Fiery Lewis takes Patriots to first win

A stampeding Powerplay by Evin Lewis and Lendl Simmons set up an insurmountable total from St Kitts & Nevis Patriots, who defeated St Lucia Zouks by 58 runs on Sunday afternoon at Warner Park. The pair propelled the hosts to 69 for 0 in six overs after being sent in as Lewis kicked on for a top score of 73 in the Patriots total of 203 for 7.

The Patriots had only advanced to 22 after three overs, but Simmons doubled that total in the fourth when he targeted Canada all-rounder Nitish Kumar’s off-spin for three sixes and a four. That spurred Lewis to take on Darren Sammy in the fifth as the left-hander smashed the Zouks’ captain for four consecutive boundaries through the off side.

The stand was broken two balls into the seventh by Derone Davis as Simmons skewed the left-arm spinner to Watson at short third man for 30, but Lewis had no intention of slowing down and brought up his fifty in 28 balls off Davis in the ninth before continuing his onslaught with three sixes in four balls against Kristopher Ramsaran in the tenth.

Shane Watson eventually intervened to remove Lewis in the 12th, but Devin Thomas’ later surge in the 18th and 19th overs ensured the Patriots would get past 200 as he carted Watson and Morne Morkel for four sixes and a four in those two overs on his way to 48 off 27. Watson got revenge on Thomas, and snared Carlos Brathwaite too, in the final over but by then the damage was done.

Watson and Johnson Charles seized on the small boundaries at Warner Park to give the Zouks hope of overhauling the target, motoring to 90 after nine overs of the chase. Samuel Badree’s intervention dashed that vision though as he had Charles caught at midwicket to start the tenth for 40.

Watson brought up his fifty off 26 balls two deliveries later, but mistimed a drive off Badree to long-on two balls into the 12th for 55. From there the Zouks stuttered through their final eight overs – typified by Michael Hussey’s 22 off 28 balls – adding just 45 runs the rest of the way to end on 145 for 5.

The Patriots have a day off before facing Barbados Tridents at Warner Park on Tuesday while the Zouks have eight days off before their next contest in Providence against Guyana Amazon Warriors. (ESPNCricinfo)

Photo caption: Evin Lewis clattered six fours and five sixes on his way to 73 off 36 balls (CPL/Sportsfile)