The CPL held it’s online draft earlier on Monday, with the Tallawahs also drafting Nepaleese leg-spinner, Sandeep Lamichhane.
The Tallawahs team threatens to look very different from it has in previous years, though they have retained the services of Andre Russell, Rovman Powell, Glenn Phillips, Chadwick Walton, and Oshane Thomas.
Brathwaite and Lamichhane will team up with fellow draftees Fidel Edwards, Asif Ali, Preston McSween, Nicholas Kirton, Jeavor Royal, Veerasammy Permaul, and Ryan Persaud.
The Tallawahs will also welcome the services of South Africa’s Tabraiz Shamsi, who was a hit with the St Kitts and Nevis Patriots in a previous iteration of the CPL.
Jamaica Tallawahs:Andre Russell, Sandeep Lamichhane, Carlos Brathwaite, Rovman Powell, Tabraiz Shamsi, Glenn Phillips, Chadwick Walton, Oshane Thomas, Asif Ali, Fidel Edwards, Preston McSween, Andre McCarthy, Nicholas Kirton, Jeavor Royal, Nkrumah Bonner, Veerasammy Permaul, Ryan Persaud
Chasing Team Abu Dhabi’s score of 103-7 from their 10 overs, Northern Warriors’ opening pair of Lewis and Hazratullah Zazai raced to 106-0 with six balls remaining to pull off their second victory in consecutive matches.
Lewis began as the more aggressive member of the opening pair but tapered off as Zazai, Power Hitter of the Match, took over. He hit three of his five fours and two of his three sixes while personally plundering 28 runs in the final three overs.
His power hitting propelled Northern Warriors from 69-0 at the end of the sixth over to victory, his personal tally being 52 not out from 27 balls.
Lewis also faced 27 balls for his 46 that included five fours and three two sixes.
Team Abu Dhabi’s total was built on an opening stand of 39 from 22 balls between Tom Banton and Alex Hales. However, once Banton was dismissed by Tabraiz Shamsi for a 17-ball 33, wickets fell regularly as the Northern Warriors bowling cut into the line-up.
Hales made 30 before he too was dismissed by Shamsi. Colin Ingram made 10 and Asif Khan run out for 19 to be the only other batter in double figures.
Shamsi was the best of the bowlers with 2-17.
The win means the Northern Warriors sit atop the eight-team table with four points from their two matches. Team Abu Dhabi are with a win from their two games and sit seventh on the table.
While Thushara missed the entire series with a finger injury, Hasaranga played all three T20Is and the first ODI before being sidelined with a hamstring injury.
The Patriots have signed the South African pair Tabraiz Shamsi and Anrich Nortje as replacements.
Nortje is yet to make his CPL debut while Shamsi has played 32 games, including 27 for the Patriots.
Shamsi has taken 33 wickets in those matches for Patriots at an economy rate of 7.06.
Nortje and Shamsi will join South African teammate Tristan Stubbs on A Patriots side that finished last in CPL 2023 with just a solitary win in ten games.
The Patriots open their 2024 campaign against the Antigua and Barbuda Falcons on August 29 at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium.
Full Squad: Kyle Mayers, Tabraiz Shamsi, Rilee Rossouw, Evin Lewis, Sherfane Rutherford, Sikandar Raza, Anrich Nortje, Andre Fletcher, Tristan Stubbs, Dominic Drakes, Mikyle Louis, Odean Smith, Joshua da Silva, Veerasammy Permaul, Ryan John, Ashmead Nedd, Johann Layne
Nepal looked on the verge of a shock victory, needing two from the final ball to secure the win. However, Ghulsan Jha was run out at the non-striker's end as South Africa came through unscathed to make it four wins from four at the tournament.
Despite Ottniel Baartman bowling the final over, it was Shamsi's 4-19 that proved crucial in South Africa getting over the line, including two wickets in the 18th over to turn the game back in his team's favour.
The spinner was thankful South Africa avoided an unlikely defeat, telling reporters: "[I am] definitely relieved.
"The team is standing up to the pressure and that's great to see."
Proteas captain Aiden Markram praised the efforts of Nepal, whose narrow defeat means they are eliminated from the competition with one game to spare in Group D.
"You have to give Nepal a lot of credit," Markram said. "Throughout the game they put us under a lot of pressure, and it shows the quality they have."
While Nepal skipper Rohit Paudel was disappointed in the defeat, he also took pride in how his team fared against one of the tournament favourites.
"I'm very proud of the unit, the way we bowled and batted," Paudel stated. "We were very close but a little far."
