The new Caribbean Premier League season begins on Thursday and we have a double header of action to kick CPL 2021 into life. The first game of the two sees the Guyana Amazon Warriors taking on the defending champions Trinbago Knight Riders.
These two sides are regulars at the business end of the tournament but only one of them will be able to get their campaign off to a winning start and both will be eager to lay a marker down right from the beginning of the season.
Guyana Amazon Warriors
The Guyana Amazon Warriors finished second in the table last season but that didn’t help them when it came to making the final as they were defeated by the St Lucia Zouks in the semi-final. The positive for the Amazon Warriors is that by and large they have kept the key players that did so well for them last season with the exception of Ross Taylor and Keemo Paul but the return of the Pakistan pair of Mohammad Hafeez and Shoaib Malik offset that.
On the face of it at least, the Amazon Warriors look very strong with the bat and that batting unit will probably enjoy being away from the sluggish conditions in Guyana. It remains to be seen whether they will be as strong with the ball, especially in these conditions in St Kitts, but if they are then they might be tough to beat this season. They certainly don’t lack for spin options which is likely to be good as the campaign goes on but perhaps not here.
Trinbago Knight Riders
The Trinbago Knight Riders didn’t just win the title last season but they won all 12 matches that they played in one of the most dominant performances ever seen in a franchise competition. They won their 10 group matches and then both knockout games so will be hoping that this isn’t a case of unlucky 13 for them. Although that run was impressive it should be pointed out that the whole of last season was played in Trinidad so they had the advantage of knowing the conditions.
The Knight Riders will need to do without Dwayne Bravo this season which will be a big loss to overcome but Sunil Narine only played five matches last term so they are likely to get more from him this term. Fawad Ahmed was their leading wicket taker in the previous campaign but he has followed Bravo to St Kitts and Nevis so Trinbago are going to have to do without him, but there is no shortage of spin options for them.
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Key Men
Nicholas Pooran has the capabilities of taking a match away from any team with his explosiveness so if the new ball can be negotiated and a platform built the Guyana Amazon Warriors should really enjoy himself in this opening match.
Nobody scored more runs last season than Lendl Simmons and the West Indies opening batsman will be eager to start this campaign strongly too. There is no shortage of runners to partner Evin Lewis at the World T20 and this is an immediate chance for Simmons to make his claim.
Betting
These two met in the opening match of last season and the Trinbago Knight Riders came out on top on that occasion. It might well be that the 2021 campaign begins in the same fashion but I would like to see how the Trinbago bowling goes without Fawad Ahmed and Dwayne Bravo before I commit to them in this event. I wouldn’t want to go against a side as strong as the Knight Riders though so I’m off to the side markets for a punt in the opening game.
I have to think that in the first game of a tournament that has 33 matches which is going to test the quality of the square out over the course of the event, that the early pitches will play pretty well here, especially this one as it is the opening match of the season and there will be another game on come on this pitch later in the day. That makes me think we’re in for a few sixes to start things off here. There are no shortage of six hitters in these two sides and Warner Park is probably the smallest ground in the Caribbean so everything is set up for the ball to fly in this opening game.
Tips
Back Over 13.5 sixes for a 3/10 stake at 1.80 with Bet365
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