Shakib plays his part as Tallawahs lift CPL title

Bangladesh star all rounder Shakib Al Hasan played his part as Jamaica Tallawahs handed favorite Guyana Amazon Warriors a humiliating nine wicket defeat in the final of the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) on Sunday night Warner Park, Basseterre, St. Kitts.
It was a toothless from the runner-up for the third time in four CPL seasons, twice to Tallawahs reports a cricket website.
It was also a sweet revenge for Tallawahs as Warriors were the regular season table-toppers and beat Tallawahs in two of their prior three meetings, including by four wickets in Wednesday’s opening playoff match. On Sunday, however, they stumbled badly after being sent in by Chris Gayle at the toss and were bowled out for a franchise record low total of 93 in just 16.1 overs.
Warriors never won a game while batting first in 2016, and lost all three games in which they batted first, with two of those losses coming against Tallawahs.
Vanquished were under pressure early when Nic Maddinson became the first of three batsmen dismissed first ball, edging Andre Russells behind in the first over. A bigger blow came at the start of the third over when Chris Lynn, the tournament’s leading scorer was dismissed by Shakib al Hasan who forced him to edge straight to Jonathan Foo at backward point for 7.
Left-handed Sohail Tanvir was promoted up the order to No. 4 in an attempt to combat the left-arm spin threat posed by Shakib and Imad Wasim. At an individual level, the plan worked as Tanvir top-scored with 42 off 37 balls, but the rest of his team-mates struggled.
With the top three removed, Shakib and eventual Man of the Match Imad Wasim waeved their web to snare the middle order in ruthless fashion. Jason Mohammed was trapped playing down the wrong line to an arm ball from Shakib for a golden duck to make it 53 for 4 before Imad took the first of his three wickets as Christopher Barnwell mistimed a slog to Gayle at short midwicket for 10.
Two balls later, Anthony Bramble was bowled backing away for a slog and Imad claimed his third in four balls to start the 15th when Rayad Emrit was stumped for a duck missing a flick to a leg-side wide to make it 83 for 7. Tailed failed to wag for Warriors as they were shot out for 93 runs.
Imad Wasim with three for 3 for 21, Shakib with 2 for 25 and Williams with 2 for 12 were wreckers-in -chief for the Tallawahs.
Skipper Gayle led from the front as hammered his third fifty-plus score of the season, reaching his half-century off 22 balls and ending up with 54 off 27 balls. He was dismissed flicking Emrit to Jacobs at deep midwicket.
The Tallawahs captain ended the campaign as his side’s leading scorer with 425 runs, third overall behind Lynn and St Lucia Zouks’ Johnson Charles. Gayle’s opening partner Chadwick Walton steered the rest of the chase with 25 not out, ending seventh overall in the CPL run charts with 301 runs and second for Tallawahs.
Russell was named Player of the Tournament thanks in large part to his scintillating 100 in Friday’s knockout game against Trinbago Knight Riders, he struck the fastest century in Caribbean T20 history, off just 42 balls, and also broke a three-game Tallawahs losing streak lifting them into the final.