De Kock century lifts Royals to top of CPL table

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados:

Quinton de Kock scored the second century of this year's Caribbean Premier League (CPL) T20 cricket competition, as the Barbados Royals returned to winning ways with a 32-run win over the Guyana Amazon Warriors at Kensington Oval here on Saturday night.

Batting at the top of the order, the South African smashed 115 runs from 68 balls and was the mainstay of the Royals' mammoth 205 for six from their 20 overs.

In reply, the Amazon Warriors never seriously threatened their target and eventually ended on 173 for five from the allotted overs.

The win put the Royals at the top of the CPL table with four wins from their five matches, while relegating the Amazon Warriors (3-1) to second position.

De Kock came into stride during an 82-run partnership for the second wicket with Alick Athanaze, who scored a pedestrian 16 from 19 balls.

He hit pacer Shamar Joseph for a six and two fours in the seventh over that yielded 17 runs. The diminutive batsman brought up his 50 off 34 balls when he clobbered offspinner Kevin Sinclair for a huge six and a four in the 10th over, which saw the Royals accelerate to 94 for one.

Athanaze, skipper Rovman Powell (7) and David Miller (1) fell in quick succession, as the Royals slipped to 140 for four, but it did nothing to interrupt de Kock's majestic knock.

He smashed medium pacer Raymon Reifer for two sixes in the 14th over, and two overs later he hit the same bowler for two more boundaries to move into the 90s. De Kock brought up his 100 after facing 60 balls when he punched Reifer to the long on boundary for a single in the same over. In total, he struck nine sixes and eight fours in his innings.

Jason Holder also provided a late boost, hitting three sixes and one four in an unbeaten knock of 28 that required just 10 balls.

Reifer ended with 3-50, while Pretorius took 2-27.

Having to score at over 10 runs an over, the Amazon Warriors never recovered from the loss of two early wickets. Several of their batsmen got starts, including Shai Hope, who top-scored with 40, while Moeen Ali scored a brisk 33, Keemo Paul finished unbeaten on 30, and Shimron Hetmyer made 28.

Spinner Keshav Maharaj was the pick of the bowlers with 3-42, while Holder took 2-32.

- CMC