Gayle hails newboy Rovman Powell

Jamaica Tallawahs captain Chris Gayle believes emerging all-rounder Rovman Powell played very well against Guyana Amazon Warriors on Thursday in the HERO Motocorp Caribbean Premier League and he was looking forward to brighter and better things from the 22-year-old.

Powell, playing in his third Twent20 match, and again batting at number four in the line-up, scored 38 off 42 balls before he was the second to last man out in the 18th over in the Tallawahs' modest total of 100.

Guyana made 101 for three off 18 overs to claim the contest to condemn the Tallawahs to their first loss after three matches with Gayle describing Powell as one for the future.

''We have to give credit to him,'' he said of Powell, who entered the game with Jamaica struggling at 24 for four in the fifth over after the dismissal of Gayle for a first ball duck, and Kumar Sangakkara for nine off 11 deliveries.

''The way he went about his innings today was very, very pleasing to watch and hopefully he will actually continue and win games for us, and get a lot of runs.

''He showed a lot of maturity, which is very good ... and I think he will turn out into a good player.''

successive balls

Powell was a standout last yxear for the Combined Campuses and Colleges during the regional Super50 tournament in Trinidad and Tobago. His innings on Thursday followed his four and a straight six, which he hit off successive balls to seal Jamaica's win over Trinbago Knight Riders in Trinidad three days before.

Currently a student at the University of The West Indies, Mona, Powell who also bowls medium pace, has a creditable average of 37.16 in eight regional one-day appearances, including a highest score of 71.

In his three Twenty20 outings where he also has scores of six and 12 not out he averages 27 at a strike rate of 98.18, while his solitary first-class appearance for Jamaica earlier this season has left him with an average of 18 following scores of 26 and 13.

The Tallawahs will next play Barbados Tridents in Barbados in their next fixture on Monday.