Early wickets fail to stop Jamaica Tallawahs romping home against St Kitts Patriots

The Jamaica Tallawahs made it two wins in two in their home leg of the Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL) as they defeated the St Kitts & Nevis Patriots at Sabina Park.

A masterful fifty from Kumar Sangakkara and some effective late-order biffing from Shakib al Hasan helped the Tallawahs to 183-6, a total that was well beyond the struggling Patriots.

Wickets just kept on falling during the Patriots chase as any hope that they had of reaching the victory target evaporated quickly. They were six wickets down for just 60 runs after 10 overs as their poor 2016 season goes from bad to worse.

Kumar Sangakkara (R) of Jamaica Tallawahs receives the player of the match prize and a hug from Tallawahs owner Pushpak Patel (L) at the end of Match 17 of the Hero CPL match between Jamaica Tallawahs v St Kitts & Nevis Patriots at Sabina Park in Kingston, Jamaica. (Photo by Randy Brooks/Sportsfile)

The Patriots had got off to the perfect start to the match. First a horrible mix up between Chris Gayle and Chadwick Walton saw the latter run out in the second over with the score on just 12. Then Gayle was gone – attempting a pull shot off Sheldon Cottrell that he mistimed and skewed straight up in the air.

In the previous match the Tallawahs had found themselves four wickets down with two runs on the board only to recover, so the 20-2 that confronted them here was significantly less disastrous. Just when things looked bleak for them in this match Rovman Powell and Kumar Sangakkara combined to take 29 runs off an Alzarri Joseph over to turn a poor PowerPlay into a very good one.

Chadwick Walton of Jamaica Tallawahs walks off the field dismissed for 8 runs as St Kitts & Nevis Patriots celebrate during Match 17 of the Hero Caribbean Premier League match between Jamaica Tallawahs v St Kitts & Nevis Patriots at Sabina Park in Kingston, Jamaica. (Photo by Randy Brooks/Sportsfile)

The two Tallawahs batsmen had taken the score to 76-2 when Powell offered Tabraiz Shamsi a simple caught and bowled chance but it was dropped. Powell was on 27 at the time and Shamsi didn’t have to wait long to get his man. In Shamsi’s next over Powell smashed a massive six and then next ball miscued an attempt at another, making 35 (23).

While all of this was happening at the other end Sangakkara was becalmed as he proceeded to his first half century of the 2016 Hero CPL. With Gayle gone early the Tallawahs needed someone to step up and hold the innings together. The Sri Lankan great did just that on his way to 65 from 47 balls. It took a piece of fielding brilliance to see him off, a superb diving catch from Shamarh Brooks on the boundary.

The very next ball Russell was dismissed to leave the Tallawahs with two batsmen at the crease who were yet to face a ball just when they would be looking to cash in at the death. It didn’t matter as Shakib al Hasan and Andre McCarthy put on 39 runs in just 22 balls. Shakib made 29 of those on his way to 34* (17).

CPL cheerleaders during Match 17 of the Hero Caribbean Premier League match between Jamaica Tallawahs v St Kitts & Nevis Patriots at Sabina Park in Kingston, Jamaica. Photo by Randy Brooks/Sportsfile

Having been set 184 to win the Patriots needed a good start and runs from captain Faf du Plessis to stand a chance of winning. They got neither of those as they lost the wicket of Lendl Simmons to the third ball of the innings with no score on the board. Du Plessis did not last long either, he made it to 12 before he mistimed a shot over cover that was well caught by Walton on the boundary. From there the rate just kept climbing and wickets kept falling.

Krishmar Santokie of St Kitts & Nevis Patriots celebrates the dismissal of Kumar Sangakkara of Jamaica Tallawahs (Photo by Randy Brooks/Sportsfile)

The ninth over was the end of things for the Patriots as Kesrick Williams picked up three wickets in one over, including the dangerous Brad Hodge who he dismissed for a golden duck with a ball that lifted on the Australian. It was a triple wicket maiden, something that you will not see very often in T20 cricket.

The chase petered out as the Patriots finished on 75 all out with no batsman making a single contribution of note. The Patriots have now played seven matches and have just one victory. They are not mathematically eliminated from the Hero CPL, but the best they can hope for is third place and that would mean them winning all of their remaining games and the teams above them losing almost all of theirs.