Cutting’s 6 seals epic finish for Patriots at Providence

– Patriots beat Tallawahs by 2 wickets in nail-biter

It was another thriller which ended with a six as Ben Cutting smashed the St Kitts & Nevis Patriots past a spirited Jamaica Tallawahs and Glenn Phillip’s maiden ton, by 2 wickets in the second nail-biting eliminator played at the Providence National Stadium.
Not as sold out as previous matches due to the home team Guyana Amazon Warriors having already qualified for the finals in the first eliminator versus Trinbago Knight Riders, the decent-sized crowd was treated to some more tense action as Ben Cutting calmly hit a wayward Rovman Powell into the mid-wicket

region to seal a breath-taking finish with a ball remaining.
The record chase saw the Patriots gun down 191 to end on 193-8 in 19.5 overs with MVP Anton Devcich steering the chase with 50 off 23 including five fours and two sweetly timed sixes. There were good contributions from skipper Chris Gayle with 26, Rassie Van Der Dussen with 20, Fabian Allen (23) and Brandon King (21), who all played a key role in the win.
Tallawahs were close to a win especially with pacer Oshane Thomas and New Zealand spinner Ish Sodhi grabbing three wickets apiece. Powell who ended with 1-16 had a torrid last over plagued with 4 wides and the losing six, off the penultimate delivery.
Devcich was the anchor of the innings as the others played minor roles, but his fifty came at a fast pace and with the contributions from the other batters; the scene was set for Cutting who earlier picked up 2-45, to calmly neglect a delivery

bringing the deficit to 2 from 2, which he then stole the show by punishing a full-toss with a massive heave which was followed by the dugout flocking their hero on the field as a dejected Gayle looked on.
Earlier, Tallawahs opener Glenn Phillips was the 8th player to score a CPL century and the 2nd overseas player after Colin Munro. Gayle three times, Andre Russell twice and now Phillips. Account for 6 of the 14 centuries to come from Tallawahs players over the years.
His pugnacious knock of 103 from just 63 balls was littered with nine fours and six big sixes and set the tone for the Tallawahs who eventually racked up an imposing total of 191-5 in their 20 overs, the highest T20 total at Providence. Kiwi Ross Taylor struck the ball sweetly in his brisk knock of 33 from 23.
Phillips opened his account with a couple of crisp fours before losing his partner Johnson Charles (3) to Allen (1-23). He then smacked a full toss in Devcich’s second over for the Tallawahs first six of the innings, before finishing the over with

a four.
Tallawahs fifty came up in the 7th over with Taylor joining the set opener to keep the scorecard ticking over. Cutting’s introduction immediately reaped rewards as the Aussie all-rounder knocked over the stumps of a dangerous-looking Taylor who attempted a wild heave across the line.
Rovman Powell (15) walked to the middle and hit Cutting for back-to-back fours while Phillips raised his fifty with a six over long-on off the Aussies deliveries later, as his second over went for 20 runs. Shamsi (1-38) then had Powell caught shortly after but Phillips continued the find the ropes and beyond as he crept into the 70’s.
Russell joined in on the fun and clobbered the leg-spinner over long-on for a flat six, sadly he failed to carry on and was removed by Brathwaite (1-25). Phillips continued to smack around the bowlers as he crept into the 90s and soon got to

his milestone with a shot square of the wicket which sped to the boundary, to which he celebrated with much elation.
The last over saw a few boundaries being hit before Cutting wrecked the stumps of Phillips to end the innings. TKR will now face the Patriots in Friday’s encounter with the winner playing the Warriors in the finals this weekend.