Confident Tallawahs eye 2018 CPL title

Head coach of Jamaica Tallawahs, Mark O'Donnell, strongly believes that the franchise can win this year's Caribbean Premier League (CPL) T20 competition which bowls off on August 8.

Two-time champions Tallawahs who last won the competition in 2016 were knocked out at the quarter final stages last year. However, O'Donnell said with the return of all-rounder Andre Russell, following his one-year drug ban, and the addition of top players Ross Taylor, David Miller, Johnson Charles, Kemar Roach, Kennar Lewis and Imad Wasim, he is confident that they can make it into the final this year.

"I am feeling pretty good about our chances because I think we have got a good mix," said O'Donnell, in an interview with The Gleaner after yesterday's team breakfast, which was hosted by sponsors Foska Oats at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

"It is lovely to have Andre back and then we have a mixture of exciting batters and some spin bowling options," he said.

"We need to start well and make the play-offs and then see it from there," he said.

GREAT PARTNERSHIP

Christopher Ramson, director of operations, of Chas E. Ramson, distributors of Foska Oats, whose company has been sponsoring the Tallawahs for the past six years hailed the partnership with the local franchise.

"The partnership with the Tallawahs has been a great one. Some games are now being played overseas and this allows us to get into the diaspora as well," said Ramson.

Paul Campbell, director of operations for the Tallawahs, said they are delighted that Foska Oats has renewed its sponsorship of the team.

"Foska Oats has been with us from the inception and very few partners have stayed the journey and so it is of significant value and benefit to our development," said Campbell. "We are delighted because without partners such as Foska Oats, we could not have done what we did in the past, so we are more than delighted to have Foska on board and treasure the value of their sponsorship."