The Trinbago Knight Riders and the Jamaica Tallawahs clash in what promises to be a thrilling CPL clash.
The seventh game of the 2016 edition of the Caribbean Premier League will see the Trinidad and Tobago Knight Riders go head to head against he Jamaica Tallawahs.
Can the Knight Riders get their season back on track or will the Tallawahs claim their second win in as many games? Let’s check it out.
Trinbago vs Jamaica | Tuesday 5 July | Trinidad and Tobago | 01:00
To Win Match
Trinbago 8/10| Tie 35/1| Jamaica 1/1
Trinidad and Tobago
The Trinbago Knight Riders have so far struggled to defend targets in this year’s edition of the CPL. They have already played three matches, all at home, and have batted first in all three but managed to win only one.
What is more baffling is that the bowling attack has been the same in all three games and has consisted of four West Indian internationals and Kevon Cooper, who has played 132 T20 matches and has a healthy dose of IPL experience. They really should have won their most recent encounter after a scintillating hundred from Maidstone Primary School in Tongaat old boy, Colin Munro. However, they were outdone by a breathtaking knock of 77* by Chris Lynn which included eight sixes.
The problem, however, for Trinbago, seems to be their batting. Yes, they have scored above 160 in all three games, but have usually relied on one big score getting them to a big total. In their opening game it was a well played 63 by Darren Bravo, in their second game Hashim Amla and Dwayne Bravo got runs and combined for a 150 run partnership and they won, in their third game Munro got 100* but the next highest score was a mere 18. They need at least two batsmen to get runs. In their previous game, after Munro got the hundred, if another batsman managed just to get in the thirties they would have won the game. One batsman can win you a game of T20 but more often than not it does not work out that way. The top six of Trinbago will all need to combine if they are to turn those 160’s into 180’s and 200’s.
In the bowling department, Trinbago have been good. The bowlers have not had huge totals to defend (170 is basically par in T20 these days), yet managed to take both games in which they were defending scores in the 160’s into the final over. Once again, if the batsman make ten to fifteen more runs, Trinbago will win their games. Sunil Narine has been in excellent form as one would expect, as has Dwayne Bravo, although the latter has been on the expensive side. The others, among them Sulieman Benn, Nikita Miller, Kevon Cooper and Ronsford Beaton have been solid but have just let it slip at crucial times. They have not done anything in particular wrong, the bowlers just need the batsmen to score a few more runs, which they are well capable of.
Jamaica
Jamaica started the tournament with a win, which is what one would expect from a team consisting of Chris Gayle, Kumar Sangakkara, Andre Russell, Shakib Al Hasan and Dale Steyn and will look to carry the momentum into this game.
All the above mentioned players have been playing in the Natwest T20 Blast in England, with the exception of Al Hasan, and have all come into the CPL on the back of some good form. Gayle looked ominous against St Kitts before being caught for 51, Sangakkara managed 26 and Russell made a whirlwind 34*. This team has a very good blend of batsmen, all rounders and bowlers and look as though they have what it takes to go a long way in the tournament.
Bowling wise, Steyn started the tournament off well against St Kitts with an economical four overs while Al Hasan Jon Jaggesar were economical. Andre Russell did not bowl in the opening game but it did not matter as everyone’s attention was caught by Kesrick Williams. Playing in just his fourth T20 game he managed a spell of three for 23 in his four overs and took the wickets of Evin Lewis, Thisara Perera and Brad Hodge on his way to collecting the man of the match award. Jamaica will be looking to carry their winning momentum into this game against an opponent that may be a little bit disheartened by their current performances.
Verdict : Jamaica to win at 1/1.
As the betting shows, this game will be tight. Normally I would be inclined to back the home team in such an encounter but it does not look as though Trinbago have had the rub of the green when playing at home so far. They come up against a Jamaica bowling attack that looks to be firing and unless more than one batsman scores runs I can’t see anything but a win for Jamaica here. Chris Gayle, Sangakkara, Al Hasan and Russell will be more than used to facing this Trinbago bowling attack and I can see them making full advantage of that in this game. Back Jamaica to beat Trinbago.
Written by Dale Vos for @Hollywoodbets.
