Tallawahs rally to defeat woeful Stars

GROS ISLET: Reigning champions Jamaica Tallawahs romped to their third straight win of their Caribbean Premier League campaign when they came from behind to beat the luckless St Lucia Stars in an entertaining contest here Tuesday night.

Chasing a competitive 174 at the Darren Sammy Cricket Ground, Tallawahs were languishing at 93 for four in the 14th over before Andre McCarthy produced a superb unbeaten 61 to take his side over the line with two balls left in the innings. New Zealander Glenn Phillips chipped in with 32 in the opening slot while Jonathan Foo struck a valuable 22 down the order.

Stars, who have now lost six matches on the trot to continue winless, had earlier looked to be in control when opener Andre Fletcher blasted 84 not out and Marlon Samuels, 54, to get up to 173 for seven off their 20 overs.

They stumbled at the start losing Johnson Charles for 12 with the score on 28 in the fifth over, playing on to fast bowler Mohammad Sami while Australian Shane Watson nicked a catch behind off the same bowler three balls later, to fall for one with two runs added. However, Fletcher and Samuels then combined in a 103-run third wicket stand to stun Tallawahs and put Stars in a strong position. Fletcher faced 53 balls and struck seven fours and four sixes while Samuels carved out a pair of fours and four sixes in a 36-ball knock.

However, once Samuels holed out to deep mid-wicket off seamer Rovman Powell in the 16th over, Fletcher failed to find support down the order and five wickets perished for 40 runs.

Sami claimed three for 27 while Powell and fellow pacer Kesrick Williams (2-37) picked up two wickets apiece. Phillips then gave Tallawahs a flying start, punching four fours and two sixes in a 21-ball cameo, as he put on 43 for the first wicket with Lendl Simmons (17).

But Phillips picked out Charles at deep mid-wicket off off-spinner Shane Shillingford in the sixth over, triggering a slide that saw Tallawahs lose four wickets for 50 runs in the space of 38 balls. McCarthy stood firm, however, belting three fours and four sixes off 37 deliveries as he put on 41 for the fifth wicket with Foo and another and a further 45 off 17 balls in an unbroken sixth wicket stand with Imad Wasim (18 not out).

Tallawahs lie third in the standing on six points while Stars are rock bottom without a point. (CMC)