The Caribbean Premier League season comes to an end on Thursday when the CPL 2020 final takes place at the Brian Lara Academy Stadium in Tarouba when the Trinbago Knight Riders meet the St Lucia Zouks for the title.
Trinbago have won this tournament in the past and will be heavily expected to win it here, while the Zouks will be eyeing up a first title and appear to be taking plenty of momentum into the final after a thoroughly convincing semi-final win.
Trinbago Knight Riders
The Trinbago Knight Riders remain on course for the perfect season but they shouldn’t get ahead of themselves just yet as the Guyana Amazon Warriors were in the same position last year and just didn’t perform under pressure in the final. You get the impression that such a turn of events won’t happen to this Trinbago side and if they do lose it is because they were not the better side on the day, rather than they underperformed or choked.
The reason why the Trinbago Knight Riders are on for the perfect season is because there is no real weakness in their game. They have strength in depth in all departments which means that their batsmen can bat with freedom knowing there is quality and experience to follow, and bowlers can try their variations because if they don’t work there are others to follow and make up the shortfall. The result of that is we’ve not really seen the Knight Riders too tested throughout the tournament.
St Lucia Zouks
Both ends of the season have been very good for the St Lucia Zouks, and but for a bit of a wobble in the middle of it, they have been very solid throughout. They started their campaign very strongly and finished it well. Unlike a lot of sides they saved their performance so far for the semi-final and if they can find a repeat of that they are entitled to go very close here. Once again the captaincy skills of Daren Sammy could be their biggest weapon.
The weakness of the St Lucia Zouks is very much their batting so it is important that their bowlers can find a way to strangle the Knight Riders batting. Nobody has found that solution yet but then few were stalling the Guyana Amazon Warriors ahead of the semi-final and the Zouks skittled them for 50 odd. If the Zouks can find their best batting performance of the competition they may well be competitive here. They will need that level of showing though.
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Key Men
In finals I always think captains are important. Young team members can offer up a few nerves while the experienced players need someone to look up to. In Kieron Pollard the Trinbago Knight Riders have a man who can win this final with bat or ball.
Scott Kuggeleijn is the key man for the St Lucia Zouks. He set the tone for that wonderful bowling display in the semi-final and if St Lucia are to have any chance of containing the Knight Riders they will need early wickets from the spearhead of their attack.
Betting
This isn’t the easiest final to bet on because all the markets are skewered in favour of the Trinbago Knight Riders, which is fair enough given the way they have played so far in the tournament but if they have a mare you’re going to lose big chasing a small return which isn’t the way I like to go about things. I’ve had a look at all the market and I’ve found one which has every chance of landing regardless of how well the Knight Riders do or don’t play.
That comes in the highest individual score where the 60.5 line looks a little high. We’ve had a high scoring match by the standards of this competition and a low scoring one between these two and nobody has scored 60 runs let alone more than that and with the strength of these two bowling attacks and the way they are bowling I’m not expecting that to change here. Realistically we’re looking at the top four in each side who can do the business and while there are some good players in there, only two of Trinbago’s top four have passed 60 this season and one of those in Munro is doubtful for this final. The only Zouks play to make 50 in this tournament is Roston Chase but he is unlikely to score quickly enough against this attack to reach 60 and above batting at four so the under looks like the way to go to me.
Tips
Back Highest Individual Score – Under 60.5 runs for a 3/10 stake at 1.83 with Bet365
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