JAMAICA Tallawahs captain Christopher Gayle said maintaining a high scoring rate throughout the early PowerPlay overs set his team on course for a sizeable total and ultimately a 50-run victory over Trinidad & Tobago Red Steel in Thursday’s Caribbean Premier League match at Sabina Park.

The left-handed Gayle, who pummelled a typically scintillating 105 off 57 deliveries, and opening partner Chadwick Walton (13) took advantage of the fielding restrictions early in the innings and managed to rack up 70 runs in the first six overs and four balls.

After closing on 180-6, the Tallawahs restricted the Red Steel for 130-9 as the visiting team’s batsmen struggled under the pressure of trying to keep up with an ever-climbing required runrate.

“We capitalised on the PowerPlay and that was very vital for us. Chadwick and I put on a fifty partnership and I think that was an excellent job. They [Red Steel] came back strongly in the middle period and their spinners played a big part and they got some crucial wickets and put us on the backfoot,” Gayle said in a post-match television interview.

Dwayne Bravo, the Red Steel skipper, said Gayle’s 16th century in Twenty20 cricket put the Tallawahs in a strong position, while adding that his team’s batting was a letdown.

“Congrats to Chris Gayle on getting another T20 hundred. He took the game away from us. I have to give credit to the bowlers [because] they stuck to their task…we could have been chasing 200 runs. Having said that, once again our batting let us down,” Bravo said.

With Sabina hosting about two-thirds of its 16,000 capacity in only the second official match under floodlights at the venue, Bravo won the toss and opted to send the Tallawahs to take first strike.

Where Walton was the main aggressor during their match-winning partnership in the run-chase versus St Lucia Zouks on Tuesday, Gayle took charge from virtually ball one against the Red Steel.

He lofted medium pacer Jacques Kallis for six in the first over and never looked back from there.

Walton, who had a slow start compared to that seen during his swashbuckling 76 on Tuesday, was trapped leg before wicket to wrist spinner Samuel Badree at 70-1.

Three wickets followed in quick succession.

Chris Lynn (eight) and struggling Mahela Jayawardene (one) both fell to the combination of the impressive left-arm spinner Sulieman Benn and wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal.

Left-hander Narsingh Deonarine, brought in for his first game of the season, followed in the 12th over as the Tallawahs, losing much of the early momentum, reached 102-4.

Gayle maintained the pyrotechnics at the other end and reached his century off 54 balls to the satisfaction of the vociferous home supporters. The blistering hundred, which included nine sixes and six fours, was the first for the big left-hander in Twenty20 cricket at Sabina Park.

A hectic 68-run, fifth-wicket partnership with Jermaine Blackwood, who struck 38 from 28 deliveries, ensured that though the Tallawahs fell short of the 200-mark, they still were able to reach a big total.

Spinner Sulieman Benn took 2-19 off three overs for Red Steel.

In reply, the Red Steel lost wickets early and failed to recover.

After being pegged back to 28-4 off four overs and three balls, they kept losing wickets and laboured to 130-9.

Kallis, who opened the innings, top scored with 46 off 36 balls. Left-arm medium pacer Krishmar Santokie took 3-27 off four overs, while fast bowler Jerome Taylor and left-arm spinner Daniel Vettori took two wickets each.

The Tallawahs, who have eight points, clash with Barbados Tridents today at Sabina, while the Red Steel, who battle St Kitts & Nevis Patriots in Basseterre — also today — remain on three.