After a three day mini-break, the Saint Lucia Kings will be back in action in the 2021 HERO Caribbean Premier League, as they prepare to take on the Guyana Amazon Warriors in their first evening game of the competition. The Kings picked up a convincing win over Nicholas Pooran’s side when they played each other a week or so ago, and will be eager to do the double over them come Wednesday evening.
Head-to-head record
Guyana Amazon Warriors | Saint Lucia Kings |
10 wins | 7 wins |
The Warriors have a marginally better head-to-head record against the Kings, but it was Faf Du Plessis’ side that managed to pick up the points in the previous clash between these two franchises. The Kings are coming off the back of three consecutive wins,and would be gunning to make that four in a row against a Warriors side that has struggled for consistency this season in the Caribbean Premier League.
Watch out for:
Roston Chase is currently the leading run getter of the CPL, with 241 runs in six games. With a staggering average of over 80 and a scary strike rate in excess of 150, Chase will be the main obstacle for opposition bowlers come Wednesday evening. The 29-year-old has scored three consecutive fifties in the competition, and the last time he was dismissed in an innings was in fact against the Warriors three games ago.
Jeavor Royal delivered a match-winning performance on Sunday against the Patriots, picking 3/20 to break the page of their top-order. The left-arm spinner has really stepped up in the previous couple of games, and his ability to bowl effectively in the powerplay with the new ball makes him a big threat to opposition batsmen. Royal boasts of an economy rate of six so far in the competition, and if he can keep that streak going, the Kings would be on course to get another win under their kitty.
Opponent Corner:
The Guyana Amazon Warriors have a really strong squad on paper, with Caribbean stars like Nicholas Pooran, Shimron Hetmyer and International talents like Mohammad Hafeez and Shoaib Malik in their roster. The Warriors also have Chandrapaul Hemraj in their squad, and he has been the man in form having got that century less than a week ago against the Barbados Royals.
On the bowling front, Romario Shepherd and Odean Smith have been two of the finds of the season for the CPL. Their raw pace and bounce have been a real challenge for the batters this season, and come Wednesday will also pose some questions to the very accomplished Saint Lucia Kings batsmen. Apart from that, the experience of Imran Tahir and Hafeez could be a real asset for the Warriors.
Probable XI: Andre Fletcher (wk), Faf Du Plessis (c), Mark Deyal, Roston Chase, Tim David, Samit Patel, Keron Cottoy, Jeavor Royal, Alzarri Joseph, Kesrick Williams, Wahab Riaz.
The Kings wouldn’t wish to make too many changes to a winning combination. The only change one can anticipate is Mark Deyal coming in instead of Keemo Paul. The southpaw can bolster the batting line-up, and given the slowish nature of the pitches, his off-spin could also come in handy.
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.
