- Jamaica Tallawahs 164 for 3 (Gayle 72*, Lynn 52) beat St Kitts & Nevis Patriots 160 for 5 (Guptill 53, Samuels 50, Santokie 4-37) by seven wickets
Chris Gayle’s red hot T20 form carried over to Warner Park in St Kitts where his unbeaten 72 led Jamaica Tallawahs to a seven-wicket win against St Kitts and Nevis Patriots. Australian import Chris Lynn pitched in with 52 as part of an 85-run partnership for the second wicket, which put Tallawahs on course to overhaul 160. Gayle finished the chase with a pulled four, taking his team to their second win of the season.
Gayle’s aggressive knock, which included six fours two sixes, was not without shaky moments though. After drinks were taken with the score at 71 for 1 in 10, play resumed with Gayle, on 28, hitting the third ball of the 11th over from Marlon Samuels to long-on where Martin Guptill’s one-handed effort nearly produced a sensational catch.
Gayle offered another chance on 49 to start off the 17th over bowled by Shahid Afridi and Tallawahs still needing 10 an over but Orlando Peters had trouble spotting a skier, running in from deep midwicket and nearly overrunning before eventually grassing the chance. Gayle then brought up his second successive half-century off 46 balls and carried on to add an unbroken 50-run stand inside five overs with Andre Russell.
Having opted to bat, Patriots had posted a competitive score, with Guptill assembling half-century stands with Tonito Willett and Samuels for the second and third wickets. Guptill got off to a quick start, boosting the Patriots to 49 for 1 in six overs, but he went more than 11 overs without hitting a boundary – a streak that started in the sixth over – before a second six brought up his 50 off 47 balls.
Krishmar Santokie accounted for Guptill two balls into the 18th over. Samuels and Afridi then took Patriots past 150 and Samuels brought up his own half-century with a six before Santokie wrapped up the innings, dismissing Samuels and Carlos Brathwaite off consecutive balls. Santokie ended with impressive figures of 4 for 37.
