Gayle stays positive after Tallawahs loss

Chris Gayle, while expressing disappointment at the way the team lost to Guyana Amazon Warriors in their last fixture, has remained upbeat about the Jamaica Tallawahs form heading into their fourth Hero Motocorp Caribbean Premier League Twenty20 fixture against Barbados Tridents on Monday in Barbados.

The Amazon Warriors, led by a man-of-the-match bowling performance of three for 20 off four overs from left-arm spinner Veerasammy Permaul, defeated the Tallawahs by seven wickets at Providence Stadium in Guyana on Thursday.

The previously unbeaten Tallawahs were first bowled out for a below-par 100 off 18 overs with Gayle going for a first-ball zero, and 22-year-old batting sensation Rovman Powell top-scoring with 38 off 42 balls.

Amazon Warriors, on the back of an unbeaten 39 from Chris Lynn of Australia, then positioned themselves to the target at 101 for three with two overs remaining.

"It was a difficult game to actually lose, but to defend 100 runs was always going to be difficult,'' explained Gayle, captain of the Tallawahs.

"We batted badly, and they bowled well, but at the same time it is the game of cricket, one team has got to lose. It's just unfortunate that we are on the losing side today.''

First failure this season

Gayle, who was experiencing a failure for the first time this season, after a 50 and a 100 in the team's first two fixtures, however, does not believe in casting blame for the defeat.

Instead, he believes the focus should now switch on beating Barbados, and, as such, end with a record of three wins from their first four away games.

"It is still early days in the tournament as this is our third game, so we don't want to put anybody under any particular pressure,'' he said.

"It's always difficult playing on the road. The hope, therefore, now is that we can get back to winning ways when we get to Barbados. Thereafter, we go back home in our own conditions.''

Jamaica, after the Barbados encounter, are scheduled to play four matches at Sabina Park, before closing out the preliminary round with two fixtures in the United States.

The top team at the end of the preliminary round of the six-team tournament will advance straight to the final, with the next three best-placed teams being involved in a semi-final play-off in St Kitts and Nevis.