The Caribbean Premier League returns from the rest day with a couple of big matches in a Saturday double header that could go some way to determining the line up for the semi-finals next month. It all starts with a clash between the last two champions as the Barbados Tridents take on the Trinbago Knight Riders.
These two sides begin the second half of their campaigns inside the top four with the Tridents in third and the Knight Riders the early runaway leaders of the competition so a win for either would only strengthen their position.
Barbados Tridents
The Barbados Tridents picked up a much needed win last time out. Although that victory only came against a mess of a Jamaica Tallawahs side, they would have taken any win after three pretty tame defeats in succession. We are used to seeing the Tridents gather strength as seasons go on in this competition and they will be hoping that is a trend that continues here. Often though they have home advantage to assist them which they don’t have here.
One thing the Tridents do have up their sleeve is a good spin attack which should only come to the party more and more as the competition goes on as the pitches on these two grounds tire. To be fair to the Tridents attack, they haven’t done too badly anyway so their success or otherwise will come down to how they bat. A brilliant individual effort got them over the line against Jamaica but they’ll need some team performances if they are going to successfully defend the title.
Trinbago Knight Riders
Everything has gone swimmingly for the Trinbago Knight Riders so far and there is no reason to think that won’t continue throughout the season. There is plenty in their favour and the confidence they will be getting from winning matches without a gun player in Sunil Narine can’t be underestimated. They are not only winning matches but they are dominating them. Their five wins have all been pretty comfortable and there haven’t been many moments in matches when they have been behind the game.
Trinbago look a complete team at the minute. They have some excellent spin options but they have clever seamers who are adept at bowling good quality slower balls and cutters which are hard to get away. With the bat they have extreme power in their top three and then a middle order that can elevate a platform or who have the brains to work it around and rebuild an innings if things have gone pear-shaped initially. It is a very strong combination.
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Key Men
If Barbados Tridents are going to win matches they need to put up big runs so the form that Kyle Mayers showed in the previous game makes him a key players for them in this one. His batting will be important but he could also get some vital overs with the ball too after opening the bowling in the reverse fixture.
Darren Bravo is now the leading batsman for the Trinbago Knight Riders in this tournament and with the Barbados Tridents having the majority of their spinners taking the ball away from the right-handers, Bravo could be a key cog in the wheel here.
Betting
I’ll go with one in this match which comes in the form of Johnson Charles to score more than 18.5 runs. He covered this with a bit to spare in his second, third and fourth matches this season and while he nicked off early against Jamaica last time out, that was to a mystery spinner but Trinbago Knight Riders tend to save their wily spinners until later in the innings, often opening with a seamer and Khary Pierre who doesn’t turn it much.
That might be why the West Indies international has a good record against the Trinbago Knight Riders. In his last four innings against them over the last two seasons he has scored 24, 58, 55 and 35 so he is no stranger to getting a start against this attack. This attack hasn’t changed in that time, certainly in the initial overs at least, so there is no reason why Charles can’t get going again. The way he bats he won’t need to be in for long to make it to 19 and given his record against the Knight Riders, the over looks worth taking.
Tips
WON – Back J.Charles – Over 18.5 runs for a 3/10 stake at 1.85 with BetVictor
Back him here:
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