Visiting Tridents last threat for host Tallawahs

Hero Caribbean Premier League 2016…

Jamaica Tallawahs’ good showing in this year’s Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL) continued on Monday with a comfortable win over Trinbago Knight Riders (TKR). That victory allows the Tallawahs to start tonight’s game against Barbados Tridents as points leaders for the first time in this year’s tournament. And the way they have been executing on match days it will be a difficult task for the Tridents to win.

The Tallawahs have lost just one game and are currently enjoying a perfect home run with three wins in as many matches. They have defeated Guyana Amazon Warriors, St. Kitts and Nevis Patriots and TKR in their home matches and during the process, knocked Warriors out of the summit to claim that spot.

Like the Warriors, the Tallawahs are playing good at home and looks the team to beat. They have managed their home success due to a combination of discipline bowling and responsible batting, excluding any spectacular from their maestro and captain Chris Gayle.

Jamaica is heavily dependent on Gayle’s batting performance like any other franchise he plays for. However, in the last two games the talismanic batsman has returned poor scores of 1 and 0. Prior to those two lackluster innings the prolific left hander was outstanding with significant knocks of 51, 108 not out, 47 not out and 45 not out and as predicted, would like to find form in tonight’s fierce battle.

If he comes big or not tonight then the progressive batting line up which comprise of Sri Lankan legend Kumar Sangakarra, Shakib Al Hassan, the explosive Andre Russell and Rovman Powell, is expected to continue on similar paths as they did in the previous two matches.

Not as aggressive as a Gayle or Powell or Russell, the overseas duo of Sangakarra and Shakib will stabilize the middle order and provide room for big hitting in the Tallawahs’ batting order. So if Gayle misfires then the big shots are provided by Powell and or Russell. Chadwick Walton is also an entertaining batsman but has been out of form recently.

Jamaica’s bowling is by no means the best in the tournament but it has standout so far under the leadership of hostile South African fast man Dale Steyn, who will be playing his last game tonight before returning home. He has marshaled an attack that has executed at almost every given opportunity and has been a tower for opposition batsmen.

Apart from Steyn, rookie fast bowler Kesrick Williams seems to be learning quickly, delivering some impressive spells to date. He continues to be destructive as well as economical in his spell and forms quality partnership with other bowlers whether opening the bowling or doing so elsewhere.

Besides the seamers Steyn and Williams, the Tallawahs could rely on spinners, namely Shakib, Gary Mathurin or Imad Wasim, all left arm spinners along with all-rounder Russell to restrict oppositions.

However, withstanding Jamaica’s current flourish, Barbados is expected to be a threat in tonight’s encounter. Twenty year old explosive left hand batsman Nicholas Pooran, Shoaib Malik and Kieron Pollard should be of concern for the Tallawahs, since on any given day any one of those batsmen could take a game completely away from the opposition as was shown in the Tridents last match against the St. Lucia Zouks where Pooran (81) recorded his highest T20 score.

For the first time this year the Tridents will play without marquee players AB de Villiers and Wayne Parnell, however, their replacement are expected to bring similar enthusiasm and effectiveness to the Tridents cause. The duo will be replaced by Proteas fast bowler Merchant de Lange and Pakistan top order batsman Ahmed Shehzad who will be available for tonight’s clash.

Shehzad’s inclusion could serve as a surplus to the Tridents since he formerly represented the Tallawahs and might know a trick or two of the Jamaican skipper.

David Wiese is also expected to make a return in Parnell’s position after he had an ordinary start to the tournament in the Tridents’ first four games.

Wiese and the rest of the Tridents bowlers must aim to be accurate to restrict the Tallawahs or it could be a lopsided affair for the host.

Prior to tonight’s match, the two teams met in an abandoned match in Barbados where the game finished close to the end of the first innings. Hopefully this time around the game is a completed and there is a winner.

A win for the Tallawahs would complete a perfect home run with four wins from as many matches. However, the Tridents are the last team standing in their way.

The game is scheduled to start at 21:00 hrs.

Barbados Tridents- Kieron Pollard (captain), Ahmed Shehzad, Shoaib Malik, Ravi Rampaul, Nicholas Pooran, David Wiese, Robin Petersen, Raymon Reifer, Ashley Nurse, Shamar Springer, Merchant de Lange, Akeal Hosein, Imran Khan, Kyle Hope, Navin Stewart, Kyle Corbin, Steven Taylor.

Jamaica Tallawahs-Chris Gayle (captain), Shakib Al Hasan, Andre Russell, Kumar Sangakkara, Imad Wasim, Dale Steyn, Rovman Powell, Chadwick Walton, Jon-Russ Jaggesar, Andre McCarthy, Jonathan Foo, Alex Ross, Keswick Williams, Nkrumah Bonner, Garey Mathurin, Timroy Allen and Oshane Thomas.