CPL 2018 Qualifier 2: Trinbago Knight Riders vs St. Kitts and Nevis Patriots - Preview and Predicted Playing XI
Both St. Kitts and Nevis Patriots and Trinbago Knight Riders will aim to book last available berth for Caribbean Premier League final, when they face each other in the second qualifier of the CPL 2018 at the Brian Lara Stadium in Tarouba on Friday, September 14. Both teams have played ten matches against each other with the Riders leading the scoreline 7-3.
In their most recent clash on September 1, Trinbago Knight Riders got the better of the Patriots. After batting first, Trinbago posted 199/4 and then restricted the Patriots to 153/8 to win the game by 46 runs.
St. Kitts and Nevis Patriots
The Patriots would have been very pleased with their batting performance as they managed to chase down a stiff target of 192 set by the Tallawahs. They will be the more confident side going into this game due to their back to back wins in previous three games including Eliminator.
Batting: Chris Gayle has been their leading run-getter this CPL with 283 runs and the Patriots will be hoping that he returns to his explosive best. While Anton Devcich is coming off a quickfire 23-ball 50 against Jamaica Tallawahs. Both batsmen have been the backbone of Patriots batting lineup and will be expected to counter the Riders from the beginning.
The Patriots will also bank on the likes of Evin Lewis and Devon Thomas, both have a half-century against the Knight Riders in the previous encounters and will be expected to replicate it here.
Bowling: Ben Cutting has been the go-to bowlers for the Patriots this year. He has been their highest wicket taker with 12 wickets in 10 matches and will be expected to come up with a strong performance in this crunch game.
Sheldon Cottrell and Carlos Brathwaite both have 9 wickets apiece and the skipper will need these two to provide some early breakthroughs.
Expected Playing XI: Chris Gayle (C), Evin Lewis, Rassie van der Dussen, Sheldon Cottrell, Anton Devcich, Brandon King, Devon Thomas, Tabraiz Shamsi, Ben Cutting, Fabian Allen, and Carlos Brathwaite.
Trinbago Knight Riders
The Knight Riders are coming into this game after back to back defeats against Guyana Amazon Warriors. They lost nail-biting first qualifier against Warriors by two wickets. Though they will take some confidence from their splendid record against the Patriots, where they hold a clear edge.
Batting: Colin Munro has been the best batsman this CPL 2018. He is the season's leading run-getter with 470 runs and he even struck an unbeaten 76 in the most recent encounter against the Patriots. While Brendon McCullum is behind him with 261 runs and will be eager to make a mark in all important clash.
Except these two, Darren Bravo and Denesh Ramdin are the others in this line-up who can make a significant impact with the bat. While on his day, Sunil Narine can be a danger man with the bat as well.
Bowling: Fawad Ahmad with 18 wickets in 11 matches is currently the most successful bowler of the season and the leg-spinner is likely to pose the main threat to the Patriots. While the team will also expect strong contributions from Ali Khan, Sunil Narine and Dwayne Bravo and will need them to clinch some crucial wickets upfront.
Expected Playing XI: Dwayne Bravo (C), Sunil Narine, Kevon Cooper, Fawad Ahmed, Khary Pierre, Ali Khan, Brendon McCullum, Colin Munro, Denesh Ramdin, Colin Ingram and Darren Bravo.
Also see - CPL Most Wickets