The Caribbean Premier League returns from a day off on Tuesday night when the CPL 2024 campaign is back at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium for the clash between the Antigua and Barbuda Falcons and the St Lucia Kings.
This match carries some serious importance for the Falcons. This is their penultimate home game of the season and they are yet to win so defeat here will leave them with a lot of work to do on their travels. St Lucia have a win under their belt so can play with a bit more freedom in this one.
Antigua and Barbuda Falcons
The Antigua and Barbuda Falcons were always going to be under pressure right from the start in this competition with it being their home leg of the event and up to now they have succumbed to it and not made the most of the advantage that they have. We know from having seen this competition through the years that maximising the home leg of the season is paramount to finishing high up the table so the Falcons are in desperate need of a win here.
The Falcons only lost their opening two matches on the final ball of the game, although they were beaten much more comfortably than that in the first one, but they were taken to the cleaners by the Barbados Royals last time out in the sort of sobering defeat that could leave them searching for answers and getting a bit panicky. They just have to bat so much better than they have done in the tournament so far if they want a result here.
St Lucia Kings
The St Lucia Kings have only played one match in the tournament but they came out on top in it and as we keep on saying away wins in this competition are particularly important because they can often be hard to come by. If they can pick up a second victory away from the Daren Sammy Stadium then they will be in a really good early position in the table before they think about returning home and looking to capitalise on their early success.
The Kings could easily have lost that match in St Kitts having been faced with a 200+ run chase in their opening game of the competition but their batters held their nerve under the scoreboard pressure to come through and win with a fair bit in hand. That will certainly give them confidence moving forward because their home ground is one of the better batting tracks in the Caribbean. They would like their bowlers to offer up a better outing here though.
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Key Players
A lot of people in West Indies cricket are getting quite excited about Jewel Andrew and twice in the three matches that Antigua and Barbuda Falcons have played we have seen exactly why. He is the one batter who looks like he is hitting the ball sweetly.
David Wiese delivered an excellent all-round display in the opening game for the St Lucia Kings with two wickets with the ball in hand as well as 34 from just 20 balls to make the run chase a formality when it came to having to bat. Another big performance from him here would give the visitors every chance.
Betting
I like the St Lucia Kings in this match. I’m not always a fan of backing away sides in this competition but there hasn’t been a huge amount in the Antigua and Barbuda Falcons side that has impressed me. I don’t think they are going great with the bat and they look a little light with the ball to me as well. They also look to be getting worse rather than better and even when they have got into a winning position they have failed to get the job done.
The St Lucia Kings will have taken so much from their win over the St Kitts and Nevis Patriots. To chase a score of that magnitude down so early in the competition bodes very well for them and if they are given a run chase here they will feel confident of getting the job done. There is enough in their bowling unit to suggest that they can defend totals as well when they have a score on the board so I like the Kings to win and cover a relatively small handicap.
Tips
Back St Lucia Kings (-3.5wickets/9.5runs) to beat Antigua and Barbuda Falcons for a 3/10 stake at 1.91 with Bet365
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