Having already qualified for the playoffs of the HERO Caribbean Premier League, Guyana Amazon Warriors will look to extend their lead at the top of the table when they battle St. Lucia Zouks tonight.
The two sides have had contrasting fortunes heading into the match with Warriors winning their six matches while the Zouks have suffered four defeats and a no result from their six encounters (barring last night’s result against St. Kitts and Nevis Patriots).
The result is that the Zouks are nervously positioned at the penultimate spot on the table and will need to win every match hereon to qualify.
For the Zouks, tonight’s all-important clash at the Darren Sammy Stadium from 18.00 hours should usher in a drastic turnaround in performance from their players.
Rahkeem Cornwall has been the only batsman to show any consistency. He strikes at a rate of 229 and has scored 165 runs so far in the competition with a best of 75.
Only Andre Fletcher (105 runs at a strike rate of 103) and Colin de Grandhomme (100 runs at a strike rate of 135), have scored 100 runs or more.
A lot will be expected of Colin Ingram, who, after just two games into the season, has already chalked up a half century while the skipper, Darren Sammy will need to improve his strike rate which at the moment is less than a run-a-ball. Sammy has not found form with the ball either, bowling only two overs so far this season.
Their bowling department has been strengthened by the inclusion of South African seamer, Hardus Viljoen who can provide stability to the side.
He will complement speedster, Obed McCoy, the leading wicket-taker in the side with nine scalps, along with Kesrick Williams and leg-spinner, Fawad Ahmed. Apart from these three, no other bowler has made an impact in the Zouks including Cornwall.
Guyanese-born Christopher Barnwell may be given the nod against familiar opponents. However, in his three matches he bowled a single over and scored 13 runs in two innings.
Warriors on the other hand continue to surge with a settled line-up. Their top four batsmen have all gotten among the runs with the foundation continuously being set by their opening pair of Chandrapaul Hemraj and Brandon King. King leads the way with 194 runs inclusive of two half centuries along with a strike rate of 148 while Hemraj has notched up 158 runs but will want to improve on his strike rate which sits at 113.
Skipper, Shoaib Malik has been the linchpin of the batting while ‘batting director,’ Shimron Hetmyer has shown glimpses of excellence. The duo have both scored 150 runs so far and provide the perfect middle order for an explosive lower order.
Nicholas Pooran, who is 57 runs away from becoming the 15th player with 100 runs and a strike rate of 167, Sherfane Rutherford (211 strike rate) and Keemo Paul (159 strike rate) have all launched Warriors into totals that their formidable bowling can easily defend.
Off-spinner, Chris Green is the tournament’s leading bowler with 10 scalps and an economy rate of under seven. The Warriors, on any day, have played five quality bowlers including seamers, Paul and Romario Shepherd who have both taken eight wickets so far and leg-spinning twins, Qais Ahmad and Imran Tahir.
They can also mix and match with Hemraj offering his left-arm spin and Malik contributing his off-break as well as Rutherford with his medium pace.
Since the tournament began, Warriors have featured a fairly settled line up but with the four-time runners-up already qualifying, it would be interesting to see if they decide to give their bench a go.
On the bench is West Indies B skipper, Anthony Bramble who was also recently drafted into the West Indies T20 side along with country man, Clinton Pestano who has proven himself as a useful all-rounder. Veteran left-arm spinner, Veerasammy Permaul is yet to feature in this edition but could make an appearance.
Also on the bench is the experienced Ben Laughlin who can provide that extra boost if the pitch favours fast bowling while developmental player, Keagan Simmons is also there.
