Andre Russell had one of the greatest all-round individual performances in T20 cricket for the Jamaica Tallawahs who beat defending champions Trinbago Knight Riders by 4 wickets to get their 2018 Caribbean Premier League campaign underway on a winning note.
The Knight Riders batting first posted a record score of 223 for 6 with Colin Munro (61), Brendon McCullum (56) and opener Chris Lynn (46) the chief scorers.
Russell was the pick of the Jamaican bowlers after taking a hat-trick in the 20th over to finish with 3 for 38.
The Tallawahs, needing to complete the highest ever run chase in CPL history, slumped to 15 for 3 and appeared absolutely dead and buried at 41 for 5 after 6.1 overs.
They however rebounded to post a record 225 for 6 (the highest score in CPL history) thanks to Russell who slammed a ridiculous CPL record 13 sixes and 6 fours in an unbeaten 121 from just 49 balls.
The 30 year old, later named Man of The Match, also put on a world record 161 for the 6th wicket with Kennar Lewis who made 51 off 35 deliveries against Ali Khan who led the Knight Riders with 3 for 24.
Russell in bringing up his hundred in 40 balls broke his previous record for the fastest CPL century set in the 2016 playoffs against the Knight Riders off 42 balls.
He now becomes the second man to take a hat-trick and score a hundred in the same T20 match, England’s Joe Denly having done so for Kent only last month in the Vitality Blast.
Final scores Trinbago Knight Riders 223-6, Jamaica Tallawahs 225-6.
Upcoming Fixtures:
Saturday August 11 – Guyana Amazon Warriors v St Lucia Stars (4pm), Providence Stadium;
Trinbago Knight Riders v St Kitts & Nevis Patriots (8pm), Queen’s Park Oval.