The Global T20 2024 final was all set to go at the CAA Centre, Brampton, Ontario. Thousands of cricket fans came to watch the Montreal Tigers take on the Toronto Nationals in one of the most highly expected clashes in the tournament on August 11, 2024. It was one of those nights when it had everything, so full of excitement; it turned out that the Toronto Nationals proved superior with an emphatic 8-wicket win to seal the championship title.
The Toronto Nationals won the toss and elected to field first, thus developing a strategy for their win. Their move set the tone for the rest of the game, as their bowlers came out to bowl, apparently with a certain plan in mind: to restrict the Montreal Tigers and capitalize on every mistake.
The Montreal Tigers’ innings did get off to a bright start, but the plans were sent straight out of the window due to the disciplined and aggressive bowling attack by the Nationals. Pressure was put immediately on the Tigers’ top order, with the first breakthrough coming in the 2nd over as Romario Shepherd trapped Parveen Kumar LBW. His fiery spell saw him claim another crucial wicket as he dismissed Erasmus in the 3rd over. Very next delivery, Behrendorff struck to clean up Seifert LBW, making things even tighter on the Tigers’ batting line-up.
The excellent effort from Corbin Bosch, who top-scored with 35 runs off 33 balls, wasn’t enough to keep the Tigers moving. Their innings just sputtered to a close at 96 runs in 20 overs with those key wickets falling at regular intervals. The bowlers of the Nationals, particularly Behrendorff and Shepherd, were outstanding with the former coming up with 3 for 8 and the latter 2 for 20. Their disciplined performance meant that the Tigers never gained impetus during their innings to post a competitive total.
Later on, when Toronto Nationals batted, the run chase started. Early moments in their innings read of spree-like activity. Azmatullah Omarzai cleaned up Munro LBW early on in the 1st over, and in the 2nd over, a vital wicket of Chand fell to Corbin Bosch. But the Nationals’ response was measured and authoritative. Andries Gous and Rassie van der Dussen held together the innings, leading it with a biddable partnership based on patience and some accuracy.
Gous was particularly the standout performer, with an unbeaten 58 off 49 balls, which included 8 boundaries. Elegant strokes and a compact technique were the hallmark of his innings, ably supported by van der Dussen, who contributed 30 not out from 34 balls. Together, they ensured that the Nationals got to the target of 97 runs in just 15 overs for the loss of 2 wickets.
Toronto Nationals had put up an all-round show throughout. Their bowlers laid the base due to a great display in the first innings and the batsmen finished things off in style and with poise. Montreal Tigers, despite trying hard, simply could not match the all-round excellence of the Nationals in the day.
