Bravo, Kallis put Red Steel in semis

Trinidad & Tobago Red Steel overcame a Chris Gayle explosion in the first over of Jamaica Tallawahs' chase of a modest target to secure a seven-run victory in Port-of-Spain that put them in the semi-finals of CPL 2015. The win vaulted Red Steel into second place; they are only a point behind leaders Barbados Tridents but have a game in hand.

Gayle launched Tallawahs' pursuit of 145 by clobbering legspinner Samuel Badree for 26 runs in the opening over. He hit three sixes and two fours off the first five balls, four of them disappearing towards long-on and the other over deep square leg. Jacques Kallis and Dwayne Bravo then kept Gayle boundary-less for six balls and he eventually mis-hit a slower ball from Bravo to long-off, where he was caught by Johan Botha. Bravo then caught Mahela Jayawardene at slip off Suliemann Benn, reducing Tallawahs to 36 for 2 in 3.3 overs.

Red Steel's spinners continued to wreck the chase: Benn took another scalp, Derone Davis claimed one, and Badree bounced back from his expensive first over by taking three middle-order wickets in a spell that included a maiden. Tallawahs were reduced to 87 for 7, and between the seventh and 16th overs they scored only 43 runs. With 39 runs needed off 18 balls, Andre Russell hit two sixes and two fours to give Tallwahs some hope. But his dismissal to Bravo left his team with 16 to get off nine balls, and Red Steel prevailed by seven runs.

Unlike Tallawahs' frenetic innings, Red Steel built their total around the solidity of Kallis, who batted through 20 overs to remain not out on 61 off 51 balls. He was joined by Dwayne Bravo with Red Steel on 76 for 3, and the pair added 69 runs in seven overs. Bravo scored 49 of them off 30 balls, hitting three sixes late in the innings to finish on a high.