Jamaica Tallawahs’ dismal bowling attack was once again taken to task, this time by Rahkeem Cornwall who led St Lucia Zouks to their first win of the 2019 Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL) Twenty20 campaign with a comfortable five-wicket result at Sabina Park on Thursday.

The burly Cornwall savagely blew away the Tallawahs’ petty bowling with the season’s second-fastest half-century off 19 balls, which was later converted to a 30-ball 75 that condemned the hosts to a thrid-consecutive defeat in as many games.

Cornwall, who was dropped twice on 18 and 37, smashed four boundaries and eight massive sixes in his knock, starring in a 111-run opening stand with Andre Fletcher, who was left unbeaten on 47 off 36 balls.

Zouks arrived at their target of 171 with 20 balls to spare, resulting in a hefty net run rate that propelled them to third in the standing on two points, while the Tallawahs are rooted at the foot of the standing without a point.

Earlier, opening batsman Glenn Phillips with a top score of 58 and Rovman Powell, 44, posted the only meaningful contributions in the Tallawahs innings where they lost explosive all-rounder Andre Russell, who retired hurt after being hit near his right ear by the last ball of the 14th over bowled by South African Hardus Viljoen. Russell was stretchered off and taken to hospital where he was given the all-clear following a scan.

However, on the doctor’s advice, he returned to the team hotel to rest for few days and was omitted from last night’s game against Trinbago Knight Riders.

Scores: Jamaica Tallawahs 170-5 (20 overs); St Lucia Zouks 171-5 (16.4 overs).

The Tallawahs, after being sent in by Zouks, were slow off the mark, losing captain Chris Gayle for nought and Chadwick Walton for eight to left-arm seamer Obed McCoy, who struck gold despite no-ball issues inside the first six overs.

Gayle went first-ball, searching for a spongy bouncer from young McCoy to be caught by wicketkeeper Andre Fletcher, while Walton failed to really find his range and eventually holed out to compatriot John Campbell at deep backward square leg.

However Phillips, with his fourth CPL half-century, and Powell injected life into the innings, as the two briskly raced to a 52-run partnership off a mere 26 deliveries in the eighth over.

Their carefree, yet stunning assault was lined with a slew of delightful stroke plays that certainly repaired the early damage and positioned Tallawahs to go beyond 200 at 108-2 at the halfway mark.

But the 87-run stand off 43 deliveries eventually came to an end as Powell, trying to push things even further along, went caught on the long-off boundary by Colin De Grandhomme to Fawad Ahmed. His 22-ball knock included one four and five sixes.

Phillps went in a similar fashion to the same combination shortly after, bringing his 34-ball innings that included eight fours and one six to an end.

Their demise saw the Tallawahs innings to an anticlimatic end, as they could only muster 62 in the final 10 overs.

Fahwad Ahmed (2-28) and McCoy (2-32) were the pick of the Zouks bowling attack.

With their bowling attack already in shambles, Tallawahs did themselves no justice in the field as they dropped both Cornwall and Fletcher in the space of three deliveries.

First, Shamar Springer dropped a steepler, running back from square leg to reprieve Cornwall after he mishit a slower delivery from Jerome Taylor.

Two balls later, in the fourth over, Oshane Thomas put down a straightforward catch at third man with Fletcher on 15, and Walton dropped a sitter at backward point to reprieve Cornwall for a second time in the next over. Zouks had raced to 64 in five overs at that point.

Cornwall went on to celebrate his third CPL half-century with two big sixes followed by a single against George Worker’s left-arm spin, while Fletcher played a decent supporting role at the other end by bringing up their 111-run stand in 8.4 overs.

The 26-year-old Cornwall nipped one from Springer unto his stumps to end his match-winning innings, and debutant Ramaal Lewis had John Campbell trapped in front for a duck.

And there was some more late excitement for the Tallawahs fans as Oshane Thomas returned to account for De Grandhomme (25), captain Darren Sammy (five), and Roland Cato (one). But the early damage was already done as Fletcher and Thisara Perera saw Zouks across the line.

Thomas snared 3-26, including one maiden in his four overs.