CPL 2020 | Barbados Tridents vs Guyana Amazon Warriors - Statistical Preview

By1XBet, SportsCafe Editor

09/03/2020

Barbados Tridents will take on Guyana Amazon Warriors in match 26 of CPL 2020 on Thursday, in what will be the beginning of a bunch of ‘sudden death’ matches. While a victory for Guyana will seal their place in the semi-finals, a defeat for the Tridents will see them bow out of the competition.

Form Guide

Barbados Tridents - L L L W L

It is incredibly hard to put the finger on what has gone wrong for the Tridents, but, thus far, CPL 2020 has been a tournament to forget for the Jason Holder-led side. Entering the tournament as defending champions, the Tridents won their first game in emphatic fashion, but astoundingly, lost six of their next seven matches. This rut has seen them lay helpless in fifth spot and you imagine anything but a miracle wouldn’t suffice from hereon.

Guyana Amazon Warriors - W W W L L

After an uncharacteristically shaky start, the Warriors are back to doing what they do best - win matches in a flurry. Four losses in the first six matches put the five-time finalists in a spot of bother, but the Chris Green-led side have not looked back after downing the Patriots in Match 20, after which they’ve maintained a 100% win record. Having also won the previous H2H encounter this season versus the Tridents, Guyana will undoubtedly walk into Thursday’s contests as firm favourites.

Key Batsmen

Barbados Tridents - Johnson Charles

Barbados’ batting has been a trainwreck this season, and the same was epitomized in the side’s game versus the Zouks four days ago, where they bafflingly failed to chase down 92. But a rare shining light for the defending champions this season has been opener Johnson Charles, who has particularly been dominant in the powerplays. With 204 runs to his name, Charles is the second-highest run-getter for the Tridents this season, but it’s his positive approach up-front with the bat that has often raised doubts in the mind of the opponents. He did top score for his side the last time they put up a ‘decent’ total on the board, so it goes without saying that he will hold the key today, once again.

Guyana Amazon Warriors - Shimron Hetmyer

After a barren run with the bat during the mid-half of the season, Shimron Hetymer catapulted into form on Wednesday with a fine, unbeaten 56 versus the Zouks. Hetmyer showcased sheer ruthlessness in his knock, striking a total of nine boundaries, and it was a much-needed knock for the Warriors, who were heavily reliant on Pooran prior to the 23-year-old’s masterclass. Thanks to Hetmyer being the kind of batsman who rides on momentum, his 56* on Wednesday renders him the favourite to top score yet again today.

Key Bowlers

Barbados Tridents - Rashid Khan

It is hard to keep champions quiet for long and so, unsurprisingly, after enduring a rough start to the tournament, Rashid has bounced back in the latter half of the season. In each of the Tridents’ last three matches, the leggie has been his side’s pick of the bowlers and really, it is the ineptness of the Tridents batsmen that have rendered Rashid’s economical spells ineffective. 1/21, 1/17 and 1/21 read Rashid’s last three spells in the tournament and on Thursday, once again, the 21-year-old will be a hot favourite to keep his good run going.

Guyana Amazon Warriors - Naveen-ul-Haq

In a tournament dominated by spin, Afghanistan’s Naveen-ul-Haq has been head and shoulders above every other pacer in the competition and his variations, on slow and low wickets, have proved to be a nightmare for the batsmen to handle. He will enter the clash on Thursday as the most in-form bowler in the competition, having picked up 6 wickets in his last 2 matches, and it was only in the last H2H clash against the Tridents that the youngster walked away with the ‘Man of the Match’ award after claiming a fine four-wicket haul. As things stand, it is a no-brainer to splash the cash on the 21-year-old and back him to come good.

1XBet Predictions

Although the outcome seems pretty straightforward, it would be preposterous to bet on the Tridents to trump the Warriors. Taking both form and history into account, 1XBet predicts the Warriors to get the better of the Tridents on Thursday.

Predicted XIs

GAW - Brandon King, C Hemraj, Shimron Hetmyer, Ross Taylor, Nicholas Pooran(WK), Sherfane Rutherford, Keemo Paul, Chris Green(C), Ashmead Nedd, Naveen-ul-Haq, and Imran Tahir.

BT - Johnson Charles, Shai Hope (wk), Corey Anderson, Kyle Mayers, Jason Holder (c), Ashley Nurse, Raymon Reifer, Nyeem Young, Mitchell Santner, Rashid Khan, Hayden Walsh

Venue: Brian Lara Stadium, Tarouba, Trinidad

When to Watch: Sep 02, 3.00 AM IST

Where to Watch: Star Sports Network and Fan Code