IN Jamaica, the locals have a local lingo which says that “We little but We Tallawah”. Tallawah means “Big” and there is no question as to who was big in the Limacol Caribbean Premier League T20 final at the Queen’s Park Oval last evening .
Their “Biggest Tallawah”- skipper Christopher Gayle (47 not out – 48 balls, 7x4s) and power-hitter Andre Russell (33 not out – 18balls, 5×4 and 1×6) emerged

as batting heroes as the Jamaica Tallawahs turned the tables of the Guyana Amazon Warriors and lifted the coveted Limacol Caribbean Premier League T20 crown, with 15 balls remaining.
They celebrate an historic and famous seven-wicket victory.
Gayle called correctly and asked Ramnaresh Sarwan and his Amazon Warriors to bat first on a pitch that appeared much better for strokeplay that the one for the semi-final encounter.
But the Amazon Warriors, who played an almost perfect match against the Trinidad and Tobago Red Steel in the ‘semis’, inexplicable changed their gameplan and batting for the crucial match of the tournament, they paid the ultimate price by being the sorry losers, after they had beaten the Tallawahs twice in the preliminary matches.
The Amazon Warriors were restricted to 128 for 5 off the allotted 20 overs while the Jamaica Tallawahs cruised to a comfortable victory off 17.3 overs.
Gayle played sensible and eschewed his naturally aggressive strokeplay for a more composed and determined innings to ensure that his team can rally to the end and register history in the inaugural tournament that determined the new Caribbean T20 champion.
He had lost opener Chadwick Walton for 13, LBW to Tillakaratne Dilshan whom he had clouted for one four and a huge six, before a slower delivery deceived him as he essayed the sweep stroke.
Their semi-final batting hero Kumar Sangakkara and Gayle were kept quiet during the middle overs, especially when World’s number one rated bowler Sunil Narine (4-0-9-0) was in operation along with Lasith Malinga (3.3-0-28-1), Krishmar Santokie (4-0-31-0) and Dilshan (4-0-32-1).
They added 35 runs off 44 balls and the Amazon Warriors would have been extremely happy to see the back of Sangakkara (13 from 27 balls) who was brilliantly caught low down by James Franklin off the bowling of Christopher Barnwell.
Malinga then gobbled up an easy return catch offered by Jermaine Blackwood (3) but that was the last of the dismissals as the “Big Tallawah” and “Lil Tallawah”, Gayle and Russell, forged a match-winning unbroken 62-run fourth wicket partnership that gave the Jamaicans their first ever regional T20 title.
Sarwan did not utilise the services of leftarm spinner Veerasammy Permaul  while Barnwell conceded 20 runs in his second over (4,1,4,4,6,1w,4) and  Santokie’s  last over was horrific and it took eleven deliveries to complete the over that yielded 20 runs (5w, 1w, 0, 1, 1w, 1, 2, 3w, 1w, 1, 4).
Those two overs gave complete advantage to the Tallawahs who finished the triumphant march in style.
Six runs were required from 18 balls but Russell smashed a boundary and a single off the second and third deliveries of Malinga’s final over and history was created by the Jamaica Tallawahs who danced and then made a lap of honour to show their appreciation to the thousands of enthusiastic fans who graced the occasion and made it a memorable experience for the Tallawahs supporters at the ground, in Jamaica and worldwide watching the action on live telecast.
Having been sent in to bat, the Guyana Amazon Warriors openers Lendl Simmons and William Perkins struggled to put bat to ball and even were unable to get easy singles by playing with soft hands against medium pacers Dave Bernard and Vernon Philander.
Both Bernard and Philander used the seam of the white ball to cleverly confound the batsmen until Perkins connected the fifth ball of Bernard’s second over for a boundary and followed immediately for six.
But as usual Perkins (14 off 17 balls) attempted a pull stroke and gave his hand away, while Dilshan (0 off 2 balls) played on to an in-swinging delivery from Dave Bernard (4-0-18-2) who bowled impressively  alongside Vernon Philander (3-0-8-0). Sri Lanka’s magician Muttiah Muralitharran (4-0-13-0) was virtually unplayable in the middle overs and the Amazon Warriors changed batting order was unable to provide the acceleration and momentum.
Wicketkeeper Denesh Ramdin was promoted to number four while surprise of surprises was the entry of Sunil Narine ahead of James Franklin and Barnwell. Ramdin scored 29 runs off 34 balls while Narine made nine from seven balls (1×6).
Ramdin shared a 52-run third wicket partnership with Simmons who made 40 (44 balls, 3x4s and 2x6s). They were pedestrian and got bogged down much to the consternation of the majority of the fans who were backing the Amazon Warriors in their quest to be crowned the first winner.
The two Trinidadians, playing before their adoring fans, faced 52 balls but their inability to rotate the strike and apply pressure on the opposition left very little for the inform Franklin and Barnwell to change the course of the match.
Franklin (17 not out with two sixes off 9 balls) and Barnwell (9 not out with one four off 7 balls) tried their utmost and added 30 off 16 balls for the undefeated sixth wicket partnership as the Amazon Warriors closed their innings at 128 for 5.
The Jamaica Tallawahs, especially Gayle who was named “Man of the Match” and Russell whose belligerent strokeplay proved decisive ensured that the CPLT20 trophy and US$350,000 will go to the Jamaican franchise.
After Usain Bolt and ShelyAnn Fraser-Price were crowned top world sprint champions at the World Athletics Championships in Moscow, Jamaicans have much more to celebrate with this latest sporting triumph.
They Jamaicans will say that “We Little but We Tallawah”. They now big in the T20 dance.