Tallawahs win eliminator to progress in CPL play-offs

The Jamaica Tallawahs, like they did last year, eliminated the St Lucia Kings following their five-wicket win in the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) Eliminator at the Providence Stadium in Guyana last night.

The defending champions Tallawahs chose to field first and they restricted the Kings to 125 for nine in their allotted 20 overs with all-rounder Fabian Allen coming up big with a career-best four wickets for 25 runs in his four overs.

His impact came at a crucial time when the Tallawahs lost their talismanic opening bowler Mohammed Amir who bowled just three balls and had to leave the field with an injury.

Off-spinner Chris Green also came up big as he snared two wickets for 19 runs from his four overs, despite 40 from 36 balls by Roston Chase.

In reply, the Tallawahs got their reply off to a positive start thanks to 43-run opening stand between captain Brandon King and Alex Hales.

King would eventually go on to get 30 and Hales 24, but it was Raymon Reifer with 30 not out from 32 balls which got the Tallawahs over the line at 126 for five in 17.2 overs.

Seamer Matthew Ford showed some fight by picking up career-best figures of four wickets for 23 runs.

Player-of-the-Match Allen says he was pleased to execute on the night and help his team to move on in the competition to qualifier two where they will face either the Guyana Amazon Warriors or the Trinbago Knight Riders.

"We are confident right now. We won it last year from a similar position and, hopefully, we can win it again. I feel we are unbeatable now," Allen said.