FANTASY
Follow UsTwo-time Caribbean Premier League (CPL) champions Jamaica Tallawahs will begin their 2021 campaign against last year's finalists St. Lucia Kings (previously St. Lucia Zouks) in the third match of the season. Tallawahs will look to put their last season's disappointment of finishing fifth behind them against an equally-strong Kings under the leadership of Faf du Plessis at the Warner Park on Friday.
Head-to-Head Record
Total: 15 | Tallawahs: 9 wins | St. Lucia: 6 wins
Last five matches: St Lucia: 3 wins | Tallawahs: 2 wins
Ground Details and Team Combination
The Warner Park in St. Kitts has offered even contests between the bat and ball over the past few years. Since 2018, the venue has hosted 14 T20 matches where the first innings score has been 166 with pacers getting a lot of help from the surface. Fast bowlers have claimed 98 wickets from 48 innings at a run rate of 8.9 and an average of 27.8. The spinners, have a slightly better economy of 8 and average of 26.6 having claimed 47 wickets in this period.
Suggest Teams
While you could go for the above team, you also have the option of choosing your own team from Cricket.com’s Fantasy Research Centre. You can use this tool to build your team with the help of algorithms. Based on your preferences, the platform will guide you to create the ideal fantasy XI.
Captaincy Suggestion
Faf du Plessis, who has replaced King's current assistant coach Darren Sammy as the captain, has been in sensational form in the first phase of IPL 2021 earlier this year with 320 runs from seven innings at an average of 64 and a strike rate of 145.4. The experienced South African is crucial for the Kings' top-order which has been the best batting unit in the powerplay last season.
Our Criclytics Players Projector predicts Du Plessis could score 30-46 runs in this match
X-Factors
Obed McCoy is building his reputation as a slow-ball expert, a skill which has become lethal in franchise cricket. The left-arm pacer is West Indies' best bowler this year with 18 wickets from 10 matches with 14 of them coming in the recent series against South Africa and Australia.
Our Criclytics Players Projector predicts McCoy could pick 2-3 wickets in this match
Tim David has been building his reputation as a finisher with his performances in franchise leagues across the globe. The Singaporean has an impressive average of 49.78 while batting in the middle overs while batting at a strike rate of 144. He provides a safety net for the Kings in case of a top-order collapse.
Our Criclytics Players Projector predicts David could score 18-26 runs in this match
Big things will be expected from Andre Russell who has been the best batsman at the death in CPL 2020 with 183 off 100 balls, where he hit 14 boundaries and 16 sixes in just six innings. The all-rounder, despite his inconsistent form this year, has still batted at a strike of 180 in the final five overs scoring a whopping 234 runs form 130 balls, which include 23 sixes and 11 fours.
Our Criclytics Players Projector predicts Russell could score 15-23 runs in this match
Player Match-Ups:
Tallawahs' new signing from Trinbago Knight Riders Chris Green will be raring to go up against opener Andre Fletcher who has blown hot and cold this year. The pacer has claimed the wicket of the Windies opener twice in the last season and repeating it will be crucial for the Tallawahs to prevent a big score.
Here are the top-10 picks as per Criclytics projected points -
Probable XIs:
Jamaica Tallawahs: Rovman Powell (C), Jason Mohammed, Haider Ali, Shamarh Brooks, Chadwick Walton(WK), Andre Russell, Carlos Brathwaite, Migael Pretorius, Chris Green, Qais Ahmad, Fidel Edwards.
St. Lucia Kings: Faf du Plessis(C), Andre Fletcher(WK), Rahkeem Cornwall, Mark Deyal, Roston Chase, Tim David, Alzarri Joseph, Obed McCoy, Usman Qadir, Wahab Riaz, Kesrick Williams.
