CPL 2018 Match 15 : St Lucia Stars vs Guyana Amazon Warriors Preview and Playing XI
St Lucia Stars will look to return to their winning ways when they go up against table toppers Guyana Amazon Warriors in the 15th game of the CPL 2018 at the Darren Sammy National Cricket Stadium in Gros Islet, St Lucia on Friday, August 24. Both teams have played ten matches against each other in the Caribbean Premier League. Among those the Stars have won just three and the Warriors have won seven.
In their most recent clash, Guyana pipped St Lucia by three runs in the fourth game of the ongoing season. After being put into Bat first Guyana posted a moderate 141/4 in their 20 overs. In replySt Lucia started off their chase really well before a middle-order collapse saw them fall short by three runs in the end.
Guyana Amazon Warriors
Guyana are leading the points table with six points comprising three wins and a solitary defeat from four league matches. They beat St Kitts and Nevis Patriots and St Lucia Stars in their first two fixtures before facing a 30-run thrashing against Barbados Tridents. The Warriors then bounced back in the tournament, beating Jamaica Tallawahs by a massive margin of 71 runs in their last match. Barring that game against the Tridents,
Batting: Shimron Hetmyer blasted a ton in just 49 balls in the previous game against Jamaica Tallawahs. While Skipper Shoaib Malik too cracked a fifty to propel the Warriors to a match-winning total of 209. Apart from these two, the team will also hope for strong contributions from Chadwick Walton and Luke Ronchi who scored 42 in the reverse encounter.
Bowling: Tahir has been outstanding in this year's CPL and is Warriors leading wicket-taker with six wickets in four games. While his partner Emrit took three wickets against the Stars earlier this season and he could trouble them again. Except these two the team will also bank on likes of Chris green to make early inroads into St Lucia lineup.
Expected Playing XI: Shoaib Malik (C), Sherfane Rutherford, Jason Mohammed, Chris Green, Keemo Paul, Rayad Emrit, Devendra Bishoo, Imran Tahir, Chadwick Walton, Luke Ronchi and Shimron Hetmyer.
St Lucia Stars
On the flipside, Stars are lying at the bottom of the points table with just two points in six matches. They are finding it very difficult to get themselves off the bottom of the points table. They will go into this game low on confidence and still reeling from that embarrassing defeat in their last match. While St Lucia are also under tremendous pressure as they now need to win their remaining four fixtures to have any chance of making it past the league stage.
Batting: Skipper Kieron Pollard is among season's leading run-getters with 243 runs and can be very difficult to contain once he gets going. While David Warner has scored an unbeaten 72 against Trinbago Knight Riders and Fletcher too recently smashed 80 against Barbados Tridents. These three form a clinical batting lineup and have ability to thrash any lineup on their day.
Bowling: Mitchell McClenaghan has been the Stars' most successful bowler so far with seven wickets in six matches. While Afghanistan leg-spinner Qaid Ahmad claimed a three-wicket haul in the reverse fixture against Guyana and the team will want him to replicate that performance here.
Expected Playing XI: Kieron Pollard (C), Darren Sammy, Qais Ahmad, Kavem Hodge, Mitchell McClenaghan, Kesrick Williams, Obed McCoy, Andre Fletcher, David Warner, Rahkeem Cornwall and Lendl Simmons