Imran Tahir took his wickets tally to 11 in the 2018 Caribbean Premier League.
The Guyana Amazon Warriors bowler moved to joint second on the wickets table as he helped reduce St Kitts and Nevis Patriots to 124-6.
Anton Devcich scored a quickfire 35 off 24 balls (five fours, one six) to lift his side to 168-7 off their 20 overs, but the star of the innings was the old legend, Chris Gayle. The 38-year-old scored 40 off 27 balls (four fours, three sixes) to become the first batsman in CPL history to reach 2,000 runs.
Gayle’s milestone came up in the fifth over, bowled by Sohail Tanvir ― who had survived three CPL seasons against the Jamaican without being hit for a six. Gayle went to his milestone in fine style, slamming Tanvir for 6-4-6-4-4 off successive balls, and celebrating his 2,000th run with the second of those sixes, which sailed over the roof of the Warner Park stand.
Those 24 runs off the over ruined Tanvir’s otherwise excellent figures, which would have been 3-0-13-1 (econ 4.33) but for Gayle’s mauling. For his part, Tahir conceded just three fours (no sixes) to end with the excellent figures of 4-0-22-4 (econ 5.50).
The Amazons then failed to dominate the Patriots bowling and were 102-4 after 14 overs, needing 11.16 to the over for victory, when Tanvir came to the wicket. He scored singles off the first three balls he faced, then hit six and four off the next two balls.
Roshon Primus repeated Tanvir’s six-four routine the following over, and the 18th over also went for double figures, Tanvir hitting a four while Carlos Brathwaite sent down three wides before finding redemption with the wicket of Primus off the second last ball of his over.
Needing 19 runs from 12 balls, Tanvir was coolness personified, hitting the first and last balls of the 19th over for six as the Amazons took 14 off Sheldon Cottrell’s fourth over to leave them needing just three runs off the last over. Tanvir and Chris Green took three easy singles to win with a ball to spare, with Tanvir collecting the Man of the Match honours for his 37 off 20 balls (two fours, three sixes).
Photo: Randy Brooks – CPL T20/Getty Images
