Montreal Tigers storm past Surrey Jaguars to claim GT20 Canada cricket championship
CBC
The Montreal Tigers were crowned champions of the 2023 Global T20 Canada cricket tournament after defeating the Surrey Jaguars by five wickets in Sunday's final at a packed TD Cricket Arena in Brampton, Ont.
Andre Russell provided late-match heroics for Montreal in the final over, hitting the match-winning six on the last ball with the target set at 131 runs. The Tigers needed 13 runs off the final six deliveries with the Jamaican star batting, and he answered the call by scoring 20.
"I hope everyone in Canada was watching that because that's what we're about, that's why we're here, to entertain and put on a show," said Tigers captain Chris Lynn of Australia.
Sherfane Rutherford was also instrumental in the win, stepping up when it mattered most for the second straight match. He hit the ball to the boundary for four runs before launching a pair of sixes over the stands, which were filled with cheering Tigers fans.
The 24-year-old from the West Indies played hero on Saturday, hitting three straight sixes to lift Montreal over the Vancouver Knights to reach the final.
The third edition of the six-team tournament consisted of 25 matches in Brampton over 17 days, with Montreal claiming its first-ever title. Vancouver won the tournament in 2018, followed by the Winnipeg Hawks in 2019.
Jatinder Singh led the way for Surrey, which had won six straight matches. The 34-year-old Oman batsman hit a match-high 56 runs on 57 balls.
While the Tigers gave up three wides and a leg before wicket, the Jaguars surrendered two of each as they failed to defend their 130 runs.
The 2023 edition also featured the Toronto Nationals, Brampton Wolves and Mississauga Panthers.
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