BASSETERRE, St Kitts, CMC – St Lucia Zouks produced an aggressive batting display to post the tournament’s highest score this season, as they gained revenge over Barbados Tridents with a 30-run victory in the Caribbean Premier League here Friday night.
Man-of-the-Match Andre Fletcher slammed 77 from 50 balls while Englishman Kevin Pietersen carved out 73 off 39 deliveries – his first CPL half-century – to propel Zouks to an imposing 202 for five at Warner Park.
Captain Darren Sammy then snared three for 35 as Tridents never recovered from a slow start, and could only muster 172 for seven.
Jason Holder struck 31 not out while Shoaib Malik and Kieron Pollard also scored 31 apiece.
The victory strengthened Zouks’ position in second on seven points, just one behind Tridents who have now lost two of their last three games following an opening three-match winning streak in Barbados.
Zouks, who went down to Tridents on Sunday, came out firing on all cylinders this time around. Opting to bat first, they suffered the early loss of Johnson Charles who perished in the second over for seven, mis-cuing seamer Ravi Rampaul to Dilshan Munaweera at square leg.
However, they overcame this blip courtesy of a 138-run, second wicket stand between Fletcher and Pietersen who spectacularly put the Tridents bowlers to the sword.
Fletcher smashed three fours and five sixes while Pietersen entertained with seven fours and four sixes, as Zouks raced to their fifty off 34 balls and the century mark off another 30 deliveries.
It was Pietersen who pioneered the hostilities, taking four boundaries off the third over sent down by seamer Holder which cost 17 runs.
Scoreboard
ZOUKS
+A Fletcher lbw b Mendis 77
J Charles c Munaweera b Rampaul 7
K Pietersen c Carter b Mendis 73
H Davids b Mendis 0
R Taylor not out 23
*D Sammy b Emrit 4
N McCullum not out 3
Extras (lb2, w13) 15
TOTAL (5 wkts, 20 overs) 202
Did not bat: K Lesporis, S Shillingford, F Edwards, S Gabriel.
Fall of wickets: 1-8 (Charles), 2-146 (Pietersen), 3-146 (Davids), 4-82 (Fletcher), 5-199 (Sammy)
Bowling: Peterson 3-0-37-0, Rampaul 4-0-30-1 (w6), Holder 4-0-47-0, Shoaib Malik 1-0-9-0 (w1), Emrit 3-0-31-1, Mendis 4-0-33-3 (w1), Pollard 1-0-13-0 (w1).
TRIDENTS
D Smith c & b Sammy 16
D Munaweera c Sammy b Shillingford 23
Shoaib Malik c Charles b Sammy 31
J Carter c wkp Fletcher b McCullum 10
*K Pollard run out 31
J Mendis c Pietersen b Sammy 0
J Holder not out 31
+S Hope b Edwards 15
R Peterson not out 0
Extras (b4, lb1, w10) 15
TOTAL (7 wkts, 20 overs) 172
Did not bat: R Emrit, R Rampaul
Fall of wickets: 1-41 (Munaweera), 2-47 (Smith), 3-81 (Carter), 4-98 (Shoaib Malik), 5-98 (Mendis), 6-152 (Pollard), 7-171 (Hope).
Bowling: Gabriel 4-0-30-0, Edwards 4-0-39-1 (w1), McCullum 4-0-27-1 (w3), Shillingford 4-0-36-1 (w4), Sammy 4-0-35-3 (w1).
Result: Zouks won by 30 runs.
Points: Zouks 2, Tridents 0.
Man-of-the-Match: Andre Fletcher.
Umpires: M Martell, P Nero; TV – N Duguid.