Above: Chris Gayle (Photo: CPL)

By the Caribbean Journal staff

One season of the Caribbean Premier League T20 is in the books, and the Jamaica Tallawahs are the league’s inaugural champions.

The Tallawahs, led by West Indies star and Jamaica native Chris Gayle, took home the crown on Saturday in Port of Spain by defeating the Guyana Amazon Warriors.

In a tightly-contested game, the Tallawahs won by just seven wickets, led by Gayle’s blistering 47.

The match’s conclusion was followed by a fireworks display at the Queen’s Park Oval in downtown Port of Spain.

It was a fitting conclusion to what most see as a very successful debut for the Limacol CPL, which led to significant exposure for the region and for Caribbean cricket — from hollywood actors buying equity stakes to major sponsors like Virgin Atlantic.

“The support of the Limacol CPL by the West Indian fans has been overwhelming and this is evidenced by the sold out crowds at each and every match so far,” West Indies Cricket Board President Dave Cameron said this week. “That says to me that the interest and passion for the game is still there, and it’s our responsibility to continue to nurture that love, which is what the LCPL is all about.”

If the first season is any indication, the future of Caribbean cricket is very bright indeed.

“The entire world has come to play through the global reach and appeal that the Tournament has achieved,” Cameron said. “The combination of some of the best regional and international T20 players with the amazing carnival, party-like atmosphere for which the Caribbean is renowned has turned the eyes and ears of the world to our shores, and we could not be more pleased about that exposure.”