The agony of getting hammered in their first ever final last year will be fresh in the minds of the St Lucia Kings cricketers when their 2021 CPL campaign kickstarts with a match against Jamaica Tallawahs, at Warner Park, St Kitts.
Darren Sammy’s decision to relinquish captaincy and join the coaching crew has taken many by surprise. But the Kings have an excellent replacement as captain in Faf du Plessis, who is expected to play today.
Du Plessis was in terrific form for the Chennai Super Kings, where he amassed 320 runs at a strike rate of over 145. He will open batting with Andre Fletcher. The Kings also have the likes of Rahkeem Cornwall, Tim David and Roston Chase forming the crux of the middle order.
However, they will sorely miss the service of Mohammad Nabi, who is unavailable due to his international commitment. Nabi was one of the standout performers last year. Their latest signing, Samit Patel, will also miss the initial part matches. Obed McCoy and Kesrick Williams are likely to lead the pace attack, with Usman Qadir and Chase as spin options.
The Tallawahs has had a terrible campaign last year, where they lost seven out of ten games. They will be without Glenn Phillips, who has joined Barbados Royals this year. Chadwick Walton and Haider Ali are likely to batting, followed by what looks like a brittle middle order.
For Tallawahs, a lot depends on Andre Russell, as the batting unit lacks the firepower. The bowling attack is relatively better, with Fidel Edwards, Migael Pretorius and Chris Green at their disposal.
Betway Fantasy Tips
- Russell and Roston Chase should be your two all-rounders. If there is space for one more all-rounder, there is no harm in picking Carlos Brathwaite, who did well in the Hundred.
- For wicketkeepers, rely on Andre Fletcher, who scored more than 200 runs last season.
- Edwards, Qadir, and Williams are three bowlers you can rely upon.
Probable XIs
Jamaica Tallawahs: Rovman Powell (c), Haider Ali, Shamarh Brooks, Andre Russell, Carlos Brathwaite, Chadwick Walton (wk), Qais Ahmed, Chris Green, Migael Pretorius, Veerasammy Permaul, Fidel Edwards
St Lucia Kings: Faf du Plessis (c), Andre Fletcher (wk), Mark Deyal, Wahab Riaz, Kesrick Williams, Rahkeem Cornwall, Tim David, Alzarri Joseph, Roston Chase, Obed McCoy, Usman Qadir
Prediction:
St Lucia Kings should win their opening game.