It would complete a spectacular come back and a perfect home run if the St. Lucia Zouks should win tonight in their final home game of the season against Trinbago Knight Riders at the Darren Sammy National Cricket Stadium. At home, the Zouks have so far manage three wins from as many matches and have the opportunity to complete their fourth successive win when they come up against the TKR tonight from 18:00h.
Prior to their outstanding performance at home, the Zouks were in the cellar position with one win from four matches, however, in their
Jerome Taylor
last three matches they have turn in some sterling performances to comprehensively beat St. Kitts and Nevis Patriots, Barbados Tridents and Guyana Amazon Warriors. Due to those successes the Zouks have jumped from the bottom of the table to third place only behind Jamaica Tallawahs and the Amazon Warriors.
With three successive wins, home advantage and a win in the opener of the season against TKR, the Zouks hold the edge heading in to
Hashim Amla
tonight’s encounter. They have found energy and they are making it purposeful with perfect execution. Their bowling, although questionable, has held its own and has surpassed expectation especially in the last three matches and with Jerome Taylor’s inclusion.
His bowling to date has been the stand out for the Zouks and has restricted opposition batsmen to the latter part of the innings. He along with Kyle Mayers and Shane Watson has been effective in stifling their opponents. Skipper Darren Sammy and Delorn Johson have been contributing to their team’s cause as well. With varying pace the bowling attack is difficult for batsmen to adapt and as a result has been productive in recent games.
The host batting is arguably the best on paper and has found form recently. In their three wins at home it has been the most responsible facet of their game. From openers Johnson Charles and Andre Fletcher to Mayers at number seven, their batting is definitely a threat to the oppositions’ bowlers. It is also mixed with youth and experience and comprises of stroke makers namely Watson, Grant Elliot, Mike Hussey and David Miller, and power hitters Sammy, Fletcher Charles and Mayers.
With such balance in team composition and the right execution in recent matches the Zouks have become the team to watch. However, TKR is not to be written off, especially with the presence of their T20 superstars Brendon McCullum, Sunil Narine, Colin Munro and Dwayne Bravo.
They are currently fifth on the table with three matches to go and a win tonight could ease their adrenaline rush of finding themselves in a must win situation in their final games.
Lots depend on Munro, McCullum, Umar Akmal and Bravo with the bat while Narine is expected to spearhead a bowling attack which includes, Kevon Cooper, Ronsford Beaton and Bravo.
Tonight’s match will also be the last preliminary match in the Caribbean before the tournament move to Miami. The Zouks is in ripping form at the moment and are predicted to come out on top but TKR could be their kryptonite.
Trinbago Knight Riders-Dwayne Bravo (captain), Brendon McCullum, Sunil Narine, Denesh Ramdin, Umar Akmal, Kevon Copper, Sulieman Benn, Colin Munro, Anton Devcich, Ronsford Beaton, Nikita Miller, Javon Searles, William Perkins, Yannic Cariah, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Hamza Tariq.
St. Lucia Zouks- Darren Sammy (captain), Shane Watson, David Miller, Michael Hussey, Johnson Charles, Andre Fletcher, Morne Morkel, Derone Davis, Jerome Taylor, Grant Elliott, Shane Shillingford, Kristopher Ramsarran, Delorn Johnson, Kyle Mayers, Keddy Lesporis, Nitish Kumar and Gidron Pope.
