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Tallawahs to face TKR in CPL semi

Published:Sunday | September 6, 2020 | 12:25 AMLennox Aldred - Sunday Gleaner Writer

The Jamaica Tallawahs will face the Trinbago Knight Riders in the semi-finals of the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) on Tuesday, following their seven-wicket loss to the Barbados Tridents yesterday.

The defeat means the Tallawahs on seven points cannot overtake the St Lucia Zouks in the third position on 10 points, with the sides wrapping up their preliminary round fixtures today against each other at 1:15 p.m.

Irrespective of today’s results, the Zouks will battle the Guyana Amazon Warriors in the other semi-final, also set for Tuesday.

In the meantime, the Tallawahs would be disappointed with their loss against the out of contention Tridents side, as Jason Holder and Jonathan Carter led from the front with the bat, to ensure that the defending champions bowed out of the competition on a winning note.

OPENING PAIR

The Tallawahs won the toss and opted to bat on a decent surface at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy. Once again, it was a different opening pair with Jermaine Blackwood partnering Glenn Phillips.

The pair put on 50 runs for the opening wicket in the first eight overs, with Phillips being the first to go for 17.

After another failing score of five runs from Asif Ali, Blackwood, who started to accelerate his innings, found another useful partner in Andre Russell, who was promoted up the order at number four.

Russell was his customary aggressive self, as he blasted four fours and five sixes in a belligerent knock of 54 from 28 balls, to give the Tallawahs some momentum, which was lost after the power play overs.

Blackwood batted maturely and duly brought up his first T20 half-century, as he and Russell took the score to 126 before the former went bowled by Jason Holder for 74, which came off 59 balls and included five fours and four sixes.

Russell would then become the fourth wicket to fall off the penultimate ball of the innings for a well-played 54, as the Tallawahs put 161 on the board in their allotted 20 overs.

The Tallawahs, who rested fast bowler Fidel Edwards and spinner Veerasammy Permaul for Oshane Thomas and Preston Mcsween, started their defence on a frantic note.

MIXED START

Thomas, who opened the bowling, sent down two wides to start with, but then bowled Johnson Charles with the third ball for a duck

Thomas, who bowled two more wides in the over, was then hit for three fours by Jonathan Carter to leave the Tridents on 17 for one after the opening over.

It was a mixed start for debutant McSween, as he bowled Shamarh Brooks with his second delivery in his opening over, but then went for 24 runs in his second over, as the Tridents shifted gear in their run chase.

Captain Holder and Carter were at the forefront of the chase, as they virtually took the game away from the Tallawahs with a 90-run third-wicket stand.

When Holder went lbw to Sandeep Lamichanne for 69 with nine fours and three sixes at 107 for three in the 13th over, the writing was on the wall, and it was left for Carter to finish off the job.

The left-hander hit four fours in his unbeaten 42, to see the Tridents over the line along with Mitchell Santner, who contributed an unbeaten 35 with three fours and two sixes.