A repeat of last season’s semi-final is next up for the Saint Lucia Kings, as they prepare to take on the Guyana Amazon Warriors on Thursday in the 2021 HERO Caribbean Premier League. Faf Du Plessis’ team would hope to get back to winning ways and build some momentum with games coming thick and fast in the league stages.
Head-to-head record
Saint Lucia Kings | Guyana Amazon Warriors |
6 wins | 10 wins |
The Guyana Amazon Warriors have a better head-to-head record, but it was the Kings who managed to win two out of their three games last season, which included a 10-wicket win in the semi-final. Both teams have started the 2021 season similarly, and would be eager to get another win in their kitty come Thursday.
Watch out for
Andre Fletcher batted through the innings in the previous game for Saint Lucia Kings, ending on 81 not out. Despite the 2020 finalists ending on the losing side, Fletcher’s return to form would be a big positive for the Kings. The wicketkeeper-batsman’s ability to switch gears and score freely towards the death makes him an extremely dangerous proposition for any opposition team.
Kesrick Williams was one of the most consistent performers for the Kings in CPL 2020. The 31-year-old took a couple of games to find his length this time around, but he found his footing on Tuesday with a stellar performance of 4/24 against TKR in the previous game. His return to form would be another big positive for the Kings, who look up to Williams’ variations and skills in the death overs to constrict opposition teams.
Opponent Corner
The Guyana Amazon Warriors seem to have one of the strongest teams on paper, with seasoned players like Nicholas Pooran, Shimron Hetmyer and Imran Tahir forming the core of that team. Hetmyer in particular has made a good start to CPL 2021, with two fifties already in the competition.
The Pakistani duo of Mohammad Hafeez and Shoaib Malik have also hit it off for the Warriors, and make for a formidable middle-order. The Warriors however aren’t infallible, having lost twice already this season; and the Kings would be optimistic about their chances too, come Thursday.
Probable XI: Rakheem Cornwall, Andre Fletcher(wk), Faf Du Plessis (c), Roston Chase, Mark Deyal, Tim David, Samit Patel, Wahab Riaz, Jeavor Royal, Alzarri Joseph, Kesrick Williams.
Despite the loss, the team management would give their batsmen another chance to find their form, and wouldn’t want to tinker too much. On the bowling front, Keemo Paul could be given some time off to accommodate another spinner in Jeavor Royal, given how effective spin has been so far in the competition.
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.
