Captain of the Jamaica Tallawahs Chris Gayle and allrounder Andre Russell steadied the Tallawahs batting with a match-winning 62-run partnership from 34 balls. Earlier on, Chris Gayle won the toss and the Guyana Amazon Warriors were elected to bat. After some 10 overs, the Amazon only scored 46 runs and had lost two wickets.
SIMMONS AND RAMDIN’S 50-PARTNERSHIP
Lendl Simmons and Denesh Ramdin’s partnership of 50 runs repaired the early damage the Jamaica Tallawahs had on the Guyana Amazon Warriors. Simmons played intelligently and scored 40 runs from 44 balls while Ramdin added 29 runs from 34 balls.
AMAZON WARRIORS’ DECISION
Captain Ramneresh Sarwan and Roger Harper, the head coach for the Amazon Warriors, apparently made a very bad decision by sending Sunil Narine to the wicket after Ramdin was bowled by Gayle. The Warriors had James Franklin, Christopher Barnwell and Ramneresh Sarwan to come with just under four overs left in the Guyana Amazon Warriors innings. An established inform batsman should have gone to the wicket. Had the Amazons scored another 20 runs, the game may have brought a more competitive finish.
Whoever made that decision to send Narine before Barnwell and Franklin, created a mighty error that probably caused Guyana Amazon Warriors the game. Both Frankling and Barnwell are hard hitters and at that stage of the game either one of them should have been sent in. This was a big blunder by the Amazon Warriors hierarchy. Amazons reached 128 runs for 5 wickets off 20 overs.
JAMAICA TALLAWAHS BOWLED SUPERBLY
David Bernard Jr. 2 for 18 from 4 overs, Vernon Philander – 3 overs for 8 runs, Muttiah Muralitharan – 4 overs for 13 runs, and Nikita Miller – 4 overs, 1 for 27. Captain Chris Gayle was expensive with four overs for 42 runs and he picked up one wicket. Jamaica Tallawahs reached 67 for 3 with the inform Kumar Sanga KKara brilliantly caught by Franklin at deep mid-wicket off Barnwell. A swashbuckling 38 from 18 balls from Andre Russell and a very composed 47 not out from 48 balls from Gayle did the job for the Tallawahs in 17.3 overs.
WINDIES SELECTORS SHOULD TAKE NOTE
Andre Russell is not only a hard hitting batsman, but he shows the ability to stay at the wicket and score for many overs thus fitting him into the One-Day 50-over category. Russell has tremendous ability and the selectors must give him the opportunity to perform.
Note
Krishmar Santokie was named man of the series. He represented the Guyana Amazon Warriors.
