NORTH SOUND, Antigua – St Lucia Zouks kept hope alive for a top four finish after the preliminary stage of the inaugural Limacol Caribbean Premier League with a 17-run win over Antigua Hawksbills by the Duckworth/Lewis method at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium here Thursday.
After an initial half-hour interruption ten overs into their innings, Hawksbills were 72 for two chasing 180 for victory.
On resumption, Tino Best delivered four legitimate deliveries, the final of which yorked Jamar Hamilton for 24 that left Hawksbills 76 for three.
Rain again interrupted play and the match was eventually called off after 10.4 overs. The Duckworth/Lewis par score for that stage of the game was 93 runs.
Captain Marlon Samuels was left 22 not out.
Johnson Charles struck three consecutive boundaries off Garey Mathurin in the first over of the Hawksbills reply, but was bowled for 12 from the fifth ball of that same over.
His opening partner Kieran Powell also mustered 12 off six balls before offering a return catch to Mathurin from a leading edge. Mathurin finished with two for 26 off three overs.
Saint Lucia Zouks won the toss and rattled up the highest score of the tournament so far, 179 for four off 20 overs.
Andre Fletcher registered his second half-century of the tournament and Darren Sammy blasted 35 not out to dominate the innings.
Fletcher stroked a belligerent 76 off 53 balls, smashing four fours and three sixes. He shared in an opening stand of 46 with Tamim Iqbal, who made 20.
He also featured in a second-wicket partnership of 46 with Devon Smith, who stroked 29, and a further 59 with Sammy for the fourth wicket.
Samuels, with the wickets of Iqbal and Fletcher, bagged two for 33 and Rahkeem Cornwall snared Misbah-ul-Haq and Smith for final figures of two for 36 with his off spin. (CMC)
