Returning Russell can’t save Tallawahs

He has been dubbed ‘Superman’ by his many adoring cricket fans, but yesterday, Andre Russell proved that superheroes do have their days off, as his late heroics with the bat couldn’t prevent the Jamaica Tallawahs from going down by 19 runs to the Trinbago Knight Riders in their Caribbean Premier League (CPL) encounter at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy.

Chasing a victory target of 185 set by the Knight Riders, The Tallawahs batting faltered once again, as they could only get to 165 for six in their 20 overs, thanks largely to a late order blitz from Russell, who clobbered 50 from 23 balls.

Having missed the last two encounters with a sore knee, Russell found enough fitness to take his place in the Tallawahs line-up, and the right-hander almost pulled his team over the line.

Russell came to the crease in the 13th over with his team at 84 for four, still needing just over 100 runs to win. He first took 10 runs off Sunil Narine’s final over, then took 14 runs out of Jayden Seales’ only over, which went for 22, as the Tallawahs needed 46 off the last two overs.

Dwayne Bravo conceded only eight runs when he bowled the penultimate over, which meant the Tallawahs needed an improbable 38 runs from the final over, which was bowled by Kieron Pollard.

FOURTH LOSS

In the end, Russell hit two sixes and a four to bring up his second half-century of the tournament, however, it was too little, too late once again, as the Tallawahs succumbed to their fourth loss in seven outings.

Earlier, the Knight Riders’ spinners crippled the Tallawahs top order again, as Chadwick Walton went for a ‘golden duck’ to continue his miserable tournament.

Wicket-keeper Glenn Phillips once again proved to be the only Tallawahs top-order batter willing to spend some time at the crease, as he played his way to 41 before he was undone by DJ Bravo. He and Nkrumah Bonner, who made 26 from 30 balls, but on 64 runs for the third wicket. Carlos Brathwaite also weighed in with an unbeaten 21 towards the back end as he and Russell shared in an unbeaten 64 run seventh-wicket partnership.

Leg spinner Fawad Ahmad bagged two for 21 for the Knight Riders, who had Colin Munro and Kieron Pollard to thank for their total.

Player of the match Munro, who was put down by Jermaine Blackwood when he was just on four runs, went on to clobber 65 from 54 balls with 10 fours and a six.

The Kiwi shared in a 73-run stand with Pollard, who smashed 33 from 16 balls with one four and three sixes. Sunil Narine started off the innings with a quick-fire 25, which included 17 runs off the opening over bowled by Fidel Edwards. Brathwaite was the pick of the bowlers for the Tallawahs with two for 36.