PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad (CMC) — Trinidad and Tobago Red Steel defeated St Kitts and Nevis Patriots by 18 runs by the Duckworth Lewis method to improve their standings in the rain-affected 28th match of the Caribbean Premier League here on Saturday.

Chasing a revised target of 142 for victory, Patriots stumbled to 123 for seven from 14 overs after Red Steel posted 134 for five from the same number of overs in a match truncated because of two major rain delays.

Jacques Kallis again steered Trinidad and Tobago at the top of the order with a brisk 31, while the in-form Darren Bravo enhanced the innings by scoring 40 runs in 15 balls.

Captain Dwayne Bravo and Derone Davis grabbed three wickets each to subdue the Patriots and force them out of contention of an intriguing race for title honours.

Kallis powered the Red Steel innings picking up frequent boundaries after they won the toss and elected to bat.

The prolific South African batsman choreographed an opening stand of 43 with William Perkins, who was starting to settle in until he top edged a delivery from Sohail Tanvir for Jomel Warrican to catch at midwicket.

His contribution of 15 included a six and a four, while Kallis, who faced 29 balls, struck five fours in an important innings for the homeside.

Red Steel plunged to 92 for four after losing some quick wickets, including Kallis, who danced down the track to Jomel Warrican and was stumped by Dowrich.

But by then Darren Bravo had taken charge and began an assault on the bowlers which climaxed with a last over carnage that produce 33 runs for the home side.

Carlos Brathwaite started the last over but Shahid Afridi was called to complete it after the Bajan medium pacer was removed from the bowling, a penalty for delivering a second full toss above waist height.

Bravo smashed three sixes of that last over to finish with five sixes and one four, while Cameron Delport completed the innings with two successive sixes in an exciting late cameo that yielded 20 runs.

Patriots, who desperately needed a win to stay in the competition, suffered an early setback as Martin Guptill was dismissed for a duck in the second over while driving a ball from Johan Botha into the hands of Kevon Cooper at midwicket.

However, Evin Lewis, with a top score of 40 runs from 22 balls, punctuated with five sixes and two fours, appeared to be setting his team on a course to victory.

Lewis, a Trinidadian, was fearless as he took on the top Red Steel bowlers, including two sixes and a four from consecutive balls delivered by Samuel Badree.

Captain Bravo ended Lewis’ reign when he had him caught at long on attempting to clear the boundary, a major blow to the Patriots.

Their run chase never regained momentum, despite the efforts of skipper Marlon Samuels, who got to 25 but was beaten by a classic from Derone Davis which clipped the top of his off stumps after he misjudged the line.

Bravo and Davis destroyed the middle order, the skipper taking three for 15, while Davis ended with three for 29, as the Red Steel prevailed on home turf.