GEORGETOWN, Guyana (CMC) — Seamer Rayad Emrit produced a superb Man of the Match effort to frustrate St Lucia Stars, as Guyana Amazon Warriors earned a nerve-jangling three-run win in the fourth match of the Caribbean Premier League here Saturday.

Chasing a modest 142 for victory at Guyana National Stadium here, Stars appeared well set to break their win drought when they reached 113 for two in the 17th over.

But facing a simple equation of 29 runs from 22 deliveries, Stars inexplicably fell apart as Emrit made key strikes to help reduce the visitors to 138 for seven off their 20 overs.

Lendl Simmons had top-scored with a patient 45 from 39 balls with five sixes when he edged a slash at Emrit and was well caught behind by a diving Luke Ronchi in the 17th over.

South African off-spinner Chris Green then had Mark Chapman stumped for two at the start of the next over with three runs added, to leave Stars on 116 for four.

The crucial over, however, was the penultimate one sent down by Emrit. With Stars needing 23 from the last 12 balls, Emrit knocked over captain Kieron Pollard (32) and Rahkeem Cornwall (0) in successive deliveries while conceding just seven runs.

Pollard holed out to deep cover after striking two fours and a six off 25 balls, while the burly Cornwall missed a yorker and had his stumps shattered.

West Indies rookie seamer Keemo Paul then held his nerve when it mattered most to ensure Stars would not get the 16 runs required for victory from the last six balls.

Emrit finished with three for 26 from his four overs, while South African leg-spinner Imran Tahir claimed two for 23, sending Stars crashing to their 13th-straight defeat dating back to last season.

They had earlier done well to contain Amazon Warriors, limiting them to 141 for four off 20 overs after winning the toss and opting to field.

Luke Ronchi top-scored with a controlled 42 from 41 deliveries, putting on 54 for the first wicket with Chadwick Walton, who got 31, while Shimron Hetmyer chipped in with 21.

Walton faced 24 balls and struck four fours and a six before going stumped off 17-year-old Afghan leg-spinner Qais Ahmad, who finished with three for 15.

Ronchi added 32 for the second wicket with the left-handed Hetmyer, who stroked three fours off 19 balls before edging a drive at a Qais Ahmad googly to be caught at the wicket.

The right-handed Ronchi, who counted two fours and a six, carried the innings until he finally perished in the 16th over, lbw to Chapman.

Stars stumbled early in their run chase when Australian David Warner (11) and Andre Fletcher (14) both fell cheaply to leave the visitors on 30 for two in the seventh

However, Trinidadians Simmons and Pollard came together in an 83-run, third-wicket stand which appeared to put Stars on course for victory — before they lost their nerve.

SCOREBOARD

AMAZON WARRIORS

C Walton st Fletcher b Kamawal 31

+L Ronchi lbw Chapman 42

S Hetmyer c Fletcher b Kamawal 21

*S Malik b Kamawal 8

J Mohammed not out 20

S Rutherford not out 16

Extras (b1, w2) 3

TOTAL (4 wkts, 20 overs) 141

Did not bat: C Green, S Tanvir, R Emrit, K

Paul, I Tahir

Fall of wickets: 1-54, 2-86, 3-98, 4-113

Bowling: Sami 2-0-20-0, Hodge 4-0-24-0,

McClenaghan 1-0-15-0, Pollard 2-0-14-0,

Kamawal 4-0-15-3, Williams 3-0-28-0,

Cornwall 3-0-16-0, Chapman 1-0-8-0

STARS

+A Fletcher lbw b Tahir 14

D Warner lbw Tahir 11

L Simmons c Ronchi b Emrit 45

*K Pollard c Mohammed b Emrit 32

M Chapman st Ronchi b Green 2

R Cornwall b Emrit 3

K Hodge b Paul 0

Q Kamawal not out 9

M McClenaghan not out 9

Extras (w12, nb1) 13

TOTAL (7 wickets, 20 overs) 138

Did not bat: M Sami, K Williams

Fall of wickets: 1-29, 2-30, 3-113, 4-116,

5-120, 6-120, 7-126

Bowling: Tanvir 4-0-19-0, Green 4-0-28-1,

Emrit 4-0-26-3, Tahir 4-0-23-2, Paul 4-0-

42-1

Result: Amazon Warriors won by three runs

Man of the Match: Rayad Emrit

Toss: Stars

Umpires: N Duguid, L Rusere; TV – G

Brathwaite