Taylor inspires Tallawahs win over Hawksbills

Jerome Taylor showed signs of returning to his best form with a match-winning spell of 4 for 18 to spur Jamaica Tallawahs on to a seven-wicket win over the still winless Antigua Hawksbills on Thursday at Sabina Park. Taylor ripped through the top order to leave the Hawksbills in a hole at 36 for 4 in the eighth over from which they couldn't recover.

Tallawahs captain Chris Gayle chose to field and was rewarded by Taylor's incisive opening spell. It began when Devon Thomas chopped one onto his stumps in the fourth over and was bookended by Taylor's athletic one-handed catch off his own bowling to remove Ben Dunk for 23. Dunk was one of only three players to reach double figures for Hawksbills as Nikita Miller picked up where Taylor left off and nabbed 3 for 17 in four overs.

A steady drizzle turned into a downpour with one ball to go in the 16th over resulting in an hour and 40 minute delay with the score on 78 for 8. The match was reduced to a 17-over affair with Hawksbills eventually ending on 89 for 9. Tallawahs were set a D-L adjusted target of 87 in 17 overs.

Gayle got off to a methodical start, going without a boundary until the sixth over when he targeted Carlos Brathwaite. Gayle smashed back-to-back short balls over midwicket for six as part of a 16-run over to get the wheels in motion. He lofted Ben Laughlin over long-on for six at the start of the 14th over to bring up his 50 off 32 balls. Gayle's sixth six, deposited over midwicket on the final ball of the over, ended the match with three overs to spare. He was unbeaten on 59.