BASSETERRE, St Kitts, , CMC – Seamer Rayad Emrit made key strikes to spark a St Lucia Zouks collapse, as reigning champions Barbados Tridents clinched a 15-run victory in the tenth game of the Caribbean Premier League here Wednesday night.
Chasing 149 for victory at Warner Park, Zouks were well poised at 80 for two in the 13th over but collapsed spectacularly to lose their next seven wickets for 55 runs, and end on 133 for nine off their 20 overs.
Opener Andre Fletcher top-scored with 52 from 38 deliveries while Ross Taylor got 20, but Emrit finished picked up three for 20 from his four overs, to cause the damage. He removed Fletcher in the 13th over to inspire the collapse and then crucially removed captain Darren Sammy who smashed a four and a six in a threatening 15, with Zouks needing quick runs.
Leg-spinner Jeevan Mendis was excellent in his four overs, taking two for 15 while left-arm spinner Robin Peterson extended his good form with two for 32.
Earlier, Man-of-the-Match Shoaib Malik top-scored with 51 off 34 balls to rescue the Tridents innings after it looked like coming apart at 76 for four in the 13th over. The right-hander struck five fours and a six and anchored two key stands, putting on 24 for the fifth wicket with Jonathan Carter (14) and another 33 for the sixth wicket with Shai Hope (10).
Openers Dilshan Munaweera (26) and Dwayne Smith (22) had put on 45 for the first wicket but the stand required 46 balls and placed the innings under pressure.
Smith hit two sixes but laboured 28 balls before tucking a simple return catch to off-spinner Nathan McCullum in the eighth over and Peterson, promoted to number three, perished in the following over for just one.
With Tridents languishing at 63 for two at the half-way mark, Munaweera holed out in the deep off the first ball of the 11th over and Zouks claimed the big prize when captain Kieron Pollard was run out for five in the 13th over, attempting a poorly judged quick single.
Shoaib then shepherded the innings brilliantly before holing out to Sammy at long-on off speedster Fidel Edwards, in the final over.
Sammy claimed two for 28 while fast bowler Kemar Roach claimed two for 37.
In reply, Zouks slumped to 24 for two as Johnson Charles (5) and Kevin Pietersen (1) fell cheaply but Fletcher and Taylor revived the innings in a 56-run, third wicket partnership.
