Guyana Amazon Warriors and St Kitts & Nevis Patriots will be up against each other at Warner Park in St Kitts on Saturday, 28 August. Both teams won their opening clashes of the season.
The Warriors snapped the Trinbago Knight Riders’ winning streak of 12 matches. Successfully defending a modest 143 against Kieron Pollard’s side will surely boost their confidence. Romario Shepherd and Imran Tahir bowled seven overs between them, conceded just 27 runs and picked five wickets.
Odean Smith’s contribution with both bat and well earned him the Player of the Match award. He smashed 25 off 14 before snaring two wickets in two overs. However, Naveen-ul-Haq went over ten runs an over, after being hit for three sixes by Akeal Hosein in the 20th over.
On the batting front, they will expect more from their openers. Brandon Kings looked totally out of synchronisation, consuming 17 balls for his nine runs. The Pakistani duo of Shoaib Malik and Mohammad Hafeez also failed to get going. Shoaib Malik made 2 off 12, while Hafeez got 8.
The Patriots, meanwhile, romped to a 21-run victory over Barbados Royals. Although the competition is still in its early days, Devon Thomas will have to make his presence count, especially with Joshua Da Silva warming the bench.
Their star-studded top four did not live up to the expectation, making 33 between them. They were bailed out by Sherfane Rutherford (53) and Dwayne Bravo (47), who struck four sixes each.
The bowlers were not exactly tested, as they had ample to defend. But they would expect more control from Sheldon Cottrell, who picked up two wickets but was wayward.
Betway Fantasy Tips
- Smith and Bravo are must-haves for your team. Both are adept with both bat and ball.
- Tahir was terrific in the first game, where he conceded just 12 runs from four overs and got two wickets. Shepherd was also impressive, bowling a maiden and picking three wickets. Pick both.
- The Patriots’ top-order is unpredictable. However, if you are willing to take the risk, take a punt on Evin Lewis and Chris Gayle.
Probable XI:
Guyana Amazon Warriors: Nicholas Pooran (c & wk), Chandrapaul Hemraj, Brandon King, Mohammad Hafeez, Shimron Hetmyer, Shoaib Malik, Romario Shepherd, Ashmead Nedd, Odean Smith, Imran Tahir, Naveen-ul-Haq
St Kitts & Nevis Patriots: Dwayne Bravo (c), Devon Thomas (wk), Chris Gayle, Evin Lewis, Asif Ali, Sherfane Rutherford, Fabian Allen, Dominic Drakes, Fawad Ahmed, Sheldon Cottrell, Paul van Meekeren
Prediction:
St Kitts and Nevis Patriots should register their second successive victory.