The semi-finals of the Caribbean Premier League take place on a double header day of action out in Trinidad on Tuesday and the first match on show sees the table toppers Trinbago Knight Riders going up against the fourth placed Jamaica Tallawahs.
Both these sides know what it takes to go all the way to the title so this should be a keenly fought semi-final of high quality now that we have reached the business end of the season. Both teams will give everything to be in the final on Thursday.
Trinbago Knight Riders
Such has been the incredible campaign they are currently embarking on, the Trinbago Knight Riders are still on for the first ever perfect season in CPL history. They won all 10 regular season games but they will know those count for little now if they don’t perform over what they hope will be two more games. If they need a reminder of how fickle franchise cricket can be, Guyana were on for the perfect season last year but came unstuck in the final.
At the minute there are no signs that the Knight Riders will go the same way as the Amazon Warriors did. They have so much going for them. Not only have they need the best team in the tournament but they have rotated their players throughout so everyone has had game time. Unlike Guyana last season, the Knight Riders have faced a couple of tests and come out the other side of them so there really isn’t a hole in their form thus far.
Jamaica Tallawahs
It has been a poor campaign for the Jamaica Tallawahs but such is the way these franchise leagues are set up that it can still be a brilliant one. Despite winning just three of their 10 regular season matches, they are only two good performances or someone having a day out on two occasions away from winning the title. We’ve seen sides win competitions from being the last two into a postseason before but often they go into them with momentum. That isn’t the case with the Tallawahs.
The big issue that Jamaica have at the minute is their batting just looks completely out of touch. They have finally stumbled across an opening partnership that is working but as we saw on Sunday evening, when their openers are out of the way although there is plenty in terms of reputation to follow them, there isn’t too much in terms of form. That is a huge worry. Another concern that is developing is their bowling is just starting to get carted too.
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Key Men
Sunil Narine has missed the last couple of Trinbago Knight Riders matches but they are expected to restore their strongest line up for this match and as such he becomes a key man at the top of the order and with his four overs, some of which will come early as Trinbago look to bag the Jamaica openers.
It is hard to see how the Jamaica Tallawahs win this match if Andre Russell doesn’t make a significant contribution. He has a good record against Trinbago and his side really need him to come up with the goods here.
Betting
I’m not going to get too involved in this semi-final because the form of the Jamaica Tallawahs is impossible to have any confidence in but at the same time they have players who can win matches on their own in the space of five overs so I don’t really want to be taking them on. Everything we’ve seen recently suggests that the Knight Riders will win this and win it big but my history of watching these events tell me it is unlikely to be as straightforward as that.
I will go with one bet though and that is a small bet on Andre Russell to top score for the Jamaica Tallawahs. I really don’t see the Tallawahs getting home if the superstar all-rounder doesn’t come to the party. To be fair to Russell, while this has been a quiet campaign by his exceptionally high standards, he does still have three 50s in seven innings, one of which came in the only match he played against Trinbago Knight Riders. I would imagine Trinbago will be all out to get rid of the Jamaica openers so at 5/1 there is enough value on Russell to top score.
Tips
Back A.Russell Top Jamaica Tallawahs Batsman for a 1/10 stake at 6.00 with Coral
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