Hales’ masterclass powers Tallawahs into CPL playoffs
…career best from Green decimates hapless Kings

By Sean Devers

JAMAICA Tallawahs, on the back of a batting masterclass from Man-of-the-Match, Englishman Alex Hales, defeated St. Lucia Kings by 122 runs in yesterday morning’s contest at Providence to book the final spot in the playoffs.
The Defending Champions join the Kings, who they come up against in the first qualifier tomorrow, while Guyana Warriors and Trinbago Knight Riders, the other two Qualifiers, will meet for the third time in the tournament on Wednesday in the second Qualifier.

The 34-year-old Hales must have been singing the hit song, ‘Easy like Sunday Morning’, as he notched up a career best 119 from 57 balls, with 12 fours and seven sixes.
It was his first score over 50 in the CPL, and his sixth T20 century. The experienced right-hander joined Chris Gayle, Brandon King, and Colin Munroe as batters from the Tallawahs to score a hundred.

Alzarri Joseph, who bowled with real pace, was the best bowler for the Kings, taking 1-28.
The Kings, chasing the highest victory target at Providence, were dismantled for 79 in 15 overs.
Bhanuka Rajapaksa, who hit three fours and a six in 22, Matthew Ford (13), and Joseph (10) were the only batters to reach double figures.

Off-spinner Chris Green spun webs around the batters on a dry track to capture career-best figures of 4-15, and got support from Mohammed Amir and Wasim, who took two wickets each in a clinical bowling performance.
When play commenced in the sweltering heat, Hales stroked four successive boundaries off Matthew Ford, and hammered Jevon Royal for four boundaries in an over which cost 16.
He dominated a 44-run partnership with Kirk McKenzie (3), before the latter fell to Joseph in the sixth over, while USA ODI player Steven Taylor flicked Joseph for four, before he was dismissed by Roston Chase for 14 at 68-2.

After 10 overs, Jamaica, who are now into their fourth playoffs, were 71-2.
Shamarah Brooks, who got going with a six off Chase (13), was bowled in the same over with the score on 84-3.

Hales reached his first CPL fifty with a boundary off Chase from 32 balls with nine fours, and celebrated with consecutive sixes off Chase’s ordinary off-spin in an over that cost 20.
With a small crowd in attendance, including a large contingent of schoolchildren in the Red Stand, Hales deposited Ford for six to rush into 90s before consecutive boundaries off Ford took him to his maiden CPL hundred, and the fourth centurion in the year’s CPL.

Wasim clobbered Roshon Primus for consecutive sixes and a four, which brought up the 100 stand in the 17th over which cost 20.
Both batters went for their shots before Wasim fell in the final over, bowled by Ford but not, before the Tallawahs had amassed the first 200-plus total at Providence this season.