TALLAWAHS HEADING TO ANTIGUA FOR CPL GRUDGE MATCH (- Hawksbills to face defending champions on Thursday at 3:30pm)

Wednesday 16^th July 2014 – St. John’s, Antigua and Barbuda

Marlon Samuels and the Antigua Hawksbills are looking to even the score as they face the Tallawahs in a nail-biting match up this Thursday

The stage is set in Antigua for a mouth-watering clash between two Caribbean cricketing superstars, as Marlon Samuels and the Antigua Hawksbills face Chris Gayle and the defending Limacol Caribbean Premier League champions, the Jamaica Tallawahs, this Thursday at 3.30pm at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium.

The hotly-anticipated grudge match will see the Hawksbills looking to bounce back from a narrow two-wicket defeat to the Guyana Amazon Warriors in the season’s opening game. Despite the defeat, there were encouraging performances for the Hawksbills, with Australian pair, Ben Dunk and Ben Laughlin both impressing, along with pace bowler, Sheldon Cottrell, who picked up three wickets.

Marlon Samuels’ team will be reliant on a passionate home crowd for the grudge match, particularly as the Tallawahs will travel to North Sound in confident mood after starting the defence of the title in emphatic form with a seven-wicket win over the St. Lucia Zouks. Captain, Chris Gayle, looks to have his swagger well and truly back after blasting the first ever CPL century to finish with 111* from 63 balls, with ten sixes and five fours. Gayle will be joined by a host of T20 stars, including Andre Russell, Jerome Taylor, Jermaine Blackwood, Daniel Vettori, Adam Voges, Rusty Theron and Owais Shah.

The only way to catch the game live will be at the stadium, and the atmosphere is set to be buzzing as these two dynamic teams go head to head.

Sir Viv Richards, Antigua Hawksbills mentor, said; “It’s going to be a tough game, no doubt, but with home advantage and the backing of our passionate fans, we feel we can overcome the Tallawahs. Coach Nielsen and the team have been working hard in the build-up to the tournament, and fans can expect to see a good team performance on Thursday.”

Marlon Samuels, Antigua Hawksbills captain, said: “We had amazing support last year, and the fans created an awesome atmosphere, so we’re asking as many supporters as possible to get to the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium and get behind the Hawksbills.”

The Tallawahs match is the first of three home games for the Hawksbills. On Saturday 19^th, the visitors will be Kieron Pollard’s Barbados Tridents, while Dwayne Bravo will bring the Red Steel to the island on Sunday 20^th.

Chris Gayle and the Jamaica Tallawahs are looking to extend their winning streak as they continue their title defence when they face the Hawksbills on their home turf

 

ENDS

About the Caribbean Premier League:

The Limacol Caribbean Premier League is a franchise-based T20 format cricket tournament that combines two of the most compelling aspects of Caribbean life – dramatic cricket and a vibrant Carnival atmosphere.  The inaugural CPL, billed as “the Biggest Party in Sport” featured six teams competing throughout the region in August 2013 – Jamaica Tallawahs, The Red Steel, Barbados Tridents, Guyana Amazon Warriors, St. Lucia Zouks, Antigua Hawksbills.  The Jamaica Tallawahs, captained by Chris Gayle, emerged as champions.

CPL II takes place from 11^th July to 16^th August 2014.