Cpl

Sheldon Cottrell struck with his fourth ball, bowling Johnson Charles as he tried to whip to leg. He pinged Corey Anderson on the head first ball then had him caught at point by Evin Lewis, and when Hope sliced Tanvir to the same fielder the champions were reeling at 8/3 in the third over. Their response was spectacular.

Kyle Mayers took a Tanvir over for 14, and Jason Holder joined in by effortlessly flicking a Hero Maximum over square leg off Alzarri Joseph. Mayers pulled powerfully for two more sixes of his own, and from a hopeless position, the Tridents found themselves 51/3 at the end of the GuardianLife Powerplay.

Holder flicked then drove Ish Sodhi for six, bringing up a 50 partnership off just 25 balls. But the game swung back the Patriots’ way once more in the space of two balls.

First Mayers crashed Emrit to deep cover, then Evin Lewis pulled off a direct hit to send back Jonathan Carter. The Tridents had gone from 8/3 to 69/3 to 69/5 as the game continued to move at a breathless pace. Raymon Reifer picked out a lone boundary fielder off Emrit, and Ben Dunk then held a beauty off Sodhi to dismiss the well-set Holder, but here the Tridents’ deep batting lineup came into its own.

Ashley Nurse swung Joseph straight to Lynn, but Rashid Khan had jaws hitting floors with an astonishing helicopter flick for six. Santner fell timing a ball sweetly but straight to the fielder to leave Rashid batting with the capable Hayden Walsh Jr at no.11.

Tanvir and Cottrell were just as impressive at the death as at the top, going for just seven off their combined fourth overs, but Rashid showed his power and craft to plunder a couple of late boundaries to drag the Tridents over 150.

Walsh Jr let Lewis off the hook on zero, dropping a simple chance at point. But Santner kept things tight with the first maiden of Hero CPL 2020, Holder kept the pressure on, and that pressure told as Lynn carved Santner to Walsh Jr who held on this time.

With Lewis struggling, the Patriots crawled to 33/1 off the Powerplay. Rashid’s first ball was loose and Lewis crashed it for four, but the Afghan showed yet another facet of his game to run out the dangerous Trinidadian. Joshua da Silva, promoted to three on T20 debut, crashed a drive into the bowlers’ wicket, and Rashid reacted first to knock out the remaining stumps and catch Lewis short.

Dunk powered Nurse and Walsh Jr for a boundary each to keep things moving, then sent Reifer to the fence and then over it for the Patriots’ first Hero Maximum, leaving the Patriots 81/2 at the Angostura LLB drinks breaks.

Da Silva picked up a few boundaries off Rashid but struggled to score above a run a ball. Then Santner returned in style - Dunk went for power but toe-ended to Mayers at long-on. Holder kept his bowlers going in one-over spells, never allowing Da Silva and new Patriots signing Denesh Ramdin to settle.

Nurse almost pulled off an unbelievable catch in Santner’s last over, but Rashid was not to be denied. Walsh Jr came up with a true Republic Bank Classic Catch at deep midwicket to send Ramdin packing and the googly next ball was too good for Jahmar Hamilton. He couldn’t pick up a second Hero CPL hat-trick, but the damage was done.

 Da Silva kept swinging but found no timing or placement, and though Tanvir demonstrated his power with a pull for four off Reifer, even with a no-ball, a free-hit and a monster six onto the bank from Tanvir, Mayers had enough to defend off the last over. With only five wickets down, and from the start they made with the ball, the Patriots will be wondering how they let this one get away.

 Summary: Barbados Tridents 153/9 (Holder 38, Mayers 37, Rashid 26*; Emrit 2/16, Cottrell 2/16, Tanvir 2/25) beat St Kitts & Nevis Patriots 147/5 (Da Silva 41*, Dunk 34, Lynn 19; Santner 2/18, Rashid 2/27) by 6 runs

 Upcoming Fixture: Wednesday 19 August - Match 3: Jamaica Tallawahs v St Lucia Zouks (10am), Brian Lara Cricket Academy.

The Patriots won the toss and opted to put Saint Lucia Kings into bat, with the superb du Plessis batting through the whole innings as he recorded 120* off just 60 balls, supported by Roston Chase, who once again excelled with both the bat and ball.

The Patriots succumbed in their chase, bowled out for 124 despite some fireworks from Evin Lewis, but ultimately a disciplined bowling performance from the Kings won them the game. 

Saint Lucia Kings got off to a flying start as openers Andre Fletcher and Faf du Plessis ensured they batted through the Powerplay to reach 71-0. Despite losing the wickets of Fletcher and Keron Cottoy, the Kings built a mammoth total as du Plessis and Chase hit boundaries at will, contributing eight sixes between them.

The Patriots had a more restrained start as they began the chase; Devon Thomas fell to the bowling of Alzarri Joseph, with Chris Gayle following in the third over. Chase added pressure by bowling a maiden in the fourth over before Evin Lewis started to deliver some destructive shots, reaching his half century in just 25 balls. However, his 73 was in vain, as wickets tumbled, with Keemo Paul taking three wickets in the 16th over. 

Saint Lucia Kings now have six points and are firmly in contention for a play-off spot, while the Patriots remain top of the league.

The ICC has provisionally suspended Thomas with immediate effect after charging him under their Anti-Corruption codes on behalf of Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC), the Emirates Cricket Board (ECB) and the Caribbean Premier League (CPL).

The charges involve "contriving or being party to an agreement to fix or attempt to fix, contrive or influence improperly the result, progress, conduct or other aspects of matches in the Lanka Premier League 2021," according to an ICC statement released on Tuesday.

He has also been charged under several other codes, including failing to disclose full details of an approach in the Lanka Premier League 2021, Abu Dhabi T10 2021 and CPL 2021.

The charges involved are:

Article 2.1.1 of the SLC Code - contriving or being party to an agreement to fix or attempt to fix, contrive or influence improperly the result, progress, conduct or other aspects of matches in the Lanka Premier League 2021.  

Article 2.4.4 of the SLC Code – failing to disclose to the Designated Anti-Corruption Official, without unnecessary delay, full details of an approach or invitations received to engage in Corrupt Conduct in the Lanka Premier League 2021.

Article 2.4.6 of the SLC Code - failing or refusing, without compelling justification, to cooperate with the Designated Anti-Corruption Official’s investigation by failing to provide accurately and completely any information and/or documentation requested by the Designated Anti-Corruption Official. 

Article 2.4.7 of the SLC Code – obstructing or delaying the Designated Anti-Corruption Official’s investigation into Corrupt Conduct, including (without limitation) concealing, tampering with or destroying any documentation or other information that may be relevant to that investigation and/or that may be evidence of or may lead to the discovery of evidence of Corrupt Conduct.

Article 2.4.4 of the ECB Code – failing to disclose to the Designated Anti-Corruption Official, without unnecessary delay, full details of an approach or invitations received to engage in Corrupt Conduct at the Abu Dhabi T10 2021.

Article 2.4.4 of the CPL Code – failing to disclose to the Designated Anti-Corruption Official, without unnecessary delay, full details of an approach or invitations received to engage in Corrupt Conduct in relation to the CPL 2021.

Article 2.4.2 of the CPL Code – failing to disclose to the Designated Anti-Corruption Official (without unnecessary delay) the receipt of any gift, payment, hospitality or benefit (a) that he knew or should have known was made in order to procure a breach of the CPL Code, or (b) could have brought the player or the game of cricket into disrepute.

The 33-year-old last played in December 2022 when he made his Test debut in Adelaide against Australia. Overall, he has played 21 ODIs, 12 T20Is and the one Test match.

Thomas has 14 days from 23 May 2023 to respond to the charges made against him.

Thomas did not have a fantastic CPL for the St Kitts and Nevis Patriots last year, and says he needs to show improvement even though he feels disappointment.

According to Thomas, who was speaking with the Antigua Observer, his performances over the years matter very little in franchise cricket and what you have done last may count against you.

“Playing for St Kitts, I have been the second leading scorer over the last few years, so I was a bit disappointed but at the end of the day, it’s a franchise and they are coming with a different plan and different owners,” he said.

“Also, last year I got a few starts but I didn’t capitalise on those starts so I have to look back on myself and say I let myself down as well,” he said.

Thomas only scored 180 runs in the CPL last year, even though he had a high-score of 71.

But Thomas isn’t sitting on his laurels. The 30-year-old is already looking at making an impact in next season’s Super50 and four-day competition for the Leeward Islands Hurricanes.

“They [LICB] have given us a programme to work with and I think that it was just last week Friday we did a fitness test, a yoyo test, so I’ve been keeping in good shape. I am just lacking of hitting balls, that’s the only thing,” said Thomas.

“As I’ve said, I have to be more consistent and I wasn’t consistent enough. I did okay in the Super50 but I had a poor run in the Four Day so I have to try and fix those things and have better consistent performances going forward.”

Thomas was not retained by the St Kitts and Nevis Patriots and had gone into the CPL draft as a result, but was not picked up by any of the other five franchises.

Barbados national Dr Wilkinson-McClean has been working with the CPL since 2013 in a number of roles dealing with the tournament’s commercial partners. She was recently promoted to the role of Head of Partner Servicing where she runs a team who deliver sponsorship assets.

Launched in 2021, the Future Leaders Programme has sought to address the underrepresentation of females in leadership positions within cricket by offering online mentorship opportunities for future leaders, pairing them with senior figures to promote and support their career development.

 Building on the positive impact of previous editions, the 2024 offering is specifically tailored for female cricket administrators, who are set to benefit from an extended programme duration, where successful candidates will connect in a combination of face-to-face and online learning opportunities.

 The course comprises two three-day in-person workshops, supported by project work, mentoring and online masterclasses delivered by former Australia captain and ICC Hall of Famer, Belinda Clark AO.

 Pete Russell, Republic Bank CPL’s CEO, said: “Tara has been a hugely important part of the CPL team over the last decade and it is fantastic to see her selected for this hugely prestigious ICC initiative. The CPL is very proud of the fantastic female members on our team and it is pleasing to see the ICC investing in the further development of strong cricket administrators like Tara.”

 Dr Tara Wilkinson-McClean, Republic Bank CPL’s Head of Partner Servicing, said: “Being selected for the ICC Cricket Future Leaders Programme is a huge honour. Connecting with like-minded women from various arenas on a similar trajectory and being exposed to global leaders in business and sport is a game changer. I would like to thank the ICC for giving me this opportunity and CPL for their overwhelming support for my participation.”

 Fidel Edwards’s first over was fiery, and while Rakheem Cornwall drove for four he should have fallen trying to pull, but a stiff-looking Andre Russell parried the catch for another four. Mark Deyal started with a straight four off Veerasammy Permaul, but Edwards’s second over went for just four, and while Deyal pulled Mujeeb Ur Rahman for four the Afghan dismissed him with a googly.

 Permaul’s second went for just one, and while Cornwall dispatched Mujeeb over long-off for the game’s first Hero Maximum, the rest of the over went for only three, and at the end of the Powerplay, the Zouks were 35/1 with both Cornwall and Andre Fletcher under a run a ball.

Fletcher tried to attack Carlos Brathwaite but was superbly caught by Jermaine Blackwood. Cornwall hooked a second Hero Maximum and launched Sandeep Lamichhane for a third, but the Nepalese bowled him next ball with a googly. Brathwaite went for just five, and Permaul dismissed Mohammad Nabi who swept straight to his countryman Mujeeb. At halfway, the Zouks were 66/4.

Lamichhane bemused Najibullah Zadran to go for just one. Roston Chase thus had to attack Permaul’s final over and hit a straight Hero Maximum followed by a paddle-swept four. Lamichhane bowled a maiden, beating Chase on both edges, and Mujeeb’s third over went boundary-less to leave the Zouks 88/4 after 14.

 Lamichhane had bowled 11 dot balls in a row, but Najibullah broke the shackles with his reverse sweeps - if the first, a four, was fortunate, the second, a Hero Maximum, was majestic. Najibullah then dispatched Brathwaite over long-on then midwicket for consecutive Hero Maximums, bringing up a 50 partnership.

 Edwards targeted Najibullah with the short ball, going for just four, and while sub fielder Nkrumah Bonner reprieved Najibullah by dropping a simple chance off Mujeeb, the Tallawahs spinner got his countryman soon after as Najibullah sliced to Brathwaite at point. The Zouks reached 125/5 off 18.

 Javelle Glenn fell to a searing Edwards yorker, but Daren Sammy was able to use the pace to slice for four. Chase had become subdued and ended not out at under a run a ball.

Neither Blackwood nor Glenn Phillips started fluently - extras took up most of the first over, Nabi went for just two, and the first boundary of the innings was an under-edge. The Tallawahs were a scratchy 17/0 after three overs.

Blackwood flicked Nabi through square leg for four, and Phillips steered the Afghan for a four of his own. Kesrick Williams’ first over went for only three, but Deyal started with a full toss, swatted by Phillips for four, and followed it with five wides. Thus the Tallawahs reached 46/0 off the Powerplay.

Phillips picked the gap at midwicket to pull Zahir Khan’s first ball for four, but Blackwood was eating up deliveries, and while the Tallawahs reached 55/0 after eight overs, he was going at under four an over.

A misfield at third man gifted Phillips a four to end a good over from Williams. Blackwood continued to lack timing, but he and Phillips at least did not allow a dot ball off Zahir’s 10th. At drinks, the Tallawahs were 72/0.

Phillips thumped Zahir for the innings’ first Hero Maximum, but the Afghan ripped one through the gate to bowl the Kiwi. Sammy went to his other wrist-spinner Glenn, and the move proved fruitful as Blackwood under-edged to Fletcher. The Tallawahs suddenly found themselves needing 60 at over eight an over.

Tallawahs captain Rovman Powell fell the third ball to Zahir thanks to a brilliant slip catch by Sammy, and panic set in when Russell fell first ball, also caught by the captain at slip. Nicholas Kirton survived the hat-trick ball, but Zahir had changed the complexion of the game, and after 14 overs the Tallawahs were 93/4 and needed close to nine an over without Russell.

Walton’s difficult season continued as a good throw from Najibullah ran him out, and the Tallawahs now needing 43 off the last four overs. While Glenn dropped Brathwaite off his own bowling, he trapped him LBW next ball and then bowled Permaul to give himself a second chance at a hat-trick. Mujeeb survived, but the Tallawahs had dug themselves into a huge hole and now needed 13 an over.

Kirton launched Nabi over long-on for six then drove for four, but the Tallawahs still needed 24 off the last two overs. While Kirton smashed a full toss for a Hero Maximum, Williams calmed any nerves with a slower ball that bowled Kirton and closed his spell with a second wicket as Lamichhane picked out Nabi at long-on.

Chase had 17 to defend off the last over to Mujeeb and Edwards, who were never likely to get close. The Tallawahs go into a semi-final against the Trinbago Knight Riders on a losing streak and with questions to answer, but even with the Guyana Amazon Warriors’ pedigree, the well-led Zouks are not to be taken lightly.

Summary (St Lucia Zouks 145/6 (Najibullah 35, Chase 32*, Cornwall 32; Mujeeb 2/28, Lamichhane 1/20, Edwards 1/24, Permaul 1/27) beat Jamaica Tallawahs 134/9 (Phillips 49, Kirton 25, Blackwood 25; Glenn 3/16, Zahir 3/25, Williams 2/27) by 11 runs).

Upcoming Fixtures:

Tuesday 8 September - Semi-Final 1: Trinbago Knight Riders v Jamaica Tallawahs (10 am), 9:00 am Jamaica at Brian Lara Cricket Academy

Tuesday 8 September - Semi-Final 2: Guyana Amazon Warriors v St Lucia Zouks (5:30 pm), 4:30 am Jamaica Brian Lara Cricket Academy

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.”

 Guyana Amazon Warriors batted first and boundaries were flying immediately. Shimron Hetmyer kept the pressure on the bowlers as he dispatched three sixes but it was Brandon King who was the star player, making 74 (14). 

It was left to Dwayne Bravo to bowl the last to try and keep the total down to something that his team could chase with Hetmyer on strike. He took up where King had left off as he too brought up a half-century, this one from 11 balls. 

The Warriors closed their five overs with a score of 139/2 and with Munro a self-confessed novice at this game there were few who would have thought he would come close to winning this match. 

It wasn’t the perfect start with the Knight Riders with Lendl Simmons going for 10 from the third ball of their innings. It was when Munro took control of himself that the fireworks started as he hit four sixes in his 25 off six balls.  

TKR were still behind the rate, even after Sunil Narine hit the first five balls off a Romario Shepherd over and then more sixes coming from the bat of Kieron Pollard when he faced Imran Tahir. 

 Going into the last over the Knight Riders needed an improbable 35 to win the game. Darren Bravo made a mockery of that near-impossible target, hitting five sixes in a row before a four tied the scores and took it to a Super Over. 

 Munro batted first in the Super Over and carried on where he had left off, smashing another 33 runs from his six balls with Pollard once again doing damage. That left Nedd’s side needing 34 to win. 

 As in the match itself, it came down to the last ball. Nedd needed a six to win it, anything else and Munro would beat his more experienced opponent. Nedd could only manage a four and it was Munro and his TKR team who emerged victoriously. 

See match here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YvnhGgDSLxY

 In light of the development, the CPL now considers the matter closed.

 In the three videos, Gayle claimed that Jamaica Tallawahs’ CEO Jeff Miller had him agree to a pay cut on three separate occasions only to be excluded from the list of players the franchise chose to retain for the 2020 season.

Earlier this week, the Tallawahs citing a focus on rebuilding announced that they retained Andre Russell, Rovman Powell, Oshane Thomas and Chadwick Walton.

 Gayle had also lashed out at Ramnaresh Sarwan, the team’s assistant coach, calling him a snake while accusing him of conspiring with the owners to get him out of the franchise.

 The agreement that led to the Universe Boss’ decision to offer an apology stems from efforts made by the CPL and the relevant parties to settle the matter before it would be heard by a CPL Tournament Committee that received a formal complaint about the player’s actions on May 6.

 In his apology, Gayle said he realised the damage some of his comments may have caused.

 “I must be honest and say that I now realize how portions of my comments may be viewed as being damaging to Cricket West Indies, and to the CPL Tournament and its brand – a tournament which I have sincerely enjoyed not just being a part of, but also helping to build and promote,” Gayle said.

 “It was never my intention to damage the T20 Tournament, as playing in the CPL has guaranteed an opportunity for the past seven years to play in front of the great fans of the Caribbean. This is a privilege which I genuinely appreciate and have never taken for granted.”

 However, Gayle stood by other comments made during the videos that created quite a stir across the globe.

 “I made these videos with one single intention – to explain to the fans in Jamaica the reasons behind what has now become my second departure from the Tallawahs franchise,” he said.

 “It was my greatest wish to finish my CPL career in Jamaica – playing in front of my home crowd at Sabina Park with the franchise that I had previously led to two CPL titles.

 “In so far as my resentment at the treatment, I stand by my comments in those videos. My words were spoken from the heart.”

 According to the CPL, the Tournament Committee received a formal complaint on May 6, alleging breaches of its Tournament Rules & Regulations by Gayle, arising from a series of videos, which he had posted to his personal YouTube channel on April 27.

 Having circulated the complaint, the CTC unanimously decided that it satisfied the prima facie test. In accordance with its Disciplinary Powers, it authorised the establishment of an independent three-member Tribunal to hear the matter.  

 Notwithstanding, intense efforts were made to settle the charges for the benefit of CWI, CPL and Gayle before empanelling its members, the CPL explained.

 According to the CPL, these efforts have resulted in acceptance by Mr Gayle of the need to issue the statement that was received by the CTC and shared with the CPL & CWI to the satisfaction of all parties.

 “Given the assurance of Mr Gayle to act in good faith, it, therefore, is no longer necessary to empanel a Tribunal. The CTC, the CPL and CWI, therefore, consider the matter closed.”

Chris Gayle will be back with the St Kitts & Nevis Patriots, a team he played for in 2017 and 2018. Gayle guided the Patriots to their only Hero CPL final in his first year with the franchise. As the leading run-scorer in T20 history, he brings a huge amount of experience to the Patriots squad. 

Shakib al Hasan has joined the Jamaica Tallawahs for the 2021 season. This will be the second time that the world’s leading spin-bowling allrounder has represented the Tallawahs having been with the franchise in 2016 and 2017.

Faf du Plessis will be playing for the St Lucia Zouks this season. The former South Africa captain has been in outstanding form in recent months for the Chennai Super Kings at the Indian Premier League where he made four consecutive half-centuries, including 95 not out against Kolkata Knight Riders. This is his second stint at the Hero CPL having played for the Patriots in 2016.

An angry Chris Gayle has described Jamaica Tallawahs Assistant Coach Ramnaresh Sarwan as a snake and a backstabber in a series of videos in which he explains the reasons behind his move from the Jamaica Tallawahs to the St Lucia Zouks for the 2020 CPL season.

The 40-year-old batsman had a rough campaign in a forgettable season for the franchise of his birth country.  Gayle managed 243 runs in 10 matches, second behind Tallawahs scoring leader Glenn Phillips' 374, but one of those matches featured his tournament-high score of 116, registered early on against St Kitts and Nevis Patriots. 

The player, who averaged 24.30, failed to get any 50s for the tournament.  Gayle, who led the franchise to title at the 2013 and 2016 editions, had only returned to the Jamaica franchise last season, having left to join the Patriots in 2017.  His return was not a happy one, however, as the team slumped to 8 losses and only managed two wins in a last-place finish.

In February, KPH Dream Cricket Private Limited, Kings XI Punjab's parent company, purchased the St Lucia Zouks franchise and appointed Andy Flower as head coach. Gayle currently plays for Kings XI in the IPL.  The team will be captained by former West Indies T20 captain Darren Sammy, who was pleased to have Gayle on board.

"This is great news for St Lucia Zouks and for me as a captain to have the 'Universe Boss' on my side," Sammy said.

“Chris is one of the most successful T20 batsmen in the world and with his experience with our young openers, a lot can be learned from Chris.”

The tournament is set to feature six men’s teams and three women’s teams who will each battle for a version of the Universe Boss Trophy, which has been named in honour of the legendary T20 player.

The new format will see each team allotted ten overs to bat.  In many respects, the game will look very different from the typical 10-over format.  The teams will be allotted just six wickets instead of ten, a floating third powerplay will also be unlocked if the batting team manages to hit two sixes in the first two-over powerplay.

The fielding team will be allowed to bowl five consecutive overs from the same end instead of changing ends after every over.  If a team fails to complete the overs during the allotted time of 45 minutes will a fielder will be excluded for the final six balls of the innings. The fans will also be directly involved and able to vote for a ‘mystery-free hit’.

“It is a great feeling to actually have a trophy named after The Universe Boss, something fantastic, and I am really and truly looking forward to it. I am sure people will ask if this is real, a trophy named for Chris Gayle. Yes, it is happening, and I am really happy about it. I am looking forward to all the innovations," Gayle said.

"I am looking forward to the mystery team ball and hitting two sixes in the first 12 balls to unlock a third PowerPlay over.”

In addition to taking part in the tournament, Gayle will also play the role of ambassador.

Phillips was put in to bat by Fletcher and the New Zealander took control of a digital version of himself and he was out of the gate like a shot, making 30 runs off the first over on his way to a match-winning score.

Chadwick Walton fell early but the wicket of his opening partner did not slow Phillips down as he brought up a 10 ball fifty in the third over as he used his crease to make it difficult for the bowler to bowl to his plans. It was 105/1 at the end of the fourth over and a single from the first ball of the fifth got Phillips back on strike for the last five balls of the innings. 

Phillips continued to plunder runs from the last over, finishing on 80 (19) and leaving the Zouks a daunting 127 to win.

Fletcher got the Zouks chase underway with some fireworks as he took control of himself and smashed 26. He looked well set to match Phillips’ efforts, but a mistimed shot saw him caught at extra cover.

When Andre Russell had Rahkeem Cornwall caught and bowled in the next over it left the Zouks in trouble, and it got worse when Daren Sammy was out first ball.

Sandeep Lamichhane went even better than Russell when he picked up a hattrick, dismissing Mohammad Nabi, Roston Chase and Scott Kuggeleijn to leave the Zouks chase in tatters at 41/6.  

Some lusty blows from Chemar Holder brought some respectability to the Zouks total as he made 34 (7) but it was too little too late as the Tallawahs emerged winners by 28 runs.

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.”

Early boundaries from Chandrapaul Hemraj meant Shimron Hetmyer and Ross Taylor could take the team home in cruise control, and the Amazon Warriors ended the league stage on a roll with four wins from four.

Romario Shepherd put paid to a promising start with two wickets in two balls. Charles chipped tamely to Taylor at point, but there was nothing tame about the dismissal of pinch-hitter Rashid Khan, as a fierce pull was brilliantly caught by Brandon King who ran 20 yards to his left from deep square leg and dived full-length. 

 Greaves survived the hat-trick ball then closed the over with a four. Brooks hit a four off Imran Tahir but fell softly to Green, albeit with Taylor taking a good catch at short midwicket, and the Tridents reached the Powerplay at 28/3. That became 28/4 the very next ball when Tahir bowled Greaves, beating him all ends up with a googly.

Kyle Mayers launched a straight Hero Maximum off Sinclair but was undone by wrist-spin again, skying a Tahir googly to give Hemraj an easy catch at mid-off. The implosion continued as Tridents captain Jason Holder gifted Green a catch at midwicket off the second ball after the drinks break, Shepherd the bowler, and a second poor batting effort in a row by the Tridents against the Amazon Warriors left them 39/6 after 11 overs.

Mitchell Santner and Nyeem Young milked Sinclair for eight, and while Naveen went for just one on his return, Young ended a 37 ball boundary drought with a classy Hero Maximum over off Green. Santner pulled Shepherd for four, and after 15 overs the Tridents were 65/6. Sinclair ended the mini-recovery, bowling Santner with a quicker ball and celebrating by adding an extra flip or two to his post-wicket routine.

Young should have fallen to Naveen, King making good ground on the leg-side again but this time dropping the catch, but it mattered little as he soon missed a sweep off another Tahir googly and was bowled. Tahir ended his spell atop the Hero CPL wicket-takers table, and the Tridents ended the 18th over at 78/8.

Raymon Reifer pulled a Naveen slower ball through midwicket, and although the young Afghan ended wicketless he will bowl far worse spells that look better on the scorecard. Shepherd once again showed off his effective slingy yorker in the 20th over that went for just five. The innings ended with a run-out, and for the third time in Hero CPL 2020, the Tridents had failed to make three figures as a team.

Santner struck the second ball of the chase, bowling King with an arm ball that in effect swung into the right-hander. A tight over from Holder ensured Hemraj started slowly but got himself going with a powerful slog-swept Hero Maximum and a whipped four off Santner. He should have fallen to the New Zealander, the usually faultless Hayden Walsh Jr dropping a catch, but he continued his attack off Rashid with two fours and a six. After four overs, the Amazon Warriors were 34/1 and the required run rate was just three and a half an over.

Holder cleverly angled the ball across Hemraj, who couldn’t resist a pull shot and was well caught by Young at third man. Sherfane Rutherford, in for the rested Keemo Paul, got a promotion to four, but lasted only three balls before edging Holder to Ashley Nurse at slip. Holder took a heavy fall but completed a wicket-maiden, leaving the Amazon Warriors 40/3 after seven overs.

Hetmyer started watchfully, his first boundary not coming till his 12th ball and that too off an edge past new keeper Charles. Pooran faced five dot balls and tried to get off the mark with a boundary, but toe-ended Reifer straight up in the air to give Brooks a simple catch at cover. Taylor joined Hetmyer with the score 49/4 and a brief to calm things down.

Young started with a chest-high full-toss that was rightly called a no-ball and was lucky not to be called for another with the free hit, Taylor pulling a suspiciously high delivery for four. Hetmyer again edged past the keeper, and he and Taylor nudged and guided the Amazon Warriors to 67/4 at halfway needing just 23 more to win.

Holder could have ended his spell with a third wicket, but Taylor’s edge flew wide of slip, and Rashid was nudged for six off two overs to leave just 12 to win. Hetmyer finally hit his first boundary off Santner thanks to indifferent boundary fielding from the visibly injured Holder, Taylor had time to practice his forward defence against his countryman, and Hetmyer for the second day in a row hit the winning runs.

The Tridents now hold the unwanted record of being the first Hero CPL defending champions not to make the knockouts, and with the Amazon Warriors now guaranteed to avoid the Trinbago Knight Riders in the semi-finals, a sixth final is very much on the cards.

Summary: (Guyana Amazon Warriors 90/4 (Hetmyer 32*, Hemraj 29, Taylor 16*; Holder 2/10, Reifer 1/16, Santner 1/25) beat Barbados Tridents 89/9 (Young 18, Santner 18, Charles 10; Tahir 3/12, Shepherd 3/22, Green 1/17, Sinclair 1/23) by 6 wickets)

More particularly, Walsh Jr is relishing the opportunity to turn out for defending Hero Caribbean Premier League champions, the Barbados Tridents.

Walsh Jr was the leading wicket-taker for the Tridents, bagging 22 wickets on his way to helping the side lay claim to its second CPL win. More interesting than the success for Walsh Jr, though, is the experience of playing for the Barbados franchise and being led by West Indies Test captain, Jason Holder.

“I really enjoyed the Tridents setup last year with the whole coaching staff and the team and everyone just jelled together and even in the times where we looked as if we were going to go out quite miserably we still stuck together and fight it out to win the championship. So I think that was the most rewarding part of being part of the setup,” said Walsh Jr.

To boot, Walsh Jr was coached by the man who went on to lead the coaching staff of West Indies cricket in former West Indies opening batsman turned all-rounder, Phil Simmons.

“He’s like a father and I’d say he’s like a father-coach. He’s stern when he needs to be stern, he jokes around when it’s time to joke around and when things are not right he puts them into place, so it’s like when your parents or father sees things are out of place and they would put them in place. I think he has been a real father figure for all of us, even the big stars and stuff, so I really enjoy playing under him,” said Walsh Jr.

As of now, the CPL is still scheduled from August 19 to September 26 but that remaining so will depend on the spread of the Coronavirus up to that point.

COVID-19, the disease caused by the Coronavirus, has so far affected more than 1.6 million people worldwide and led to almost 96,000 deaths.

Thomas burst on the scene during the 2017 Caribbean Premier League (CPL), where the fast bowler regularly clocked over 90 miles per hour.  That kind of promise quickly landed the 23-year-old straight into the senior Windies set-up, where he has so far played 20 ODIs and 12 Twenty20 Internationals.

Things have, however, not been going smoothly for the player since then with bouts of indifferent form leading to a less impressive showing in subsequent seasons of the CPL.  In 2018, Thomas finished with the second most wickets on 18, but the following season had just 9 and none in the 2020 edition, where he had limited playing time.  Some believe the 23-year-old’s dip in form has coincided with some amount of weight gain.  The player is indeed seemingly several pounds heavier than when he burst onto the scene three years ago.

“I think he has a lot of work to do.  He has to get himself back in shape,” Walsh told the Mason and Guest radio program.

 "He has the raw ability, talent, and pace but he has to reign himself back in and I had a very serious talk with him. If he wants his career to take off and be consistent, then he has to get himself back in shape, in fighting condition,” he added.

“That's one of the challenges that we had.  A lot of people probably don’t know that behind the scenes we had to do things to stay at the top of our game.  If it means running that extra lap, probably that extra bit of bowling in the nets or going to the gym.  Whatever it takes for you to be able to maintain that fighting weight and good body fitness for longevity.”

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.”

On the eve of his 32^nd birthday, Russell, perhaps the most dangerous player in T20 cricket globally, in a rambling speech on Instagram Live on Tuesday night, accused the team’s ownership of poor communication and continued disrespect that helped create the impression that he was part of a conspiracy to get rid of Chris Gayle.

“I have another year’s contract with the Tallawahs and I am going to play and try and win because that is all I play for, but this will be my last because I have been getting mixed up with all these (expletive) that is happening,” he said, “and I can’t be playing cricket and I am not comfortable.

“And I think another franchise that has been coming last and fifth and fourth in CPL will appreciate me more. I am not getting it here.”

Russell revealed that he only heard about Chris Gayle’s departure from the team when the Universe Boss sent him a copy of a report in the Jamaica Gleaner that suggested that Gayle was not going to be retained by the two-time CPL champions and that there were going to changes to the coaching staff.

Rovman Powell was to be made captain.

That information, when combined with recent statements from Marlon Samuels suggesting that Russell must have known about Gayle's departure and Chris Gayle's subsequent comments, gives the impression that he knew what was going on behind the scenes at the Tallawahs when nothing could be further from the truth.

He said in 2019, he was not involved in anything with regards to the Tallawahs whom he said treated him like a player who was making his debut and whose opinion is not valued.

This is despite his decision to play for much less money because he wanted to play before his home fans. “I have accepted a pay cut just to play in front of my home crowd, my family and my friends,” he said.

This year, nothing has changed, Russell said.

“They communicated with my agent. My agent agreed. I agreed with my agent, ‘okay, let we sign’. The only time the CEO (Jeff Miller) or the only time the Jamaica Tallawahs contacted me was to ask me how soon will I sign,” he revealed. “The deadline is that time and can you sign please.”

Russell said when he asked who the team planned on retaining he did not get answers. “Who you guys planning on buying, I don’t get no answers on that. So I just leave it,” he said.

He said he read the newspaper report before he called Gayle and it made him nervous when it said that Floyd Reifer was going to be the head coach.

Reifer had messaged him, he said, indicating that he might be the head coach for the Tallawahs and mentioned plans they have for the upcoming season. However, Reifer suddenly ceased all communication and Miller still was not communicating with him.

During that time, Russell said, rumours began to circulate that Gayle was leaving for the Zouks.

He said his respect for Gayle made him fearful to even approach the ‘Universe Boss’ about whether the rumours were true. So when Gayle messaged him with the newspaper article asking if he knew anything about it, he was stunned.

“I called Chris instantly and I addressed the situation. I said to Chris that the only thing I heard was that Floyd Reifer was potentially going to be the coach.”

However, Russell believes that the fact that Rovman Powell and Reifer are friends and the perception that he knew what was going on behind the scenes, it creates the impression that he was part of a conspiracy to get rid of Gayle.

“Up till now I know nothing that was going on but now it looks like me, Rovman and Floyd Reifer plan up and a get of Chris. Why would I get rid of Chris? Chris has a three-year contract, you’re not supposed to breach your contract,” he said. “I had to address the situation because things don’t look good right now.”

However, this was something Russell said that was a feature of the ownership from the start.

He said when he signed to the Tallawahs in 2018, he had just returned from a one-year ban. The ban was for whereabouts violations after he had missed three doping tests within a calendar year, which under the WADA Code is equal to a doping violation.

He was made captain but, according to Russell, “the way they go about things kinda allowed me to dress back a bit”.

He said when he was made captain he gave the owners a list of the players that he wanted them to sign for the team.  “Overseas players, local players, players from inside the Caribbean. It wasn’t about friends. It wasn’t about Jamaicans,” he said. “I am a guy that plays to win and I have won 13 championships, maybe the only player that has done that, so I don’t play to lose.”

He said he tried to reach out to the owners on the day of the draft and got no reply. However, when the draft was completed they reached out and asked him if he was happy with the team they selected.

He said it took him a while to reply because he was disappointed that they did not communicate with him when he reached out to them. However, his agent urged him to reach out to them and indicate that he still wanted to be captain and that he was happy with the draft.

He concedes that they did pick a good team but it lost in the playoffs to St Kitts and Nevis.

However, Russell believes the owners of the Tallawahs need to change if they are to remain viable.

“We have to do things better for the future,” Russell said, who seemed genuinely disappointed and upset about what transpired between Gayle and Jamaica Tallawahs.

“To deal with Chris Gayle the way that they have dealt with the situation is nothing to do with cricket. It’s more personal.

 “This is going to be an awkward dressing room. It’s going to be an awkward CPL but no one will actually see that when I step out to bat or to bowl while I am on the field because I play to win.”