Jamaica Tallawahs became 2022 Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL) champions on Friday with an eight-wicket win over the Barbados Royals at Providence Stadium, Guyana.
Barbados Royals had won the toss and chose to bat, with Rahkeem Cornwall and Kyle Mayers getting them off to a blistering start, combining to score 63 runs in the powerplay. However, Fabian Allen would remove both openers to bring the Tallawahs back into the game, before Azam Khan would continue his fine form with the bat to take the Royals to 161/7.
In response, Brandon King and Shamarh Brooks would produce an 86-run partnership that frustrated Royal’s bowling attack. Despite Jason Holder taking the wicket of Brooks, King would lead the rest of the chase as he scored a magnificent 83 runs from 50 balls to see the franchise win their third Hero CPL title.
Barbados Royals had chosen to bat with the aim of setting an imposing total, Cornwall and Mayers combining well to build an excellent foundation. Once Allen had removed them both with his spin bowling, the run rate slowed down as the Tallawahs wrestled back control of the game. However, Khan, who came in at number three, would bat until the 19th over, scoring his second successive half-century to help the Royals reach 161/7 after 20 overs.
Jamaica Tallawahs suffered an early setback in their chase as opener Kennar Lewis lost his wicket for a duck, but King and Brooks would rebuild at a steady run rate. Once Brooks lost his wicket in the eleventh over, King would shoulder the responsibility of finishing the chase, hitting fifteen boundaries in total. In the end, King would take his side to victory with a six, sparking celebrations from Jamaica Tallawahs players, staff and fans.