Allen smashed three fours and four sixes to rally Kandy Falcons to 160-8 after they had slumped to 79-6 in the 14th over despite 35 from Andre Fletcher and 24 from Ashan Bandara, who was dismissed in the 17th over with the score at 119.
Allen raced to his 47 in just 23 balls before he was dismissed mid-way the final over when the score was 151. Chamika Karunaratne, who was not out on 18 at the end, pushed the score to 160-8.
Dunith Wellalage was the best of the Jaffna Kings bowlers taking 2-7 while James Fuller took 2-28.
Jaffna Kings made a good go of the chase for 161 thanks in large part to the efforts of Avishka Fernando who made 33 from 20 balls before he was bowled by Allen and Sadeera Samarawickrama, whose steady 48 from 41 balls held the innings together.
He was eventually dismissed by Hasaranga de Silva (2-21), who also took the key wicket of Shoaib Malik for eight, which exposed Jaffna Kings’ lower middle order to Brathwaite, who scythed through the line up with the wickets of Thisara Perera (2), Dunith Wellalage (1) and Fuller for 16, to take swing the match heavily in favour of his side.
The giant Barbadian had earlier taken the wicket of Dhananjaya de Silva (0) to finish with figures of 4-18 as Jaffna Kings’ innings closed on 150-9.
Fletcher was a member of the West Indies T20 squad that lost three three-match series against New Zealand 2-0. He will replace England’s Jonny Bairstow, who is unavailable due to international duty.
"I'm really looking forward to coming over to the Melbourne Stars and being part of what should be an exciting season ahead," Fletcher said.
“Hopefully, I can bring my brand of batting and recent form to the Stars during the BBL."
Stars head coach David Hussey believes Fletcher’s talents will be an asset to the club.
"We're glad Andre was in a position to join us and he'll bring plenty of power and entertainment at the top of the batting order. Andre is a former T20 World Cup winner with the West Indies so he knows what it takes to succeed in major tournaments and I'm confident he'll be a great asset around our group," Hussey said.
Fletcher brings extensive experience to the Melbourne Stars having played in the Caribbean Premier League, the Bangladesh Premier League, and the Pakistan Super League.
He will join Nicholas Pooran who has also been signed with the club for the coming season.
Fletcher, who had scored 53 against the hosts on Wednesday, continued his rich vein of form with a scintillating knock of 84 not out from just 54 balls, including nine fours and four sixes. His explosive innings, coupled with Johnson Charles' brisk 58 off 30 balls, propelled the visitors to a formidable total of 209-3 in their allotted 20 overs. The duo shared a pivotal second-wicket partnership of 92 runs in less than nine overs to lay a solid foundation for their team.
Charles, coming off an unbeaten 119 in the previous match, played another impactful cameo, striking three fours and six sixes before his departure. Fabian Allen contributed a quick-fire 33 not out from 19 balls and with Fletcher shared in an unbroken stand of 83, to boost West Indies A beyond the 200-run mark for the second consecutive game.
The Nepalese bowlers struggled to contain the West Indies batsmen, with Kushal Bhurtel being the most successful among them, claiming 2-23 from his four overs.
In response, Nepal's chase was anchored by a valiant effort from their captain, Rohit Paudel, who blazed his way to 82 off just 47 deliveries, featuring seven fours and five sixes. However, Paudel lacked substantial support from his teammates as Nepal faltered and eventually folded for 181.
Apart from Paudel, Sundeep Jora, Dipendra Singh Airee, and Gulsan Jha contributed 19 each but failed to capitalize on their starts against a disciplined West Indies bowling attack. Matthew Forde and Hayden Walsh Jr starred with the ball, claiming three wickets each, while Fabian Allen chipped in with 2-34. Gudakesh Motie, despite being expensive, managed to pick up two crucial wickets.
With this victory, West Indies A have taken an unassailable 3-1 lead in the series, setting the stage for the final match scheduled to be played on Saturday. The dominant display by the tourists bodes well for their confidence heading into the final encounter and also ahead of the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup, with Cricket West Indies set to announce their squad for the tournament on June 1.
Chasing Comilla Victorians’ score of 182-5, Fletcher and fellow opener Mahedia Hasan made relatively light work of the target with an opening stand of 182. Fletcher mixed caution with aggression hitting six sixes and six fours in the 62 balls he faced for his 101.
Hasan smashed 74 from 49 balls with six fours and four sixes before he was dismissed by Moeen Ali in the 19th over with the scores level.
Earlier, Faf du Plessis hit 12 fours and four sixes in his of 101 from just 54 balls to propel his side to 182 from their 20 overs. Opener Mahmudul Hasan Joy scored 30 while there was some late hitting from Mahidul Islam Ankon, who hit two sixes in his 11-ball 20 in what looked like a winning score before Fletcher’s Player of the Match performance.
The win moved Khulna Tigers into fourth place on 10 points while the defeat meant Comilla Victorians remain in second with 13 points.
Patriots captain Rayad Emrit chose to bowl, but while Sheldon Cottrell and Sohail Tanvir started tightly to Rakheem Cornwall, Andre Fletcher was able to pick up boundaries off both. Cornwall retired ill in the third over, and while Mark Deyal started with a Hero Maximum first ball, he should have fallen off his third when Ben Dunk missed a slip catch off Jon-Russ Jaggesar. Jaggesar’s frustration grew when Kieran Powell stepped on the rope while trying to complete a juggling catch.
The Zouks were quick to take advantage, Fletcher taking a liking to Tanvir and Deyal, peppering the leg-side off Jaggesar to power the Zouks to 64/0 off the Powerplay. The onslaught continued as the field went back, with Deyal launching his third Hero Maximum to bring up the 50 stand off just 27 balls.
Ish Sodhi took a good juggling catch at mid-off to dismiss Deyal off Emrit’s first ball. The Patriots captain foxed Najibullah Zadran with an array of slower balls, but the Afghan powered a pair of reverse sweeps off Sodhi and the legspinner was frustrated when Fletcher was dropped again on 38. Another Najibullah four saw the Zouks motor to 91/1 at halfway.
Jaggesar finally got his man when Fletcher picked out deep midwicket. With the Zouks so well set, it was a surprise to see the anchorman Roston Chase come into bat, and he fell to a spitting Jaggesar carrom ball before he could make much of an impression. Tanvir picked up Najibullah and Sammy caught behind in the same over, and at 123/5 in the 15th the Zouks were in danger of wasting a good platform.
Cornwall was well enough to return but hit only one boundary before he was freakishly run out. A Nabi leading edge spun back onto the bowlers’ stumps with Cornwall backing up looking for a run, and Emrit had ample time to complete the run-out.
Nabi showed his class with two huge Hero Maximums off Tanvir, one of which went literally out of the ground. Another flurry off the 20th took the Zouks to an imposing 172-6 despite their mid-innings stutter.
Nabi was back in the action immediately, bowling an excellent first over to Chris Lynn and Evin Lewis. Saad bin Zafar was not so accurate - when he dropped short Lynn pulled, and when he overpitched Lewis drove and paddle-swept - but a stunned Lynn had to depart when Najibullah sprung magnificently to take the catch of the tournament so far.
Lewis toyed with Scott Kuggeleijn, dispatching a Hero Maximum over square leg and paddling the follow-up slower ball very fine for four. But it was the New Zealander who was waiting at long-on when the recalled Joshua Da Silva toe-ended a straight hit off Chase. Kesrick Williams, bowling a rare Powerplay over, mixed up good and bad and the Patriots ended the Powerplay at 52/2.
Chase continued to impress, the ominous Lewis edging a cut to the keeper off a quicker ball. With Obed McCoy also accurate, Sammy was able to ramp up the pressure on Denesh Ramdin and Ben Dunk, and despite Ramdin’s Hero Maximum last ball before the drinks break, the Patriots needed 9.5 an over off the last 10. Dunk succumbed to the pressure, missing a sweep and giving Chase a third wicket of a fantastic spell. Tight overs from Williams and Nabi pushed the required run rate up above 11, and Powell, Ramdin, Tanvir and Emrit all fell trying to slog Kuggeleijn.
The Patriots’ keeper deserves credit for a good lone hand, and Cottrell launched a few lusty blows to narrow the margin of defeat, but other than their mid-innings batting wobble the Zouks were in control throughout, and with their well-stocked spin attack could be a force later in the tournament if the pitches tire as expected. The Patriots meanwhile have work to do if they’re not to be cut adrift.
Volcanoes made 260-8 off their 50 overs as left-hander Keron Cottoy top-scored with a 64 off 47 balls with four fours and five sixes.
In reply, Jamaica had a bad start were 61-5 in the 15th over before being bowled out for 168 in the 37th over. Left-arm spinner Larry Edward celebrated his 26th birthday in style with a match-winning spell of 3-36 off 10 overs.
When Windwards batted, Andre Fletcher made 60 from 51 balls at the top of the order with four fours and three sixes.
Cottoy was named the CG Insurance Man-of-the-Match, as he continued his good form to follow up his career-best 72 in the previous match against Trinidad & Tobago Red Force. Volcanoes were 171-5 after 40 overs but Cottoy raised the tempo with a number of breathtaking shots as and the last 10 overs yielded 89 runs.
Andre McCarthy top-scored for Jamaica with a run-a-ball 55 which included six fours and a six as he maintained good form - his previous knocks were 48 against Guyana Jaguars and 40 against Trinidad & Tobago Red Force.
Fabian Allen played a number of brave shots in 39 from 43 balls. At the end, Fletcher showed his new skill set as a leg-spinner and captured the last two wickets.
“It’s always good to perform for your team especially in victories. I’m just glad I’ve been able to put up my hand and bat deep into the innings and it paid dividends,” said Cottoy. “We have to take it one game at a time although it feels good to win two out of three.”
Today: Leeward Islands Hurricanes vs Trinidad & Tobago Red Force at Coolidge Cricket Ground. First ball is 1:30pm (12:30pm Jamaica Time)
King was set to lead the West Indies A-Team on the recently concluded T20 tour to Nepal before he was withdrawn due to injury. Chase, appointed instead, went on to lead the A-Team to a series win against Nepal.
The West Indies Men’s squad for the series is as follows: Brandon King (Captain), Roston Chase (Vice-Captain), Fabian Allen, Alick Athanaze, Johnson Charles, Andre Fletcher, Matthew Forde, Jason Holder, Akeal Hosein, Shamar Joseph, Kyle Mayers, Obed McCoy, Gudakesh Motie, Romario Shepherd and Hayden Walsh Jr.
Alzarri Joseph and Sherfane Rutherford will be added to the squad if their respective franchises do not reach the Indian Premier League (IPL) Final. Shai Hope and Nicholas Pooran are both rested for the series and will join the squad in Trinidad on Monday, 27 May.
“These are among the last competitive T20 International matches before the start of the World Cup,” said lead selector Desmond Haynes. “Players have the opportunity to fine-tune their skills and ensure they are as prepared as they can be for the World Cup, whether they are in the final squad or reserve pool.”
White Ball Head Coach Daren Sammy also commented on his objectives for this series stating, “We have not played together as a team since the Australia series, but we just completed a very high-intensity training camp in Antigua. Now we have the chance to integrate some of our players returning from the IPL and build some momentum as a group going into the World Cup.”
Tickets for the T20I Series against South Africa at Sabina Park, Jamaica are available now to buy online from the Windies Tickets service, at WINDIES TICKET PORTAL. Fans who purchase online will benefit from a 20 per cent discount compared to the box office prices, with tickets ranging from the most premium seats with the best-shaded views in the stadium through to affordable standard seats or mounds/grounds entry.
Match schedule:
- 23 May 1st T20I West Indies v South Africa at Sabina Park, Jamaica 2:00 pm JT/3:00 pm ECT
- 25 May 2nd T20I West Indies v South Africa at Sabina Park, Jamaica 2:00 pm JT/3:00 pm ECT
- 26 May 3rd T20I West Indies v South Africa at Sabina Park, Jamaica 2:00 pm JT/3:00 pm ECT
West Indies won the last T20 International played at Sabina Park against New Zealand in August 2022, which was the last time international cricket was played at this historic venue.
Needing 16 from the final over bowled by Mehidy Hasan Miraz in pursuit of 190, Khulna Tigers only managed to eight runs. Miraz bowled a yorker-filled over that yielded a boundary by Fletcher and four singles before taking the wicket of Thisara Perera for three with the last ball of the match.
The Grenadian, who hit six fours and four sixes in his 58-ball knock that threatened to lead his side to another remarkable victory, got support from Mushfiqur Rahim, who scored 43 from 29 balls. Together they put on 64 for the third wicket that took the score from 43-2 after Mahedi Hasan and Soumya Sarkar were dismissed for, two and one, respectively.
Fletcher and Yasir Ali then put together a stand of 65 for the fourth wicket. Yasir hit two fours and four sixes in his 24-ball 45 that took Khulna Tigers within touching distance of the target with nine balls remaining.
Miraz finished with 2-40.
Earlier, it was Chadwick Walton’s unbeaten 89 that helped Chattogram Challengers to their score of 189-5.
The Jamaican hit seven fours and seven sixes in his 44-ball knock that rescued Chattogram Challengers from a precarious 65-4 in the 10th over. Other useful contributions came from Walton’s compatriot Kennar Lewis, who opened the batting with an uncharacteristically sedate 39 from 32 balls.
Miraz scored 36 from 30 late in the innings that helped Walton take Chattogram Challengers to their winning score.
The Gladiators, champions of the last two editions of the tournament, posted 118-8 from their ten overs after being put in to bat by the Strikers.
Englishman Tom Kohler-Cadmore led the way for the Gladiators with 68 off 33 balls including four fours and six sixes while Andre Russell hit 17 off nine balls in support. Captain Nicholas Pooran (1), Andre Fletcher (2) and Fabian Allen (0) all failed to make significant contributions with the bat.
Sri Lankan Chamika Karunaratne took 3-25 from his two overs.
The Strikers were then reduced to 96-6 from their ten overs in reply.
Muhammad Waseem (26) and Asif Ali (24) were the main scorers for New York as Zahoor Khan bowled beautifully to finish with 2-12 from his two overs.
MI Emirates scored 241-3 from their 20 overs before skittling the Desert Vipers out for just 84.
Fletcher scored his 50 from 39 balls in a 141-run opening partnership with Player of the Match Mohammad Waseem, who hit 11 fours and two sixes in his top score of 86.
Fletcher’s dismissal in the 13th over saw ME Emirates slip from 141-0 to 152 for 3 as Waseem was next to go in the 15th over with big hitter Najibullah Zadran going two balls later for a duck.
Enter Captain Pollard who smashed his 50 from just 19 balls while he and Dan Mousley mounted an unbeaten stand of 89 in 32 balls to propel MI Emirates to their daunting total.
Pollard’s unbeaten 50 contained four fours and four sixes while Mously contributed a valuable 31 from just 17 balls with three fours and two sixes.
Tom Curran, who had the wickets of Waseem and Zadran was expensive yielding 63 runs from his four overs.
The pressure of the score proved too much for the Vipers. They crumbled in the face of the bowling of Fazalhaq Farooqi who took 3-18, Zahoor Khan 1-9 and Imran Tahir, who wrapped up the match with 2-18 in 3.1 overs.
With their fourth win in seven games, MI Emirates are third in the six-team standings with nine points, one behind Gulf Giants and Desert Vipers, who still lead despite the loss.
In fact, over the last two tours, the regional team has lost its last four games in a row against the Black Caps on their own soil, the most recent a 2-0 defeat in 2017. Overall, the West Indies have won only once in New Zealand, in 2006, with the other result being a draw in 2009. It is a record the opening batsman hopes can be improved with the current campaign soon to get underway.
“This is my third time in New Zealand. The team goal for me is to actually make sure that we can win this series. My individual goal is to make sure I can get as many runs as possible so that I can actually cement my spot in the T20 squad,” Fletcher said in an interview with windies cricket.
In 12 matches for this season’s CPL, Fletcher scored 211, with a high score of 46 and an average of 21.10 for St Lucia Zouks. The batsman believes he has improved since then.
“I’ve become a more positive player. My shot selection has improved a lot. I’ve worked hard on the physical part of my game well. I’ve been putting in a lot of strength work behind the scenes and it pays off,” he added.
The Falcons posted an imposing 222-4 from their 20 overs after being put in to bat by the Sixers.
Fletcher hit just one four and seven sixes on his way to a top score of 60 from 34 balls while Kamindu Mendis hit 51* off 24 balls including five fours and two sixes.
Angelo Mathews also finished 44* off 23 balls, hitting five sixes in the process.
Dushan Hemantha took 3-14 from his four overs for the Sixers.
Dambulla were then reduced to 168-9 from their 20 overs in reply despite 74 off 40 balls from Kusal Perera.
Captain Wanindu Hasaranga took 4-35 from his four overs for the Falcons while Dasun Shanaka took 3-29 from four overs in support.
Full Scores:
Kandy Falcons 222-4 off 20 overs (Andre Fletcher 60, Kamindu Mendis 51*, Angelo Mathews 44*, Dushan Hemantha 3-14)
Dambulla Sixers 168-9 off 20 overs (Kusal Perera 74, Mark Chapman 24, Wanindu Hasaranga 4-35, Dasun Shanaka 3-29)
This win was the first for the Patriots this season in nine games, their worst run since the 2020 season where they finished last after winning just one match.
The Kings were restricted to 149-7 off their 20 overs after the Patriots won the toss and decided to field first.
Shadrack Descarte led the way with a 31-ball 43 while Johnson Charles hit 42 for the Kings as Ashmead Nedd bowled beautifully up front for the Patriots with 2-14 from his four overs. Benny Howell also bowled well with 2-31 from his four overs.
Fletcher then starred with an unbeaten 93 from 64 balls including six fours and five sixes to lead the successful chase for the Patriots.
Sherfane Rutherford was the next highest scorer with 17.
Things got a bit tricky for the Patriots in the 17th over when Fletcher picked up a hamstring injury which left him unable to run unimpaired for the remainder of the chase.
With that being said, the chase seemed comfortable up until the penultimate over from Alzarri Joseph.
The Patriots needed just 10 from the final two overs at that point before a brilliant over from Joseph meant St. Kitts & Nevis would end up needing nine from the last over with an injured Fletched and Corbin Bosch at the crease.
Roston Chase was tasked with bowling the last over. The first two balls were hit for singles before Bosch was dismissed caught at deep mid-wicket off the third ball leaving the Patriots needing seven.
Dominic Drakes joined Fletcher at the crease and was only able to get a single off the fourth ball.
Fletcher then ended proceedings with a six off the fifth ball to seal the win.
Kharry Pierre, Roston Chase and Sikanda Raza all took two wickets, each, for the Kings.
Fletcher hit a top score of 69 to help the Falcons produce 187-9 from their 20 overs after being put in to bat by the Marvels.
His knock lasted 43 balls and included six fours and four sixes. He got good support from opening partner Dinesh Chandimal who made 32 while Angelo Mathews and Ramesh Mendis chipped in with 29 and 28, respectively.
Prabath Jayasuriya took 3-30 from his four overs for Galle.
The Marvels then took 19.2 overs to reach 188-2 and secure a comfortable victory.
Alex Hales was the catalyst behind the successful chase with 86* off 55 balls including seven fours and four sixes while Bhanuka Rajapaksa finished 46* off 25 balls including five fours and a pair of sixes.
Captain and wicket-keeper Niroshan Dickwella also chipped in with 25.
Fletcher also took 1-11 from two overs with his part-time leg-spin.
The Marvels are now second in the points table after six games, level on eight points with leaders Jaffna Kings.
The Falcons have two wins from six games and sit last on the six-team table.
Full Scores:
Kandy Falcons 187-9 off 20 overs (Andre Fletcher 69, Dinesh Chandimal 32, Angelo Mathews 29, Ramesh Mendis 28, Prabath Jayasuriya 3-30, Dwayne Pretorius 2-37)
Galle Marvels 188-2 off 19.2 overs (Alex Hales 86*, Bhanuka Rajapaksa 46*, Niroshan Dickwella 25)
St Kitts and Nevis Patriots won the toss and chose to field first with Brandon King and Kennar Lewis getting the Tallawahs off to a fast start, scoring 43 runs in the first 4 overs. The spin of Akila Dananjaya and Rashid Khan got the Patriots back into the game by taking wickets and restricting runs, before a late show from all-rounder Raymon Reifer took the Tallawahs to 139-5 after their 20 overs.
In a chase reduced to 15 overs by rain, Andre Fletcher led St Kitts and Nevis Patriots to a comfortable victory with an innings of 45, not out that was supported by big hitting from Evin Lewis and Darren Bravo.
Jamaica Tallawahs got off to a sublime start in their innings, King and Lewis combining well before Khan struck to take the wicket of Lewis in the powerplay. Leading run-scorer and captain for the Tallawahs, Rovman Powell, was then run out after a brilliant piece of fielding from youngster Dewald Brevis to put the Tallawahs in trouble. However, a late partnership between Reifer and Fabian Allen managed to add 39 runs to the tally as the Tallawahs ended on 139-5.
With rain reducing the target to 113 runs in 15 overs, St Kitts and Nevis Patriots raced to 49-0 after 5 overs, with Fletcher and Lewis proving destructive. Imad Wasim struck with the first ball of his spell, removing Lewis, however, Darren Bravo came in and formed a 55-run partnership with Fletcher to help take the Patriots to an eight-wicket win (DLS).
Scores: St Kitts and Nevis Patriots 113-2 (Fletcher 45*, DM Bravo 39; Allen 1-19, Wasim 1-19) beat Jamaica Tallawahs 139-5 (Reifer 40*, Lewis 24; Khan 1-8, Rutherford 2-11) by 8 wickets (DLS)
They both represented the Kandy Falcons who lost to the eventual champions, Jaffna Kings, in Qualifier 2.
Fletcher scored 266 runs, fourth most in the tournament, in nine games at an average of 38 and a strike rate of 131.68. The Grenadian also scored the only hundred of the tournament, 102 not out against the Colombo Stars in their first game.
Brathwaite took an excellent 18 wickets from eight matches to finish as the season’s leading wicket-taker. For the most part the 34-year-old Brathwaite kept things simple, relying on solid lines and lengths, daring batsmen to take him on, and banking on them erring. His wickets came at an average of 9.88 while having an economy of just 6.84.
Fletcher hit 11 fours and three sixes on his way to a brilliant 102 not out off just 67 balls to help the Falcons post 199-1 from their 20 overs after the Stars won the toss and chose to field first.
Sri Lankan Pathum Nissanka was also dominant with a 41-ball 71 including eight fours and two sixes while Carlos Brathwaite ended 20 not out.
The Falcons were then equally dominant with the ball, restricting the Stars to just 90 all out in 14.3 overs.
Wanindu Hasaranga was the star of the show with 4-14 from three overs while Fabian Allen needed just three balls to finish with figures of 2-1.
The Strikers posted 199-9 from their 20 overs after being put in to bat by the Falcons at the Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium.
New Zealander Glenn Phillips led the way with a 43-ball 70 while Angelo Perera made 38 off 23 balls in support.
Pacer Dushmantha Chameera took 3-40 from four overs while Captain Wanindu Hasaranga and Shoriful Islam took two wickets, apiece.
Despite meaningful contributions from Mohammad Haris, Andre Fletcher, Kamindu Mendis and Angelo Mathews, the Falcons fell agonizingly short of their target finishing 197-8 from their 20 overs.
Haris led the way with 56 off 32 balls including five fours and four sixes while Fletcher hit five fours and two sixes on his way to 47 off 36 balls.
Matheesha Pathirana took 4-26 from his four overs for the Strikers.
The Falcons almost pulled it off after needing 20 runs in the final over.
Strikers captain Thisara Perera, who had only bowled one over before the 20th, took the responsibility upon himself to bowl the final over.
After dismissing Chatarunga de Silva off the first ball and conceding a single off the second, Angelo Matthews then hit the next three balls for a six, a four and another six leaving the Falcons needing three off one.
Perera held his nerve, dismissing Mathews off the lest ball of the match for 33 and securing the win.
Full Scores:
Colombo Strikers 199-9 off 20 overs (Glenn Phillips 70, Angelo Perera 38, Dushmantha Chameera 3-40, Wanindu Hasaranga 2-37, Shoriful Islam 2-43)
Kandy Falcons 197-8 off 20 overs (Mohammad Haris 56, Andre Fletcher 47, Kamindu Mendis 36, Angelo Mathews 33, Matheesha Pathirana 4-26)
The win was Bulls' third in a row, and placed them comfortably at the top of the table, at least for the time being.
Tigers were going fine at 28 for 2 after three overs, and with Jordan Cox, David Miller and Dasun Shanaka, among others, to follow, looked set to put up another big total after scoring 143 for 4 in their win over Dubai Gladiators on Thursday.
But Gleeson changed the script in the space of five balls in the fourth over, getting rid of Miller, Shanaka and Cox, in that order, to leave Tigers completely off-kilter at 29 for 5.
Between Daniel Sams (20 not out in 15 balls) and Carlos Brathwaite (21 in 17), Tigers did fight back to get to 81 for 7, but it was never going to be enough against Bulls' powerful batting line-up.
Quinton de Kock and Johnson Charles fell inside two overs, but James Vince (17 in nine), Rilee Rossouw (21* in 11) and captain Rovman Powell (37* in 11) made sure Bulls got to the target quickly - in just six overs.
For Tigers, it was a second loss in three games, and at the end of it, they were placed seventh on the eight-team table.
Earlier on Saturday, explosive 30s from captain Nicholas Pooran and Tom Kohler-Cadmore, followed by Andre Fletcher's 12-ball 41, set up a crushing win for Deccan Gladiators over Team Abu Dhabi.
Pooran dashed out of the blocks taking left-arm finger-spinner Roelof van der Merwe for two fours and two sixes in the first over. Rumman Raees then dealt a double-blow, removing both Pooran and Andre Russell off successive balls in the fourth over, but Kohler-Cadmore and Fletcher proceeded to re-establish Gladiators' dominance.
Six of the 12 balls that Fletcher faced were sent to the boundary, including five sixes. Fletcher, Fabian Allen and Kohler-Cadmore all fell in quick succession, but David Wiese provided the final flourish with 15 off six balls.
Abu Dhabi started their chase shakily, losing their top three inside five overs. Leus du Plooy (25), Colin Ingram (19) and captain Dwaine Pretorius (9), fought back to lend some respectability to the scorecard. Sri Lankan slinger Nuwan Thushara, who plays for Jaffna Kings in the LPL, was the pick of the bowlers for Gladiators, coming away with 2 for 5 in his two overs.
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Phillips was put in to bat by Fletcher and the New Zealander took control of a digital version of himself and he was out of the gate like a shot, making 30 runs off the first over on his way to a match-winning score.
Chadwick Walton fell early but the wicket of his opening partner did not slow Phillips down as he brought up a 10 ball fifty in the third over as he used his crease to make it difficult for the bowler to bowl to his plans. It was 105/1 at the end of the fourth over and a single from the first ball of the fifth got Phillips back on strike for the last five balls of the innings.
Phillips continued to plunder runs from the last over, finishing on 80 (19) and leaving the Zouks a daunting 127 to win.
Fletcher got the Zouks chase underway with some fireworks as he took control of himself and smashed 26. He looked well set to match Phillips’ efforts, but a mistimed shot saw him caught at extra cover.
When Andre Russell had Rahkeem Cornwall caught and bowled in the next over it left the Zouks in trouble, and it got worse when Daren Sammy was out first ball.
Sandeep Lamichhane went even better than Russell when he picked up a hattrick, dismissing Mohammad Nabi, Roston Chase and Scott Kuggeleijn to leave the Zouks chase in tatters at 41/6.
Some lusty blows from Chemar Holder brought some respectability to the Zouks total as he made 34 (7) but it was too little too late as the Tallawahs emerged winners by 28 runs.
