The group stages of the 2020 Hero Caribbean Premier League come to an end on Sunday, September 6 with the St.Lucia Zouks taking on the Jamaica Tallawahs in the final game. With both teams having already qualified for the semi finals, this game could pretty much end up being a dead rubber.
Nevertheless, with the final standings of the table yet to be confirmed, this is a chance for both teams to end their group campaigns on a high and potentially avoid a clash against the unbeaten Trinbago Knight Riders in the semis.
Head-to-head record
St.Lucia Zouks | Jamaica Tallawahs |
5 | 9 |
The Tallawahs have a superior head-to-head record against the Zouks since the inception of the CPL, but it is Daren Sammy’s side that have performed better in the competition this season. Rovman Powell’s side narrowly edged out the game when the two sides played earlier in the tournament, but this time around except a fiery response from the Zouks who will look to end the group stages on a good note.
Watch out for:
Andre Fletcher finally showed glimpses of his potential in the game against the Trinbago Knight Riders. Zouks’ leading run scorer in the 2019 CPL season has had a below par competition so far, failing to consolidate on his starts. He however answered his doubters last time around, top scoring for the team and one can expect the veteran T20 player to kick off from there and get an even bigger contribution against the Tallawahs without the scoreboard pressure on him.
Scott Kuggeleijn is the second highest wicket-taker of the 2020 CPL season, with 14 scalps to his name. More often than not, the Kiwi pacer has assured his team on his wicket from his first spell in the powerplay, and has been a clinical death bowler as well. With plenty of variations at his disposal and a lethal yorker, Kuggeleijn has become one of the stars of CPL 2020; and Zouks would hope for more of the same in their final group game.
Opponent Corner:
Glenn Phillips has been the top performer with the bat for the Jamaica Tallawahs this season. He has scored two fifties so far in the competition and boasts a healthy average of nearly 42. Apart from Phillips, power hitters like Andre Russell and Carlos Braithwaite are a threat on any given day in the shortest format of the game; and keeping them quiet would be critical to the Zouks emerging victorious.
On the bowling front, Mujeeb ur Rahman has been the priced asset for the Tallawahs, guaranteeing wickets at a decent economy rate in most games. Apart from Mujeeb, Nepal spinner Sandeep Lamichhane has also been a threat this season, particularly against batsmen who have tried to be overly aggressive.
Probable XI: Andre Fletcher, Rakheem Cornwall, Mark Deyal, Roston Chase, Najibullah Zadran, Mohammad Nabi, Leniko Boucher, Daren Sammy (c), Scott Kuggelejin, Kesrick Williams, Zahir Khan
NOTE: The aforementioned line-up is an educated guess at best, and the final decision rests with the captain and the team management depending on various external factors.
