Latest update January 5th, 2025 4:10 AM
Oct 01, 2019 Sports
By Sean Devers
With just four points from nine matches, two-times CPL T20 champions Jamaica Tallawahs, have failed to qualify for the Play-offs for the first time ever in the seven-year history of the ‘Biggest Party’ in Sports.
On Thursday from 18:00hrs, the Tallawahs will face-off with tournament leaders Guyana Amazon Warriors at Providence and Tallawahs Head Coach 40-year old Jamaican Donavon Millers says his team is aiming to end the tournament on a high for the people in Jamaica.
“The Warriors are the top team in competition but having had just two wins in nine matches, our aim is to play to our best and win our last match to end on high,” said Miller, who was a part of the coaching staff when the Tallawahs beat the Warriors in the 2016 Final.
Miller was the Patriots’ head Coach last year and along with Chris Gayle, helped them to a third place finish.
Yesterday, the Tallawahs had their first training session in sweltering heat under the watchful eyes of long serving trainer, 72-year-old Dave Bernard Senior, before batting and bowling in the ‘nets’ with Miller and Manager Andre Richardson, the former First-Class pacer in attendance.
South African born Glen Phillips, who has played 11 T20 Internationals for New Zealand, is leading run scorer in this year’s CPL season with three fifties in 353 runs, while Gayle (243) has scored the only century but nobody else has reached 200 runs.
The Head Coach said apart from the injuries (Russell and Powell), his charges have played bad cricket which is why we are in this position now.
“Apart from the injuries, we played bad cricket and let teams off the hook when were in a position to win, while our most exp
erienced bowler (Jerome Taylor) was very expensive and failed to pick up any wickets in five matches,” said Miller, who was also a part of the Jozi Stars coaching staff, winners of the South Africa’s Mzansi Super League T20 competition.
Asked if no longer being able to qualify he would give some of the players on bench an opportunity to play in their last game, Miller, who is now based in the United Kingdom, where he played a role in assisting Essex County Club to win the 2016 and 2017 Championship titles, said everyone had played because of injuries.
In response to if Gayle, who turned 40 this month, would be given a rest here, Miller said, “We will pick our best team and Gayle is among the best players in the world, especially in this format.”
Miller, Head Coach of Vancouver Knights, who won the inaugural Global T20 in Canada last year said, “The history of the Providence track favours the spinners but we have seen pacers doing well here. The game is three days away and the sun is very hot so we have some time to decide on our final combination.”
“Steven Jacobs and Trevon Griffith are from Guyana and should know the local conditions and if they play that could be an advantage for us,” the experienced Coach concluded.
Yesterday Gayle and Taylor were allowed the day off and remained at the team’s Hotel, while Guyanese Ramnaresh Sarwan, a part of the Tallawahs Coaching staff, was also not present at the Tallawahs first practice session yesterday.
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