After a day’s break, the Saint Lucia Kings will be back in action on Saturday morning as they look to take on the Barbados Royals in their penultimate group game of the 2021 HERO Caribbean Premier League. The Kings suffered back-to-back losses in their two evening games of the season, and would be hoping for a turnaround in fortunes against the bottom ranked team come Saturday morning.
With three teams currently stuck on eight points, there could be a lot at stake in this match for the Kings if they are to make it through to the playoffs.
Head-to-head record
Saint Lucia Kings | Barbados Royals |
6 wins | 10 wins |
The Barbados Royals have a better head-to-head record but the Kings find themselves in a better position on the points table this time around. In the previous encounter between these two teams in 2020, the Kings managed to defend the lowest ever score in the history of the Caribbean Premier League.
Heading into Saturday, the Saint Lucia Kings would be optimistic about their chances against the bottom ranked side of CPL 2021, despite that inferior head-to-head record.
Watch out for:
Mark Deyal found some form on Thursday night as he scored a quickfire 34 which had the Tallawahs in trouble for a period in that chase. The left-handed batsman’s ability to accelerate with ease, coupled with his overall handiness in the field and with his off-spin makes him a tricky customer for any opposition teams. Deyal was one of the standout players for the Kings in 2020, and if he can find that touch again, his team could benefit big time.
Jeavor Royal had another memorable evening with the ball on Thursday, as he picked up three wickets yet again for the Kings. The left-arm spinner is now the leading wicket-taker for the Saint Lucia Kings, and his ability to bowl in the powerplay as well as the death overs make him a valuable asset for his franchise.
Opponent Corner
New Zealand’s Glenn Philips and Pakistani batsman Azam Khan have been the main run getters for their franchise this season. The two, alongside skipper Jason Holder and opener Johnson Charles form the backbone of their batting group, and if any of them get going it is difficult to reign them in. With respect to bowling, Mohammad Amir is the most established bowler in their roster, while they also have budding spinner Naeem Young and Oshanne Thomas who could cause some problems to the Saint Lucia batsmen.
Probable XI: Andre Fletcher (wk), Faf Du Plessis (c), Mark Deyal, Roston Chase, Tim David, Keron Cottoy, David Wiese, Wahab Riaz, Alzarri Joseph, Obed McCoy, Jeavor Royal.
With their payoffs position now under peril, the Saint Lucia Kings would want to pick their most experienced team for this clash. Wahab Riaz and Obed McCoy could return to the team at the expense of Samit Patel and Kesrick Williams, just to add a bit more versatility to that bowling attack.
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.
