The 2017 Caribbean Premier League hits Jamaica for the first time on Friday night when the defending champions, Jamaica Tallawahs, take on the rancid St Lucia Stars in the first of four matches on the island.
This is a big match for the Tallawahs who are still pushing for a place in the top two at the end of the regular season. St Lucia probably can’t wait for the tournament to end now.
Jamaica Tallawahs
With four home matches to conclude the regular campaign, the Tallawahs could get gate-crash the top two in the table as they look to successfully defend their title. They probably need to win out if they are going to do that, but they would be foolish to rule it out given how successful they have been on the road so far.
Jamaica’s strength, as we have seen plenty of times this season, is in their bowling attack. They have good variety but also plenty of disguise in their attack and that makes them tough to score runs against. That said when batsmen do pick them they have little other defence. If the batting can keep firing the champions have to be respected.
St Lucia Stars
This has been a wretched campaign from the St Lucia Stars and they are now in grave danger of going through the season without a win a single win, which would be pretty embarrassing. The big problem, as I highlighted in the previous match, is that it is not just one part of their team not functioning, it is all of it.
One bright spot in the tournament for them has been the runs of Andre Fletcher but it seems as though nobody is prepared to bat with him, or good enough to bat with him, and they have been unable to restrict the flow of runs when they have had the ball in their hand. That all leads to a dismal campaign.
Team News
You would think there is no reason for the Jamaica Tallawahs to make any changes to their side for this one unless they want to modify their bowling attack for the conditions.
It remains to be seen what St Lucia Stars will come up with team wise to try and get a win they so desperately seek. Nobody apart from Andre Fletcher would be safe on the form they’ve shown thus far.
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Betting
I thought with the pressure off the St Lucia Stars would free up and express themselves but nothing could have been further from the truth in their timid defeat to the Guyana Amazon Warriors last time out. They look like a side who are completely done to me.
With that in mind I think the obvious play here is to take the Jamaica Tallawahs to cover what is a pretty small handicap given the way the Stars are playing. The Jamaican public are passionate about their cricket and that can inspire their side to play their best and that should be more than good enough to win this with a fair bit in hand.
Tips
WON – Back Jamaica Tallawahs (-2.5wickets/6.5runs) to beat St Lucia Stars for a 4/10 stake at 1.83 with Bet365
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