After losing in the inaugural match of this season’s Caribbean Premier League, the Trinbago Knight Riders will be looking to bounce back against the Barbados Tridents. Darren Bravo was the standout player for the Knight Riders in their loss against the St Lucia Zouks, scoring 63 in just 44 deliveries. The Knight Riders will have to improve their batting and get in the rhythm of scoring at a good pace.
This will be the first match for the Barbados Tridents. Owned by Neeta Ambani (who also owns the IPL team Mumbai Indians), the tridents did qualify for the Champions League in 2014 but got eliminated in the group stages. This could be a great opportunity for the tridents to get a win over the defending champions and put their mark in the league.
Probable Playing XI:
Barbados Tridents
Batsmen:
American batsman Steven Taylor is a recognized opening batsman in the Tridents unit and could do the job of facing the new ball. Taylor has a strike-rate of 119 in the T20s which is acceptable in this format. Wicketkeeper-batsman Nicholas Pooran could be promoted up the order to open alongside Taylor. The 20-year-old is developing a reputation for himself and has a commendable strike-rate of 134.
Mr. 360, AB de Villiers, will most probably come to bat at the No.3 position. The 32-year-old has not exactly been in the best form for his country and he could use this tournament to get himself going again. Pakistani batsman Shoaib Malik has had an up and down career but certainly is a proven talent. Malik has shown in the past that he can single-handedly take his team to victory and he will be the lynchpin in the middle-order.
All-rounders:
West Indies all-rounder Kieron Pollard will captain the Barbados Tridents. Pollard had a mixed season in the IPL for the Mumbai Indians. The 28-year-old still has a lot of cricket left in him and this is exactly the kind of format that Pollard enjoys playing, which is reflected by his brilliant strike-rate of 152. South African all-rounder Robin Peterson is a valuable player to have for his left arm spin and he can also pitch in with the bat when required as he maintains a decent strike-rate of 111.
Another South African who could have an impact against the Knight Riders is David Wiese. The 30-year-old can restrict the batsman in the mid overs and also strike the cricket ball a long way. West Indies all-rounder Raymon Reifer could provide an additional option with his left arm medium pace bowling.
Bowlers:
South African pace bowler Wayne Parnell should lead the attack for the Tridents. Parnell can bowl at a good pace and swing the new ball at his will. Jason holder has some good experience playing at the International stage and he can use his height to his advantage and extract good bounce that could trouble the batsman. West Indies bowler Ravi Rampaul is another option for Pollard to consider in the bowling department.
Trinbago Knight Riders
Batsmen:
The Knight Riders had a pretty decent game against the Zouks and will most probably go with an unchanged side against the Barbados Tridents. Brendon McCullum and Hashim Amla opened for the Knight Riders in the first game and could put only 14 runs together for the opening wicket. They will have to get used to the pitches and start performing for the Knight Riders as they will need to set a good platform for the middle order to take off.
New Zealand batsman Colin Munro occupied the No.3 position and failed to make an impression with his short stay at the crease in the first game. Darren Bravo was the exception, putting up a fine batting display. Pakistani batsman Umar Akmal accompanied Bravo in the middle order and helped the Knight Riders to put a respectable total on the board.
All-rounders:
Skipper Dwayne Bravo perished after making a run and then ended up being a bit expensive though he picked up a couple of wickets. He will have to perform to the best of his abilities for the Knight Riders. Kevon Cooper bowled his 4 overs but conceded 28 runs and failed to pick a wicket against the Zouks.
Bowlers:
Spinners Nikita Miller, Sulieman Benn and Sunil Narine bowled well against the Zouks but it was beyond them to stop Darren Sammy’s side from recording a victory as they didn’t have enough runs on the board. Seamer Ronsford Beaton proved to be expensive in the 2 overs that he bowled, conceding 32 runs.
Prediction:
The Barbados Tridents could use this opportunity to defeat the Knight Riders as they haven’t quite found the right combination. The Tridents have a good bunch of players and certainly look like the better team at the moment.
Brand-new app in a brand-new avatar! Download CricRocket for fast cricket scores, rocket flicks, super notifications and much more! 🚀☄️
