Guyana Amazon Warriors and Trinidad and Tobago Red Steel will today strive for a performance that eclipses their previous best at this year’s Caribbean Premier League as both sides fight for a place in the final of this year’s tournament at Queen’s Park Oval.
Both teams met in the final league match of this year’s competition and the Amazon Warriors came out on top after an impressive victory which was founded on the penetration of their bowling attack, headlined by Marchant de Lange claiming 4-23 as the paceman capitalised on the stranglehold imposed by spinners Veerasammy Permaul, Devendra Bishoo and Sunil Narine.
Lendl Simmons also led the charge from the top of the order in that game, lashing out to strike 65 while Brad Hodge also gave added impulse to the innings with 33 from 25 balls. Hodge can change the dynamic of an innings and no player in the Guyana side can score as quickly as the Australian, and his contribution could well prove pivotal in Saturday’s vital match-up.
Despite losing to the Amazon Warriors less than a week ago, the Red Steel are still very much a resurgent side and Dwayne Bravo’s team this time have the advantage of playing in front of a home crowd, who will be buoyed by a fine recent victory in their elimator against Jamaica Tallawahs.
Captain Dwayne Bravo continues to lead by example, and his bowling figures of 5-23 against the Tallawahs were the best of this year’s competition. He now has 23 victims so far; comprehensively more than any other bowler.
And while one Bravo is shining with the ball, another is making a big impression with the bat. Darren Bravo has been in fine recent form and the batter hit his biggest score of the tournament so far against the Tallawahs.
Speaking after their dramatic play-off victory over Jamaica Tallawahs, Red Steel captain Dwayne
Bravo said: “We all enjoyed Darren batting and he is peaking at the right time. This was another match-winning innings and it is very important for us as a team for our best
batter to be amongst the runs.”
The match-up between this firebrand batting and the economy of the Amazon Warriors bowling unit is just one area which makes this winner-takes-all game as compelling as it is pivotal. (CPL website)
