The 10th edition of the Caribbean Premier League came to a fascinating conclusion, as Jamaica Tallawahs, who barely made it to the playoffs as the fourth team, stunned everyone when they defeated the most consistent team of the competition, Barbados Royals, in the grand finale.
The Tallawahs had won two titles in the first four editions of the CPL, but since then, their graph was only going down. Hence, this victory does not only mark their third title, but also a superb comeback. On the other hand, the Royals can be proud of what they did over the course of the season, but they will need to wait a bit more for their third trophy.
Check out what happened in the knockout fixtures of the 2022 Caribbean Premier League:
Barbados Royals vs Guyana Amazon Warriors – Qualifier 1
Rahkeem Cornwall and Azam Khan starred in Barbados Royals’ win over the Amazon Warriors
After a fantastic run in the league phase, which saw them winning eight of their ten matches, Barbados Royals turned up the heat in the knockouts. In the Qualifier 1 clash, Kyle Mayers’ team was up against Guyana Amazon Warriors.
After winning the toss, Guyana skipper Shimron Hetmyer asked the Royals to bat first, but that turned out to be a miscalculated move. The men from Barbados put up a massive total of 195 runs, courtesy of opening batter Rahkeem Cornwall’s fiery knock.
The big West Indian scored 91 runs in 54 deliveries, hitting as many as 11 sixes and also 2 fours in the process. Besides him, Pakistani batter Azam Khan also played a good knock of 52 runs from 35 runs, which included 4 sixes and 3 fours.
In reply, the Amazon Warriors kept on losing wickets continuously and could only muster up 108 runs. Skipper Hetmyer was the only batter who could offer resilience, scoring 37 runs, as, besides him, no one could cross the 20-run mark.
For the Royals, Ramon Simmonds was the best bowler. He picked up 3 wickets by conceding only 17 runs while Cornwall and Afghan spinner Mujeeb Ur Rahman picked up 2 wickets apiece. Skipper Mayers also got a wicket.
Jamaica Tallawahs vs Saint Lucia Kings – Eliminator
Jamaica Tallawahs defeated Saint Lucia Kings in the eliminator
Saint Lucia Kings and Jamaica Tallawahs, two teams who won four of their ten matches in the league phase, locked horns in the eliminator. The Kings’ skipper Faf du Plessis won the toss and asked the Tallawahs to bat first.
The Jamaicans lost both of their openers early, but thanks to a 47-run knock from Shamarh Brooks, they made a comeback in the match. At the backend of the innings, Afghan all-rounder Mohammad Nabi played an impressive cameo of 31 runs from 15 deliveries, which included four sixes. Thanks to his knock, the Tallawahs registered a competitive total of 148 runs.
The Kings had an equally poor start, and while du Plessis held the fort at one end, he received absolutely no support whatsoever. The South African veteran scored 41 runs, and tailender Alzarri Joseph scored 28 runs, but besides them, no one could score over 20 runs.
Overall, the Kings could only score 115 runs, losing the match by 33 runs. For the Tallawahs, it was their spinners who did the trick, with Nabi, Pakistan’s Imad Wasim and West Indies’ Fabian Allen picking 8 wickets among them.
Jamaica Tallawahs vs Guyana Amazon Warriors – Qualifier 2
Rovman Powell’s men did not get any rest after beating the Kings, as on the very next day, they had to face the Guyana Amazon Warriors in Qualifier 2. Yet again, Powell lost the toss and his team was asked to bat first.
Following a similar pattern, the Tallawahs lost their openers very early, but Brooks came to their rescue. The batter scored a century in this match, accumulating 109 runs from only 52 deliveries by hitting 7 fours and 8 sixes in the process.
At the backend of the innings, Wasim called for the fireworks by scoring 41 runs from only 15 deliveries. The Pakistani all-rounder struck 4 fours and 3 sixes, and thanks to his cameo, the Tallawahs reached a massive total of 226/4.
It was always expected to be extremely difficult for the Amazon Warriors to chase down, and to make matters even worse, Irish opener Paul Stirling was dismissed for only 2 runs. Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Shai Hope, however, set up a good partnership to keep the scoreboard ticking.
Following their dismissals, it was Keemo Paul’s turn to showcase their talent, but unfortunately, the promising all-rounder received no support whatsoever. While he scored 56 runs from 37 deliveries, which included as many as 7 fours, Guyana could only 189 runs from their 20 overs.
For the Tallawahs, it was once again the spinners who did the trick. After impressing with the bat, Wasim picked up 2 wickets, while Australia’s Chris Green also picked up as many wickets. Skipper Powell himself chipped in with the very last scalp.
Barbados Royals vs Jamaica Tallawahs – Final
While the Royals had a shortcut entry into the final, the Tallawahs had to go through an enduring ride. Quite understandably, Mayers’ team was the favourite to win the trophy, but Powell and his boys proved everyone wrong.
In the final, the Royals won the toss and decided to bat first. Opening batter Cornwall was once again on song, scoring 36 runs from 21 deliveries with the help of 2 fours and 4 sixes, while Khan also played a crucial knock of 51 runs from 40 deliveries. His inning consisted of 4 fours and 3 sixes.
However, barring these two, no one could get going from the Royals, as they could only reach a total of 161 runs despite having gotten off to a fantastic start. Allen and Nicholas Gordon picked up three wickets apiece for the Tallawahs.
Jamaica had the worst possible start as Kennar Lewis was bowled by Mayers for a golden duck in the very first over, but what followed that was spectacular. Brandon King played a scintillating knock for his team, scoring 83 runs from 50 deliveries.
Justifying his surname, King struck 13 fours and also a couple of sixes. Yet, he might not have done the job alone, had it not been for Brooks’ performance. Playing against the team from his hometown, the Barbados-born player scored 47 runs from 33 deliveries, hitting 6 fours and 2 sixes. When Brooks was dismissed, skipper Powell decided to take the responsibility on his shoulders and guide his team home, scoring a calculated 14 from 13 deliveries.
