GT20 Canada: How did the international players fare in Surrey Jaguars vs Montreal Tigers, Final?
The blockbuster final match of the third GT20 edition kicked off on August 6 as Surrey Jaguars clashed with Montreal Tigers one final time in the tournament. Unfortunately for Jaguars, they once again ended up on the losing side against the Tigers. The game went down the wire which saw Montreal Tigers clinch their maiden GT20 title in emphatic fashion.
The top three Surrey Jaguars’ batters scored some handy runs at the top. But their slow scoring rate hampered their progress during the middle phases of the game. The bowling from Tigers was very tidy and immaculate as none of the bowlers went over 8.5 RPO. Jatinder Singh (56) and Ayaan Khan (26) dragged Surrey Kings to a respectable total of 130.
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In response, Montreal Tigers got off to the worst possible start losing Wasim without a single run on the board. Chris Lynn and Sherfane Rutherford steadied the ship with their 30-plus contributions. Up until the halfway stage, Surrey bowlers kept it tight as they did not allow Tigers’ batters to run away with the game. It all ultimately boiled down to 13 in the last over where a monstrous blitzkrieg from Andre Russell powered Montreal Tigers to an emphatic last-ball victory.
As we reflect on the recently concluded GT20 final, let us quickly glance through the performance of all the international players who were involved in this final game.
Mohammad Haris (SJ)
Haris was the first Jaguars’ wicket to fall. He got some runs at the top and scored a sedated knock of 23 (22) which comprised two fours and a six. He was trapped in front of the stumps by Aayan Afzal Khan during the 7th over of the first innings.
Jatinder Singh (SJ)
Jantinder remained scored a half-century and stayed unbeaten till the end. But his inability to blast his way through the middle overs prevented Surrey Jaguars from posting an aggressive total. He made 56 (57) which included three fours only at a strike rate of 98.24.
Litton Das (SJ)
Das too perished after playing a slow innings of 12 (13) which featured just a solitary boundary. He was cleaned up by Aayan Afzal Khan during the halfway stage of the first innings.
Iftikhar Ahmed (SJ)
Ahmed could not make a significant contribution with the bat and perished just for 8 (9) against Brathwaite during the 14th over of the first innings. However, he proved to be very uncanny with the bowl. His figures of 2/8 in his allotted four overs helped Surrey Jaguars tighten the screws on Montreal Tigers for the most part of the game.
Ayaan Khan (SJ)
Ayaan Khan’s dazzling cameo of 26 (15) added life to Surrey’s lackluster innings. He smashed two sixes and scored at a blistering strike rate of 173.33 to lift his side to a face-saving total of 130. His stay came to an end during the penultimate over of the first innings when he was dismissed by Abbas Afridi.
Besides, he was exceptionally economical with the ball and went for just 4 RPO in his 3 overs spell with a key wicket of Srimantha Wijeyeratne.
Sandeep Lamichhane (SJ)
Sandeep did not get a chance to bat in this match. However, with regard to his bowling, the Nepali leg-spinner failed to deliver the magic which he is so widely renowned for. He went wicketless in his three overs and conceded 20 runs.
Muhammad Waseem (MT)
Waseem departed very early in the innings as he failed to open his account. He was dismissed by Spencer Johson during the first over of the second innings, which resulted in the buildup of a considerable amount of pressure.
Chris Lynn (MT)
Lynn played a carefully-constructed innings of 31(35) and helped Montreal Tigers navigate through the middle overs of the game. He smashed three fours and a six and was eventually out bowled by Iftikhar Ahmed during the 12th over of the second innings.
Sherfane Rutherford (MT)
Rutherford turned out to be the player of the match and also the player of the series after notching a match-defining innings of 38* (29). He displayed a great deal of maturity while playing under pressure and stayed unbeaten till the end to get his side over the finishing line. He smashed three fours and two sixes in his entire innings.
Dipendra Singh Airee (MT)
Dipendra was very lackluster with the bat and played a painfully slow knock of 16 (17) which only featured 1 four. He was forced to retire out during the 12th over of the second innings to make way for Russell who played a blistering cameo to save the day for the Montreal Tigers.
Andre Russell (MT)
Russell had a significant role to play in Montreal Tigers’ win in today’s final fixture. He bowled brilliantly with the ball upfront conceding 24 runs at just 6 RPO while managing to grab a vital scalp of Matthew Forde. And with the bat in hand, Russell unleashed his wrath and smashed 20* off just six balls to power the Tigers to their maiden GT20 title.
Carlos Brathwaite (MT)
Carlos did not get a chance to participate with the bat. He put up a decent show with the ball and finished with figures of 1/33 while erring slightly on the higher side. He bowled nine dots and conceded two fours and as many sixes in his entire spell.
Aayan Afzal Khan (MT)
Aayan did not get a chance to participate with the bat. However, he has a very decent impact with the ball and grabbed two important wickets of Mohammad Haris and Litton Das. He only conceded a solitary boundary in his entire four-over spell going at just 5.25 RPO.
Note: Domestic players playing for Canadian Cricket Team have not been featured in the article