Trinbago Knight Riders and Saint Lucia Kings will meet again on 31 August, in Match 9 of the Caribbean Premier League 2021 at Warner Park, St Kitts. The sides met two days ago, where Saint Lucia beat Trinbago by five runs.
Defending champions Trinbago had not lost a single match last season, but they have now lost two of their first three, against Guyana Amazon Warriors and Saint Lucia.
Lendl Simmons is yet to be at his best, while Colin Munro has not found his rhythm either. Tim Seifert, who struggled to accelerate in the first two games, struck a 16-ball 40 against Saint Lucia, but did not find support from teammates. Trinbago finished on 152/3, chasing 158.
With six wickets in three matches, Trinbago’s Ravi Rampaul has been in excellent form. On the other hand, Jayden Seales and Isuru Udana have been inconsistent, the latter returning 5-21 in their second game, against Barbados Royals.
Saint Lucia began their season with a humiliating 120-run defeat against Jamaica Tallawahs. They came back strongly against Trinbago. Roston Chase contributed with both bat (30* in 24) and ball (4-0-17-1), while Tim David (43 in 32) continued to sparkle on his CPL debut season.
Saint Lucia will hope captain Faf du Plessis regain his form at the earliest to bolster their batting. Du Plessis got a golden duck against Jamaica and made 10 in 15 balls against Trinbago. Rahkeem Cornwall, who scored 14-ball 23 and 4-ball 14 in their opening two matches, will be again in focus.
Betway Fantasy Tips
– Bet on Trinbago. Pick Sunil Narine as captain. He did not open two days ago, but is likely to be back at the top this time.
– Pick Chase as vice-captain. He comes to bat at No. 4, and also bowls four overs.
– Do not ignore du Plessis. He may be out of form, but it only takes a little time to see him hitting all over the stadium.
Probable XIs
Trinbago Knight Riders: Kieron Pollard (c), Denesh Ramdin (wk),Lendl Simmons, Sunil Narine, Colin Munro, Tim Seifert, Tion Webster, Isuru Udana, Akeal Hosein, Ravi Rampaul, Jayden Seales.
Saint Lucia Kings: Faf du Plessis (c), Andre Fletcher (wk), Rahkeem Cornwall, Roston Chase, Mark Deyal, Tim David, Keemo Paul, Wahab Riaz, Alzarri Joseph, Usman Qadir, Jeavor Royal.
Prediction
Trinbago should win this contest.