St Lucia Zouks 169 for 6 (Cornwall 51, Viljoen 32, Imran Khan 2-34) beat Jamaica Tallawahs 165 for 7 (Dwayne Smith 58, Williams 3-24, Santokie 2-31) by four wickets

Rahkeem Cornwall's blistering 25-ball 51 followed by sensational hitting from Darren Sammy ensured St Lucia Zouks came up trumps to knock Jamaica Tallawahs out of the playoffs race for CPL 2019. A 38-ball 58 from Dwayne Smith had headlined Tallawahs' 165 for 7 and even though they made the hosts huff and puff towards the end of the chase, Zouks' 11 sixes were too much to handle for them.

Zouks are now only one point behind third-placed St Kitts and Nevis Patriots, with both teams left with a match each. Barbados Tridents, on fifth spot, still have two games in hand and could also make the playoffs, being only one point behind Zouks.

With rain looming in Gros Islet on Friday night, Zouks needed 35 off 30 with five wickets in hand. Sammy had yet to get off the mark while his partner Chris Barnwell adopted a cautious approach, tip-toeing to 5 off seven deliveries. A six-run over from Springer - the medium-pacer's third - did little too alleviate the pressure in the Zouks dressing room.

The Khans - Zahir and Imran - tightened the screws further around the hosts as the next two overs gave away only 10 runs without a single boundary and fetched Zahir a reward for his persistence with the around-the-off stump line, in Barnwell's wicket. The momentum, however, swung Zouks' way decisively as Springer strode in to bowl his last.

Sammy sizzles in the nervous 19th

With 19 needed off the last 12 balls, Shamar Springer began the penultimate over with two wides down leg to the left-hander Krishmar Santokie. Springer came over the wicket to bowl the first legal delivery of the over, which Santokie nudged to point for a risky single as Sammy put in a desperate dive at the wicketkeeper's end to survive a missed run-out opportunity.

Back on strike, Sammy swung the next ball over cow corner for a six to bring the equation to 10 off 10. Springer followed it with a full toss breaching the waist-high mark, meaning the slog-sweep that Trevon Griffith pouched at deep midwicket came off a no-ball. Sammy, however, decided against taking a single to keep strike for the free hit, although the yorker the next ball ended in a dot ball.

Two singles off the next two deliveries preluded the defining six of the innings as Sammy bludgeoned a waist-high full toss over the roof beyond midwicket. Scores level, the first ball of the 20th over had Sammy get down on his knees as the most successful bowler on the night, Kesrick Williams, struck a powerful drive over extra cover for four to seal the game.

Full report to follow...