Tallawahs’ batters couldn’t build on their starts while Dwayne Bravo impressed with the ball
St Kitts and Nevis Patriots 169 for 4 (Rutherford 50*) beat Jamaica Tallawahs 166 for 8 (Bravo 3-25) by six wickets
On a night where a number of batters couldn’t cash in on starts – Carlos Brathwaite’s 27 was the top score for Jamaica Tallawahs – Rutherford’s became the decisive hand. His stand of 55 in just 20 balls with Allen took control of what was a 50-50 chase when Ravi Bopara departed to leave Patriots 114 for 4 in the 15th over.
With five overs to go, Patriots needed 50 when Allen helped take 17 off an Andre Russell over to turn the tide. Phil Simmons, the West Indies coach watching from the stands, will have been concerned to see Russell repeatedly flexing his leg.
The next over decided the contest when Rutherford took three sixes off Migael Pretorius – the second two coming after he got away with a spiraling top edge that substitute fielding Kirk McKenzie could not get underneath. Allen then sealed things by taking the tally of sixes to six in the space of 14 balls.
Patriots had been quick out of the blocks but were hauled back when Devon Thomas edged to slip and the struggling Asif Ali was trapped in front. Evin Lewis, who was given a life on 24 by Tallawahs’ stand-in wicketkeeper Kennar Lewis, was shaping to play the key innings before he top-edged off Rovman Powell.
Andrew McGlashan is a deputy editor at ESPNcricinfo
Source: ESPN Crickinfo