TORONTO, Canada, CMC – Out-of-favour West Indies star Andre Russell belted the final delivery of the game for six with two runs needed for victory, as Montreal Tigers captured the Global T20 Canada title by edging Surrey Jaguars by five wickets in a nerve-jangling final here yesterday.
Chasing 131 at CAA Centre, Tigers found themselves at 61 for four in the 12th over before West Indies batsman Sherfane Rutherford struck a Man-of-the-Match unbeaten 38 from 29 deliveries.
Russell then won it at the end with a six-ball unbeaten 20, including a four and a brace of sixes.
“These are the moments we live for,” said Russell. “As athletes, we work hard and the big moments [are what we live for].”
Sent in, Jaguars struggled to 130 for five from their 20 overs, opener Jatinder Singh batting through the innings to finish unbeaten on 56 from 57 deliveries.
Ayaan Khan struck a 15-ball 26 while opener Mohammad Haris chipped in with 23 from 22 balls, Jaguars failing to find sustained momentum throughout their innings.
Jatinder, who counted only three fours, put on a slow 35 off 37 deliveries for the first wicket with Haris before adding a further 31 for the second wicket with Liton Das (12).
With the innings in need of acceleration, Ayaan Khan arrived to lash two sixes in a swift knock, in a 36-run, fourth wicket stand with Jatinder, to get Jaguars up to their eventual total.
Former West Indies T20 captain, Carlos Brathwaite, finished with one for 33 from four overs of seam while Russell picked up one for 24 from his four overs of medium pace.
In reply, Muhammad Waseem fell to the third ball of the chase without a run on the board before opener and Captain Chris Lynn, who struck 31 from 35 balls with three fours and a six, put on 35 for the second wicket with Srimantha Wijeyeratne (12) and 25 for the third wicket with Dilpreet Singh (14).
Lynn and Dilpreet fell in the space of four deliveries in the 12th over but Rutherford, also adjudged Man-of-the-Series, took control of the chase in a knock which included three fours and two sixes.
More importantly, he found an ally in Russell with whom he added 29 from 12 deliveries in an unbroken sixth wicket partnership.
