Zouks climb up CPL standings with clinical win over Patriots

Zouks climb up CPL standings with clinical win over Patriots






Daren Sammy smashed a 19-ball 30 to propel Zouks to 165

CPL

St Lucia Zouks made a timely jump up to fourth place on the CPL 2019 standingswith a clinical 20-run victory over the St Kitts & Nevis Patriots at the Daren Sammy International Stadium in St Lucia on Tuesday (September 25). The win was spearheaded by three-wicket hauls from Hardus Viljoen and Kesrick Williams following a late flourish from Daren Sammy that propelled the hosts to a competitive 165/6.

Sammy's 19-ball 30 and his 56-run stand for the sixth wicket with Christopher Barnwell (27*) was particularly crucial in Zouks' win given that they'd thrown away a dominant start and were left precariously placed at 101 for 5 with eight overs to go.

Put in to bat, Zouks openers Rakheen Cornwall and Andre Fletcher got the home team off to a flier before the highly impressive Alzarri Joseph bowled Cornwall after the batsman hit a couple of sixes. But Fletcher carried on, and with a steady Colin Ingram for support, ensured there was no dip in the scoring rate.

From 72/1 at the end of the seventh over, Zouks lost their way as Mohammad Hafeez strangled the batsmen with his canny off spin. Both set batsmen, Fletcher and Ingram, were stumped off strategically bowled wides after setting off down the track a tad too early, allowing Hafeez to fire the ball wide off their reach. The Pakistan all-rounder also accounted for the dangerous Colin de Grandhomme while Keron Cottoy dismissed Andre McCarthy putting the Patriots in control before Sammy swung the pendulum back in the hosts' favour. The former West Indies captain struck three fours and a six in his 19-ball effort and despite a great effort in the death from Alzarri Joseph (2 for 20), was able to give the Zouks a fighting total.

The Patriots were behind the eight-ball for the full length of their run chase. Openers Devon Thomas and Evin Lewis were prized out inside the PowerPlay, forcing Laurie Evans and Hafeez into a period of consolidation. To their credit, the two Patriots batsman kept the the team in the hunt with a 49-run stand but the ever-burgeoning asking rate was always going to elicit a risk or two.

After a brief rain-enforced interruption, Williams hammered home Zouks' advantage with a double-wicket 13th over, first deceiving Evans with a slower ball for a caught & bowled and then pinning the in-form Fabian Allen LBW. Carlos Brathwaite fell in the next over to Fawad Ahmed, who also accounted for Hafeez. Between the two dismissals, Viljoen cleaned up Shamarh Brooks as the visitors lost 5 for 26 post the rain delay. Cottoy and Emrit only delayed the inevitable with four sixes between them before Zouks ran home comfortable winners.

Brief scores:St Lucia Zouks 165/6 in 20 overs (Andre Fletcher 36, Daren Sammy 30; Mohammad Hafeez 3-22) beat St Kitts & Nevis Patriots 145/9 in 20 overs (Mohammad Hafeez 29; Hardus Viljoen 3-14, Kesrick Williams 3-48, Fawad Ahmed 2-19) by 20 runs.