The Montreal Tigers were crowned champions of the 2023 Global T20 Canada cricket tournament after defeating the Surrey Jaguars by five wickets in the final on Sunday at a sold-out TD Cricket Arena in Brampton, Ontario.
Andre Russell delivered late-match heroics for Montreal in the final, scoring the match-winning six on the last ball with the target set at 131 runs. The Tigers needed 13 runs in the last six innings with the Jamaican star batting, and he answered the call scoring 20.
“I hope everyone in Canada was watching that because that’s what it’s all about, that’s why we’re here, to entertain and put on a show,” Tigers captain Chris Lynn of Australia said.
Join to @AndiPetrillo and @farazcricket while analyzing the final of @GT20Canada and the great victory of Montreal 🏆 pic.twitter.com/ithPYEAvyp
Sherfane Rutherford was also instrumental in the win, stepping up when it mattered most for the second match in a row. He lined the ball to the limit for four runs before throwing a pair of sixes into the stands, which were packed with cheering Tigers fans.
The 24-year-old from the West Indies played like a hero on Saturday, scoring three straight sixes to lead Montreal past the Vancouver Knights to reach the final.
Rutherford finished the match with 38 runs off 29 balls, and Lynn added 31 runs off 35 balls, including six of her own.
The third edition of the six-team tournament consisted of 25 games in Brampton over 17 days, with Montreal claiming its first title. Vancouver won the tournament in 2018, followed by the now-defunct Winnipeg Hawks in 2019. The 2023 edition also featured the Toronto Nationals, Brampton Wolves, and Mississauga Panthers.
That winning feeling 🇨🇦🏆
The Montreal Tigers defeat the Surrey Jaguars to capture the @GT20Canada championship 🏏
Full story: https://t.co/ItDus61hrv pic.twitter.com/YeA10OjJJJ
Jatinder Singh led the way for Surrey, who had won six games in a row. The 34-year-old batsman from Oman hit a match-high 56 runs off 57 balls.
While the Tigers gave up three wides and a leg before the wicket, the Jaguars gave up two of each failing to defend their 130 runs.
What a moment for the Montreal Tigers 🏆
After the great victory, @signabutler talked with @lynny50 ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/vzoPzCvU1f
Russell was among several notable international cricketers to compete in Brampton, with Shoaib Malik (Brampton), Harbhajan Singh (Brampton), Shahid Afridi (Toronto) and Chris Gayle (Mississauga) also taking part.
There were 36 Canadian players in the tournament, giving them the chance to shine alongside their cricketing heroes in front of a global audience.
CLOCK | GT20 Canada brings the world’s best cricketers to Brampton:
Tournament organizers and fans outline what new cricket viewers can expect in a match at the GT20 Canada tournament.
