Guyana Amazon Warriors defended a modest 118 to win by 10 runs over Jamaica Tallawahs in the Hero Caribbean League, while St Lucia Zouks held off a challenge from St Kitts and Nevis Patriots to register victories on Saturday.

Warriors and Zouks have four point each from three games and Trinbago, who play on Sunday, have four from two matches.

After Tallawahs captain Rovman Powell elected to bowl, the Warriors got off to a superb start. Brandon King (29) and Chandrapaul Hemraj (21) punished the wayward bowlers and added 56 in 5.4 overs. But the dismissal of King by Mujeeb-ur-Rahman triggered off a collapse.

Mujeeb brought in a remarkable turnaround. He skidded one past King’s sweep and then next ball the in-form Shimron Hetmyer was bowled by a quicker off-spinner. When Andre Russell got Hemraj to hit into Mujeeb’s hands at point, the Warriors had slumped from 56/0 to 57/3 inside four balls.

Wickets fell regularly to the extent that Warriors lost 10 wickets for just 62 runs and failed to play out their 20 overs. The made 118 runs for what seemed like a very gettable target.

After King and Hemraj, the only others to get into double figures were Ross Taylor (21) and Naveen-ul-Haq (14 in 17 balls), as Mujeeb and Carlos Braithwaite took three wickets each for Tallawahs but it was Sandeep Lamichhane, who not only took two wickets, but gave away just eight runs and bowled 18 run-less deliveries.

Defending 118, Warriors fought back hard and struck early with Chris Green trapping Chadwick Walton leg before off the first delivery. Tallawahs were reduced to three down for four runs in less than 20 deliveries.

As Rovman Powell (23) tried to drop anchor Asif Ali (14) gave him support, but Hemraj brought in for just one over removed Ali. Then before Russell, a danger man, could go on a rampage, Powell was sent back by Naveen-ul-Haq, who frustrated Tallawahs. Russell (52 in 37 balls with four fours and five sixes gave it all, but got little support from the other end.

Tallawahs needing 60 from the last 4 overs, ran out of overs and fell 14 runs short.

Brief scores : Guyana Amazon Warriors 118 all out (King 29, Hemraj 21, Taylor 21, Naveen 14; Brathwaite 3/14, Mujeeb 3/18, Lamichhane 2/8, Russell 1/16) beat Jamaica Tallawahs 104/7 (Russell 52*, Powell 23, Asif Ali 14; Green 2/10, Hemraj 1/3, Nedd 1/10, Naveen 1/22, Tahir 1/26, Paul 1/33) by 14 runs

Player of the match : Naveen ul Haq

Zouks beat back a late challenge from Patriots at Hero CPL

St Lucia Zouks overcome a middle-overs slump to register the highest total of Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL), but their off-spinners also had to work hard push back St Kitts & Nevis Patriots to win by 10 runs. It was the third loss in as many matches for Patriots, while Zouks earned their second win in three matches.

Patriots captain Rayad Emrit chose to bowl and even though Sheldon Cottrell and Sohail Tanvir started tightly to Rakheem Cornwall, it was wicket-keeper batsman Andre Fletcher who scored rapid fire. Cornwall retired ill in the third over and in came Mark Deyal who started with a Hero Maximum six off first ball. Deyal also got a reprieve as Ben Dunk missed a slip catch off Jon-Russ Jaggesar.

Zouks started running away as Fletcher broke open and the Zouks were 64/0 off the Powerplay. When Deyal finally left, via a juggling catch by Ish Sodhi off Emrit, Zouks were solidly placed at 73 in 7.1 over.

While Fletcher kept getting runs, Afghan Najibullah Zadran hit a couple of reverse sweeps off Sodhi. Fletcher was dropped again on 38 as Zouks were 91 for one in 10 overs.

Jaggesar finally got Fletcher and that brought some relief to Patriots. The run-rate fell and so did wickets. Zouks dropped to 123 for five, losing four wickets in a span of less than three overs for 21 runs. They lost Fletcher, Roston Chase, Najibullah Zadran and Darren Sammy in that stretch.

But Mohammed Nabi saved the situation with an electric 35 in 22 balls with three sixes and one four and helped Zouks reach 172 for six.

When Patriots began their chase, Nabi was back in the action bowling an excellent first over to Chris Lynn and Evin Lewis. Nabi finally got Lynn as Najibullah took one of the best catches of the tournament.

After Nabi had done the early damage, the other Zouks bowlers, especially Kiwi Scott Kuggeleijn, who took four for 33 in four overs, and Chase (3 for 12 in four overs) never allowed Patriots to get their eye in, barring a few slogs.

Patriots needed 9.5 an over off the last 10 and they had left things till too late. In the bargain they lost quick wickets.

Cottrell launched a few late lusty blows to narrow the margin of defeat, but Zouks were in control to win by 10 runs.

Brief scores: St Lucia Zouks 172/6 (Fletcher 46, Nabi 35*, Deyal 30, Najibullah 28; Jaggesar 2/29, Tanvir 2/41, Emrit 1/14) beat St Kitts & Nevis Patriots 162/8 (Ramdin 46, Lewis 29, Cottrell 26*; Kuggeleijn 4/33, Chase 3/12, Nabi 1/17) by 10 runs

Player of the match : Mohammed Nabi

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