiar tale, the Tallawahs had failed to score off 44 of the first 60 balls.

Things seemed to be picking up after the break. Bonner pulled Walsh Jr for the first boundary in 37 balls, Blackwood joined with a Hero Maximum to put a slight dent in Walsh Jr’s figures, and the two scored off every ball of Rashid’s second over including a boundary.

But Santner’s return did the trick. Blackwood hit one big Hero Maximum over the sightscreen, but a slower ball deceived him into holing out to long-on. Rashid capped a horrible night for Brathwaite, pinning him LBW with a fast googly, and after a mini-recovery the Tallawahs were 68/6 off 14 and needed 13.5 an over.

Santner finished a brilliant spell - 20 off his 24 balls were dot balls and a Hero Maximum was his only boundary conceded. Bonner hammered Raymon Reifer for a Hero Maximum, but Permaul took nine balls to get off the mark, and with the Tallawahs needing 17.25 an over, Bonner took it upon himself to farm the strike.

Rashid ended the Tallawahs’ last faint hope, as Bonner tried to pull an unpullable ball and Anderson held the top-edge. Mujeeb deposited his countryman for a pair of Hero Maximums, but even so the required run rate at the end of the over was higher than when it started.

Mujeeb continued his fun with a reverse hook off Nyeem Young, but the youngster made a contribution taking an excellent catch diving forward at deep point to give Reifer the wicket of the scratchy Permaul.

Reifer made it two when Mujeeb tried to reverse sweep a delivery on middle stump, and in the end the only thing missing for the Tridents was a wicket for Young. Russell or no Russell, the Tallawahs batters need to find some answers fast.

In truth, perhaps the Warriors, last season’s beaten finalist, will be relieved to not match the previous campaign's accomplishments, where they did not lose a match until the final of the competition.  On Tuesday, on the back of the sizzling 63 from Shimron Hetmyer and 33 from Ross Taylor saw the post a respectable 144 for 5 in a reduced 17 overs.

In defense of the total, the Warriors got off to a strong start.  Afghan pace sensation Naveen-ul-Haq, teamed with Green and Romario Shepherd combining to keep Knight Riders’ openers Narine and Lendl Simmons to just 9 off the first 3 overs.  The Knight Riders found their feet with Narine hitting Green over midwicket.

"It was going to be tough beating 11 wins in a row from last year. Was a tough game, and the first game in a long time, so. Given the start, losing two early wickets, I think Taylor and Hetmyer batted really well,” Green said.

“We thought 140 would be a good score. We spoke about holding that length, and when we went away from that, we got hurt. Plenty of room for improvement."

On Thursday, Nabi helped the St Lucia Zouks earn their first points of the Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL) after a 7-wicket Duckworth Lewis victory over defending champions Barbados Tridents earlier today.

Nabi first bagged 1-19 from four overs before slamming 15 off six deliveries to earn the man-of-the-match title in a significantly rain-affected game.

After restricting the Tridents to 131-7 from 18.1 overs, the Zouks benefitted from a long rain delay and only needed 47 from five overs, inclusive of two power plays.

Nabi helped the run chase along with some smart running, a big six and a smashing four.

“I don’t like interviews but because we won the game and I performed for my team, this one I like,” said Nabi during an interview with the CPL’s Alex Jordan.

Speaking about his cameo, Nabi said players like himself like having a short burst because it represents freedom to just go hard. He was also delighted to be up against teammate, Rashid Khan.

“We play for the same team most of the time, on national duties and we play on the same IPL team, so I know how Rashid will bowl to me. In the end he got me out as well though,” he said.

But when the Zouks bowled, Nabi said there was improvement after the close defeat they had against the Jamaica Tallawahs.

“This game we bowled brilliantly. It is a good start to the tournament and let’s see for our upcoming matches,” said Nabi.

Ali Khan and Jayden Seales started superbly after Knight Riders captain Kieron Pollard put the Tallawahs in. Walton spliced Ali Khan to square leg and Kirton was trapped in front by Seales.

Glenn Phillips and Tallawahs captain Rovman Powell both hit their first ball for Hero Maximums, but a flamboyant DJ Bravo catch gave Ali Khan the wicket of Powell. Asif Ali coming to the crease in the third over could not have been part of the Tallawahs’ Plan A.

A mini-recovery ensued as Phillips took Seales for a pair of boundaries, and Asif welcomed Khary Pierre to Hero CPL 2020 with an enormous straight-six. Narine bamboozled Asif five balls straight but found himself hammered into the stands for a magnificent Powerplay-closing Hero Maximum.

Narine had his revenge, bowling Asif with a deceptive quicker ball. The Tallawahs crawled to 63/4 at halfway, and it got worse when a Fawad googly completely deceived Brathwaite. The leg-spinner’s first two overs tonight contained a remarkable 11 dot balls.

Phillips broke the spell off Fawad to come out of his post-Powerplay slump and reach 50 off 34 balls. The Tallawahs were careful to see off Narine, but at 90/5 with six overs to come, the acceleration had to come at some point, and once Phillips fell trying to whip Seales over deep square leg the onus was all on Russell.

Ali Khan delivered a near-perfect over, closing by nearly holding a spectacular return catch off a ferocious drive from Ramaal Lewis, who came into the Tallawahs XI for Veerasammy Permaul. In truth the American was lucky to escape with his teeth intact.

Thanks to a fine diving catch at mid-off from Colin Munro, a restless Russell fell having faced a good number of deliveries for under a run a ball for the second game running. Remarkably, he is yet hit a six in this year’s Hero CPL.

The final over saw Fidel Edwards, into the team for Oshane Thomas for his first Hero CPL game since 2015, run out as he sacrificed himself to save Lewis, but the all-rounder couldn’t manage a boundary. Ali Khan and Dwayne Bravo’s death bowling was outstanding, and the Tallawahs total felt sub-par.

Edwards and Mujeeb-ur-Rahman troubled the top order, with Lendl Simmons losing his shape off the paceman and gifting a catch to mid-off. After 4 overs the Tallawahs had Trinbago nerves jangling, but Narine’s eyes lit up when inexperienced off-spinner Lewis came into the attack.

Fourteen runs came off the over.

Munro and Narine both drove Russell for four through cover, and 38/1 off the Powerplay meant things were much calmer in the Knight Riders dugout.

Narine has built his reputation as a hitter of spin, but he was severe on the pace of Russell, with the highlight an impudent inside-out four on one leg. He brought up a 35-ball 50 off the last ball of the 10th over, at which point the Knight Riders needed just 71 off 60 with nine wickets in hand.

Munro’s was a curious innings - he managed just 16 off his first 24 balls, but 14 of them were boundaries, and it wasn’t until the 17th over that he breached a run a ball. This all-or-nothing approach was a feature of the chase, and the Knight Riders will want to address their high dot-ball percentage as they move through the tournament.

Mujeeb was excellent, and deserves huge credit for holding a skied return catch off Darren Bravo despite keeper Phillips nearly taking him out with a full-length dive. But Narine’s belligerence and Munro’s anchor role meant that, although the Tallawahs will rue a few missed opportunities, the Knight Riders always had the chase firmly under control.

The sense of ease was underlined when Pollard had time to block out an Edwards over in an ultimately vain attempt to steer Munro to 50, and the Knight Riders go into the weekend sitting pretty atop the standings.

In large part, that failure, scoring 60 off the last four overs, was down to the bowling of Naveen-ul-Haq, who bowled the penultimate over to Russell.

At the start of the 19^th over, the Tallawahs were 87-7, needing a further 32 runs from the 12 deliveries to come.

The first delivery of Naveen’s over was muscled over deep midwicket for Russell’s fourth six of the innings. The second delivery from Naveen was full outside off stump and a thick outside edge saw it rush to the third man boundary. Russell had taken 10 runs off the first two deliveries, having already taken 17 from Imran Tahir the over before that and 11 from Keemo Paul’s 17^th over.

But Naveen, apparently, is made of sterner stuff and produced four dot balls to leave the Tallawahs with 22 to get from six and Russell at the non-striker’s end.

“It was difficult to bat on that pitch. The first ball I saw was sticking and turning a lot, so I knew that if we put up 120 or thereabouts, it’s gonna be a tough chase for them,” said Naveen of the 118-run total the Warriors had just defended, the lowest in CPL history.

Speaking with CPL’s Alex Jordan, Naveen went on to explain that he was fearful of bowling that 19^th over to a man known to be among the most destructive batsmen in the world.

Naveen would end with figures of 1-22 from his four overs.

“He is quite an explosive player and everybody knows this. I am cherishing this moment. It was quite lucky that I got that over. I was happy to come at the main stage and do well for my team. I got the chance and I did well,” he said.  

Players, staff and officials, were required to arrive in Trinidad and Tobago two weeks ahead of the CPL’s August 18 start.

A number of chartered flights were arranged for the trips, including one from Jamaica to Barbados on Monday. Allen, who was to have competed for the St Kitts and Nevis Patriots, was to have been on that flight but missed it courtesy of a mix-up in flight times as per his agent.

"Unfortunately there was some confusion with his understanding of the flight details and he missed the flight," said Allen's agent in an interview with ESPNcricinfo.

"We explored all possibilities, but due to the pandemic and travel restrictions in Trinidad, the charter flight on Monday was the only way he could enter the country."

Allen has been a mainstay in the Patriots team since 2017.

They are now in quarantine in the official hotel for 14 days during which time they will be tested regularly.

If any member of the party is found to have contracted the virus they will be removed from the hotel and placed in further isolation in accordance with the current protocols in Trinidad & Tobago, but as of now all those who have arrived in Trinidad & Tobago are free from COVID-19.

“It has been a colossal effort by all involved to get everyone safely into Trinidad & Tobago and we would like to thank everyone for their hard work and diligence,” said Tournament Operations Director Michael Hall.

“Our main priority is the health and well-being of all those involved in CPL and the wider population in the host country, to have got through this first step without any cases is encouraging news, but we will remain vigilant.”

The 2020 season gets underway on August 18 and will see 33 games played at two venues in Trinidad. The first match will see last year’s runners-up, the Guyana Amazon Warriors take on the Trinbago Knight Riders. The final will take place on September 10.

Mystery spinner Sunil Narine played a starring role with a fiery 50 from 28 balls and miserly 2 wickets for 19 runs in a four-wicket win for the T&T-based franchise.  On the back of an unbeaten 63 from just 44 balls from Amazon Warriors batsman Shimon Hetmyer, the Guyana franchise put 144 runs on the board.

Though by no means an intimidating total, the Knight Riders did not have a smooth run chase.  The bowling of Warriors captain Chris Green and Romario Shepherd kept the Knight Riders’ Narine and Lendl Simmons to just 9 off the first 3 overs.  Simmons, in particular looked out of sorts, missing four of Shepherd's slower balls in a row.  But then, Narine got cracking with a series of searing sixes to the Warriors on the back foot and pull the Knight Riders back into the game.

"Any competition, you want to start well. A little scratchy and scrappy but good to get over the line,” Pollard said following the game.

“We needed to play a good game of cricket and it was a good game of cricket. Points on the board at the start,” he added.

After bowling out the Warriors in 19.1 overs, the Tallawahs were pegged back by the combination of brilliant bowling from the Warriors and their own failure to adjust to a pitch where the ball was sticking.

“We knew the wicket was quite tough to bat on. We felt we were 10-15 short but we have a special bowling line-up,” said Warriors captain Chris Green.

That 10-15 runs short never mattered as an all-round bowling performance where Green ended with 2-10 from three overs, Imran Tahir, 1-26, Ashmead Nedd, 1-10, Naveen-ul-Haq, 1-22, Keemo Paul, 1-33, and Chandrapaul Hemraj, 1-3 from one over, were enough to restrict the Tallawahs to 107-7.

“I am very, very disappointed but that's the nature of the game,” said Powell.

“I think both teams batted poorly, and we really need to improve our batting,” he said.

 “The positive was Russell coming to the party.”

Though disappointed, Powell was pleased to see the work of his spinners, saying he was impressed.

“Impressed with Mujeeb [Ur Rahmann] and Sandeep [Lamichhane],” he said. The two ended with figures of 3-18 and 2-8 respectively.

Organisers of the CPL had last month negotiated with the T&T government to host the CPL, usually occurring throughout six countries, solely in the twin-island republic.

The schedule and venues for the CPL have since been released, with the T&T Prime Minister promising a bubble to protect the citizens of T&T.

“Everything that will go on around the CPL will go on in a bubble that does not interact with the national population,” he said.

According to Rowley, all visitors will be screened for COVID-19 before coming to T&T and once they do, they would be subject to all protocols of entry. Once in the country, those visitors are confined to the Hilton Hotel “and that becomes a bubble for them.”

Matches will be played at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy in Tarouba and at the Queen’s Park Oval in St Clair.

Those venues form part of the bubble with Rowley saying, "Then (the players) will go to a venue to play the game where they will not interact with the population. So, therefore, the CPL is a bubble that has nothing to do with what goes on with the population in the country."

The CPL is scheduled for August 18-September 10.

The entirety of this season’s tournament will take place on the island of Trinidad and Tobago as organisers, like many around the globe, operate with an abundance of caution due to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.  The six CPL franchises and match officials reported to the twin-island republic a week ago where they have been quarantined at the Hilton Hotel in St Ann's.  The tournament will get under way on August 18.

Tallawahs CEO Jeff Miller confirmed that Sarwan, who was appointed to the post two years ago, was not among that number.

“Mr Sarwan requested leave for personal reasons and that was granted,” Miller said in an interview with the Trinidad and Tobago Newsday.

“It’s a big loss, Sars (Sarwan) brings a lot to the game - his knowledge, his experience and the way he has dealt with the players over the years, so it is a great loss,” he added.

Sarwan will be replaced by former West Indies spinner Ryan Austin.  In April, Sarwan was in the news after a public spat with former teammate and then Tallawahs batsman Chris Gayle.  In a Youtube rant Gayle blamed Sarwan after he was released by the team.  Sarwan denied having anything to do with Gayle’s release.

Due to issues of safety stemming from the coronavirus pandemic, the entire tournament will be staged in Trinidad and Tobago, with enhanced bio security across two venues.  The teams will begin departing for the twin island republic on Monday, ahead of the tournament’s commencement on the August 8^th.

“I am really looking forward to performing and helping us win the tournament this time. It’s long overdue, so this year is our year. Everything is different, so the results will be different this year,” Shepherd told the Guyana Times.

The player believes the task will be made complex by the fact that the majority of players have not been able to play competitive cricket due to the onset of the pandemic

““Being in a pandemic for the first time, I am a bit nervous and tentative going into the tournament. (For) a big tournament like this, you need match practice, and this season will be one of the toughest seasons, not just for me, but for everyone playing in the tournament,” Shepherd said.

“Just the guys coming back from England would have been active, but for the players in the Caribbean, it would be really tough. (There has been) no match practice, and you have to click from the beginning.”

Last season Shepherd claimed 13 wickets in an outstanding season for the Warriors who did not lose until the final.  Despite making it to the final five times the Guyana franchise remains without a title.

The Patriots had selected the prolific T20 batsman during the CPL draft earlier this month.

The 31-year-old cited travel restrictions caused by the Covid19 pandemic as the reason why he will not be able to fly to the Caribbean for the tournament that is to be held in Trinidad and Tobago starting next month.

“Very sad to announce that I will, unfortunately, miss #CPL this year. Circumstances, lockdowns and closed borders made it impossible for me to get to the Caribbean in these times,” he said in a post on his Instagram account on Tuesday.

“Good luck to the @sknpatriots, a team close to my heart. I will be following the #biggestparty closely.”

Van Der Dussen has scored 406 runs for South Africa in 15 matches for South Africa after making his debut against Zimbabwe on October 9, 2018.

He was the leading run-scorer during the 2017–18 Sunfoil Series, with 959 runs in 10 matches and was the joint-leading run-scorer in the 2018–19 CSA T20 Challenge tournament, with 348 runs in 10 matches.

In franchise cricket, he has represented the Vancouver Knights in the players' draft for the inaugural edition of the Global T20 Canada tournament where he was also the leading run-scorer with 255 runs.

In October 2018, he was named in Jozi Stars' squad for the first edition of the Mzansi Super League T20 tournament.

The Tallawahs, champions in 2013 and 2016, won only three of 11 games and were eliminated in the semi-finals by eventual champions Trinbago Knight Riders in what was a lop-sided affair.

Powell, who scored 33 in that semi-final loss, his best score of the season, had an otherwise disastrous season with the bat.

Prior to last week’s semi-final match, Powell had scores of 8, 23, 2, 4, 1, 2, 5, and 2. He was equally poor with the ball, failing to take a wicket while conceding 109 runs in a season he would want to quickly forget.

However, notwithstanding the disappointing season, Miller said both still have his full support.

“I am going to fully back the coach and I am going to fully back the captain. They both did the job at hand with the personnel that they had. I am not going to bash any of them,” he said.

“This is a team, not individuals and both of them did as much as they can with the personnel that they had.”

That said, Miller concedes that the Tallawahs went into the season knowing that they had deficiencies in the batting. Andre McCarthy, for example, was unable to travel to Trinidad for the tournament after being exposed to someone who was infected with the COVID-19 virus. His absence was missed.

“We can see from the performance that we were lacking that one batsman who was a specialist batsman who would come in a serve a purpose and we would have the big hitters around that batsman, but unfortunately, we did not have that one specialist batsman and it showed up in our performances from the batters,” Miller said.

“McCarthy, or any other specialist batsman, would have helped us out this year.”

 Having elected to bowl first, Tallawahs captain Rovman Powell could not have hoped for better than the Edwards yorker which bowled Brandon King first ball of the match. Anthony Bramble, playing his first Hero CPL game since 2016, survived LBW shouts from both Edwards and Mujeeb, but Shimron Hetmyer was not so lucky off the Afghan spinner.

Bramble was unable to settle, playing out eight straight dot balls including a Mujeeb maiden before pulling Edwards straight to the captain on the fence. Only Ross Taylor clubbing Andre Russell for a Hero Maximum then pulling him for four got the Amazon Warriors as far as 30/3 off the Powerplay.

Taylor hammered Powell for four, but Carlos Brathwaite conceded just 10 off his two overs, and Lamichhane started beautifully. At halfway the Warriors had crawled to 53/3, and it was only to get worse against the Tallawahs’ high-class spinners.

Mujeeb turned a carrom ball to bowl Nicholas Pooran, whose only boundary in his 17 ball innings was an edge past the keeper, and Lamichhane’s googly deceived Sherfane Rutherford into giving up an easy catch to Asif Ali at cover.

Russell chipped in with an inswinger to trap Taylor LBW, and Mujeeb got captain Chris Green with a beauty that Green edged to his opposite number at slip. Mujeeb was unplayable, as evidenced not just by his 3/11 but by 18 of his 24 deliveries being dot balls.

The Amazon Warriors became frantic, and only a full-length dive saved Keemo Paul from being run out. Lamichhane’s last over was just as good as his first three, and even his outstanding figures of 1/12 might have been a little harsh on him.

Five wides from Edwards were the Amazon Warriors’ first ‘boundary’ in 58 balls, and the first off the bat took another 12 after that. It was a fine straight hit from Naveen for a Hero Maximum, but it did come after Edwards picked up Paul LBW with another big inswinger. A farcical run out involving four separate fielders off the last ball was a fitting reflection of the Amazon Warriors’ innings.

Where King had been bowled first ball of the Amazon Warriors’ innings, Phillips smacked the first of the Tallawahs’ for four. Walton, however, was bowled by a Tahir googly, which the South African again celebrated by taking the knee. Jermaine Blackwood, playing his first Hero CPL in five years, hammered his first ball for four but his second almost bowled him, ending a dramatic over.

Tahir caused havoc in his second over too, but Blackwood drove Ashmead Nedd for four and Phillips swept Green over square leg for a Hero Maximum to keep things moving against the spinners. But while Phillips took Naveen for a straight six and a four through point, the Afghan fast bowler got his own back when the New Zealander sliced to Paul at point. The Tallawahs reached 40/2 off the Powerplay, and the required run rate was now under 5 RPO.

Asif, trying to fulfil his role as a power-hitter, was brilliantly caught off Paul by a diving Green coming in from long-off. Green then took a fine catch off Nedd too, this time above his head inches from the rope, to send back Powell just as Powell had caught him earlier. Nkrumah Bonner came in above Brathwaite and Russell, and the Tallawahs plodded to 58/4 after 10 overs.

Blackwood sweetly drove Naveen for four first ball after the drinks break, but under-edged the second to keeper Pooran who took a smart low catch. That brought Russell to the crease, which in turn prompted Green to bring back Tahir. Russell and Bonner decided to play out the veteran, and thus the over went for just three. 

Bonner ensured Paul’s over would beat that total with a classy glide past point off the first ball, but with 7 overs to go the game was still far tenser than 37 needed off 42 balls would suggest. Nedd continued to impress, his final over going for just two. The Tallawahs struggled again to rotate the strike, and Bonner was lucky not to edge a wild hack off Naveen. Remarkably given the target, the Tallwahs went into the last five overs needing over a run a ball.

That, however, was as close as it got. Russell sent Tahir clean over the roof and then Paul hard and flat into the stands, Bonner almost took out the umpire with a straight drive off Paul, and when Naveen returned Russell somehow poked a wide ball through point for four and Bonner finished in style with ten off two balls. Unlike on Saturday, this time Russell didn’t have to do it by himself, and the win was, in the end, a formality.

 Summary: (Jamaica Tallawahs 113/5 (Bonner 30*, Phillips 26, Russell 23*, Blackwood 23; Naveen 2/35, Paul 1/16, Nedd 1/17, Tahir 1/23) beat Guyana Amazon Warriors 108/9 (Taylor 25, Naveen 20*, Pooran 15; Mujeeb 3/11, Edwards 3/30, Lamichhane 1/12, Russell 1/17) by 5 wickets)

Upcoming Fixture: Wednesday 26 August - Match 13: St Lucia Zouks v Barbados Tridents (10 am), Queen’s Park Oval

Hales believes having, Khan, the number-one ranked T20 bowler in their side is a massive boost for an already strong side.

“I have played against Rashid Khan a few times and had a season with him at Sunrisers Hyderabad. Any team that has Rashid Khan in it, you boost your chances of winning the competition,” Hales remarked.

“For me, he and Andre Russell are probably the two best T20 players in the world. So to have Rashid, particularly on the pitches that favour spin in the Caribbean he can an absolute handful. And he is fantastic in the field and obviously smacks a few at the end, so any team that has got him in their ranks seriously boosts their chances of winning.”

Hales is also very optimistic about the addition of Stoinis.

“We have signed Marcus Stoinis as well, and playing against him in the Big Bash, he was in the form of his life and scored runs in every game that he played. We seem to have got an even stronger squad somehow than we did last year. It is really exciting,” he said.

Hales will be linking up again with his Nottinghamshire teammate, Harry Gurney, for the 2020 tournament and he was full of praise for the left-arm seamer, saying he was crucial to their championship win. Gurney arrived for the home leg of the tournament at a time when the Tridents were far from certain of making the playoffs. Hales says his efforts helped guide them to the knockouts and beyond.

“Signing Harry Gurney was massive. He learns his trade on Trent Bridge, which is arguably the flattest pitch it the world. So, for him to bowl on probably bowler-friendly pitches was huge for us for him to come in for the back-end of the tournament.

“He played a massive part in us winning the whole thing. I think we can build on that for next year, knowing that if things don’t quite work out at the start of the tournament you have got time to figure it and not panic. And that is something Jason and Phil did really well, at no point did they get edgy or concerned about playing well at the start. Everyone kept a cool head and we really turned it on when it mattered which is a really good trait in a team.”

After a Powerplay charge, the Amazon Warriors lost 10/62 as Mujeeb-ur-Rahman and Sandeep Lamichhane ran riot. But last year’s finalists roared back with the ball to take bursts of 3/4 and 4/25, leaving the Tallawahs needing 60 from the last 4 overs, from which position even Russell at his most devastating wasn’t enough.

After Tallawahs captain Rovman Powell elected to bowl, Fidel Edwards generated significant swing, but Oshane Thomas was wayward and Brandon King punished him mercilessly. The fact that one of his Hero Maximums was off a no-ball because too many fielders were behind square on the leg-side added insult to injury. Thomas was not seen again with the ball.

Chandrapaul Hemraj was quick to pounce on anything short from either Mujeeb or Russell, and with King continuing to time the ball sweetly, the Amazon Warriors raced to 56/0. All seemed to be going swimmingly.

But Mujeeb sparked a remarkable turnaround. First, a ball skidded past King’s sweep, then next ball the in-form Shimron Hetmyer was done by a quicker off-spinner. When Hemraj steered the first ball after the Powerplay to the fielder at point, the Amazon Warriors had slumped from 56/0 to 57/3 inside four balls.

That became 67/4 when Nicholas Pooran tried to cut Mujeeb and edged behind. Sensing an opportunity Powell went on the attack, introducing Lamichhane and keeping a slip in. So panicked were the Amazon Warriors that Sherfane Rutherford came out with two left gloves.

Lamichhane did not disappoint. His first over was tight, and in his second his googly spun big to leave Rutherford only able to give Mujeeb a second catch at point. Ross Taylor found himself fighting a lone hand, and the Amazon Warriors found themselves in a hole at 85/5 after 12 overs.

That hole got deeper still. Keemo Paul skied to Phillips trying to pull Carlos Brathwaite’s third ball, Amazon Warriors skipper Chris Green lost his leg-stump to Lamichhane, and eventually, Taylor clipped Brathwaite straight to deep midwicket to leave the Amazon Warriors 99/8 after 16 overs.

Naveen-ul-Haq showed a deft touch, but debutant Ashmead Nedd couldn’t stay with him as he was farcically run out. Naveen tried to hit out but gave mid-off a simple catch to give Brathwaite a third wicket and put the final nail in the coffin - or so it seemed.

At the start of the chase, Green sparked panic with a pair of LBWs, removing Chadwick Walton with the first ball of the innings and ending Nkrumah Bonner’s first Hero CPL game since 2016 shortly after, courtesy of a bad decision from the usually reliable Brathwaite. Imran Tahir got a rare outing in the Powerplay and threatened immediately with a maiden.
Nedd’s debut may not have gone well with the bat, but the first ball of his T20 career removed Glenn Phillips. Asif Ali joined captain Powell in the fourth over with the score 4/3, and though he was beaten with his first two balls he got off the mark with a commanding cut shot.

The Amazon Warriors bowled, fielded and appealed as though angered by their own batting, and the intensity didn’t let up after the Powerplay. Naveen let rip some whole-hearted LBW appeals, Nedd got bounce and sharp turn, and Paul hit Powell on the helmet with his first ball.
While Asif was dropped at long leg by Nedd, he would not get a second life. Hetmyer held his nerve at long-on and sent the Tallawahs to the drinks break reeling. Naveen kept the pressure on, and Nedd was unplayable at times. At 41/4 after 12, the Tallawahs had to confront the possibility of losing an unlosable game, and that became even more real when Brathwaite was bowled by Paul.

Nedd finished a remarkable debut with four dot balls to Russell, and the Tallawahs now needed 69 from the last six overs before Powell clubbed Naveen down Green’s throat to leave Russell still to get off the mark and batting with the tail.

Russell finally hit his first Hero Maximum of the tournament off Imran Tahir, who returned to trap Lamichhane LBW for a duck. When Russell took the 17th over for 11 runs, the 18th for 17, and the first two balls of the 19th for 10, it looked like he was going to win yet another game single-handedly.
But Naveen responded with four dot balls in a row, and crucially kept Russell off strike for the last over.

Paul’s execution was perfect, and though Russell battered a Hero Maximum onto the roof to bring up 50 it was too late. Both sides will be wondering what happened after 39.1 overs that defied logic.