PORT-OF-SPAIN, Trinidad:

Jamaica Tallawahs middle-order batsman Danza Hyatt has credited time spent working on his game after the West Indies four-day tournament season as the main reason for his standout performances in the on-going Limacol Caribbean Premier League.

The 30-year-old, who has been in and out of the West Indies team in recent years, was named Man of the Match, on Wednesday, after finishing unbeaten on 42 in the Tallawahs five-run win over Trinidad and Tobago Red Steel at Queen's Park Oval.

The performance, which helped to propel the Tallawahs to a competitive 146 for six off their maximum 20 overs, was the third such for Hyatt, following another unbeaten knock of 25 in their win over Antigua Hawksbills on Sunday, and 18 in their eight-wicket loss to Guyana Amazon Warriors last Friday.

The Red Steel, in their victory chase, ended on 141 for five, off their allotment of 20 overs.

"I have been preparing well for this tournament since I was back home," said Hyatt, who had a miserable regional first-class season, which ended with him scoring only one half-century in his last 15 innings, four-day and 50 over matches combined.

"I went away and worked hard at my game personally, by myself along with a couple of family members and friends and I am seeing the results now.

"I first tried to get fitter heading into the tournament, and have then been trying to rotate the strike a lot more, as well as have tried to delay playing big shots until towards the end of my innings."

precarious position

Hyatt, who has represented the West Indies in nine one-day and five Twenty20 Internationals, and averages a creditable 26.21 in 50 Twenty20 matches, entered the match with Jamaica in the precarious position of 57 for two, in the 10th over.

He then went on to hold the innings together, despite the wickets of Gayle, 28, Jacques Rudolph (6), Andre Russell (2), and wicketkeeper Carlton Baugh Jr(12), falling around him, and in the end found a capable ally in all-rounder Vernon Philander, 23, with whom he put on a boundary-studded unbroken 47-run for the seventh-wicket stand.

South African Philander made 23 not out, off eight balls, inclusive of two sixes and four, while Hyatt hit three sixes and two fours off 26 balls.

"The mindset today (Wednesday) after we lost Shezad and Gayle was that I knew that I had to play an important part in the middle and bat towards the end. I then went out there and tried to do that, and thankfully it came off," said Hyatt.