King 50, Salman magic keep Tallawahs unbeaten

BASSETERRE, St Kitts (CMC):

Captain Brandon King struck his second straight half-century to keep Jamaica Tallawahs unbeaten in the Caribbean Premier League, with eight-wicket win over St Kitts and Nevis Patriots here Wednesday night.

In pursuit of 157 at Warner Park, King carved out a stylish top score of 67 off 33 deliveries as Tallawahs won for the second time in three outings, with 21 balls to spare.

Shamarh Brooks guided Tallawahs over the line with an unbeaten 38 from 31 balls while opener Kirk McKenzie struck 23 from 21 balls.

Man-of-the-Match Salman Irshad had earlier hurt Patriots after they were sent in, the Pakistani seamer picking up four for 27 to reduce the hosts to 156 for nine from their 20 overs.

The 27-year-old snatched three wickets in the fifth over to unravel the top order, accounting for Andre Fletcher (23), Corbin Bosch (0) and Ambati Rayudu (0), as Patriots collapsed to 37 for four.

Test wicketkeeper Joshua Da Silva, who top-scored with 36 from 32 deliveries with three fours and two, salvaged the innings, posting 36 for the fifth wicket with Sherfane Rutherford (16) and a further 25 for the sixth with George Linde (14).

When Da Silva was caught at backward point in the 15th, left-hander Dominic Drakes arrived to belt an unbeaten 29 from 22 balls with a brace of fours and sixes, to rally the back end of the innings.

King, who hit a match-winning half-century for West Indies in his last innings prior to the start of CPL, then put Tallawahs in firm command of the contest, inspiring a stand of 52 for the first wicket with McKenzie before posting a further 69 for the second with Brooks.

The right-handed King struck seven fours and four sixes, reaching his fifty off 23 balls with a massive six off Linde’s left-arm spin in the ninth over, before eventually holing out in the deep at the start of the 13th over from left-arm pacer Drakes.

Brooks, who counted two fours and two sixes, then took responsibility for the innings, leading a 36-run, unbroken third-wicket stand with Amir Jangoo (17 not out), which put Patriots out of their misery.