CPL 2020 | Second semi-final - Guyana Amazon Warriors vs St Lucia Zouks - Statistical Preview

ByFun88, SportsCafe Editor

09/07/2020

After both Guyana and St Lucia concluded the league phase with equal points, they will lock horns in the second semi-final of the CPL 2020 . St Lucia Zouks will need to punch above their weight if they have to knock-out the five-time CPL finalists Guyana, who have a very well-balanced side.

Form Guide

Guyana Amazon Warriors- W W W W L

After having won just two games out of six at the halfway stage, the Chris Green-led Guyana side have made a triumphant comeback smashing every team en route to the semi-finals of the tournament. Currently, on a four-match winning streak, GAW have played like a champion side and given they have peaked at just about the right time, they will finally look to go strong in their pursuit of the maiden CPL title, after having reached five finals out of seven. Given their impressive record against SLZ, they will be the favourites to win the game.

St Lucia Zouks- W L L W W

Daren Sammy-led St Lucia Zouks have functioned like a well-oiled machine this time around, which in turn helped them make it to the final four for the first time since 2016. Having won four games of the first six, STZ have blown hot and cold in the last four, winning and losing two games apiece but fortunately for them, they overcame the Jamaica Tallawahs in their last game, which should boost up their confidence going into the semi-final. STZ will be a dark horse as they look to turn around their horrendous head-to-head record against GAW, against whom they have lost six out of eight games, thus far.

Key Batsmen

Guyana Amazon Warriors - Shimron Hetmyer

After starting the CPL with a bang (63* and 71), the dangerous Shimron Hetmyer faded with time disappointing one and all. But the southpaw made a brilliant comeback with his 56 when last time both Guyana and St Lucia clashed at Tarouba, helping his side chase down 110 runs with the utmost ease. The Cumberland-born batsman also starred with the bat (32* runs) for his side against Barbados Tridents in their last game, chasing a modest total. Despite a string of low-scores which stretched to six games in between, Hetmyer has been Guyana's top-run-scorer with 267 runs at 38.14 with a strike-rate of 126.54. The middle-order batter will be key to his side's hopes in the big game against SLZ.

St Lucia Zouks- Roston Chase

Najibullah Zadran might have played a brilliant cameo in SLZ's last game against JT, but Chase also did his bit with 32 runs to continue his impressive display in the ongoing CPL 2020. The West Indies middle-order batsman has been the leading run-scorer for St Lucia with 203 runs at 40.60. SLZ haven't had a very good batting campaign but Chase's consistency has turned out to be crucial for a bowling heavy Daren Sammy-side, which earlier defended the lowest-ever-total of 92 runs against Tridents. The 28-year-old has been one of the protagonists with his all-round displays and will be significant in St Lucia's quest to topple Guyana.

Key Bowlers

Guyana Amazon Warriors- Imran Tahir

If the wickets are helping spinners, and you have a certain Imran Tahir, then there will be in numerous times when his classic celebrations will be upon exhibition as he has the experience and skill-set to make batsmen dance to his tunes. With 3/12 against Tridents in the last game, the South African leg-spinner drew level with Mujeeb Ur Rahman to jointly top the wicket-taking charts in CPL 2020. Tahir has 15 scalps in 10 games with an exceptional economy of 5.51. The veteran spinner had figures of 1/10 and 3/22 in this year's CPL against St Lucia Zouks and will be a significant cog in Guyana's pursuit of reaching yet another final.

St Lucia Zouks- Mohammad Nabi

While Kuggeleijn (14) and Williams (13) have taken more wickets than Nabi for St Lucia Zouks, it has been his miserly economy of 5.35, which when coupled with his tally of 11 wickets in 10 games, makes him the X-factor for SLZ in the semi-final encounter. Not only Nabi has contributed with the white cherry in hand, he has also made 154 runs at the second-best strike-rate- 126.22 for his side, minimum of 100 runs. The Afghanistan all-rounder took his maiden fifer of the CPL, few games back and will look to replicate his Midas touch with the ball in the second semi-final against Guyana, who have a dangerous batting line-up comprising of Shimron Hetmyer and Nicholas Pooran.

Given the tremendous balance and presence of some T20 superstars like Pooran, Hetmyer and Tahir in GAW, it will be one heck of a challenge for Daren Sammy's men to overcome them. Fun 88 predicts GAW to beat SLZ in the second semi-final of CPL 2020.

Fun88 Predictions

Predicted XI

Guyana Amazon Warriors: Brandon King, Chandrapaul Hemraj, Shimron Hetmyer, Ross Taylor, Nicholas Pooran (wk), Sherfane Rutherford, Chris Green (c), Romario Shepherd, Keemo Paul, Naveen-ul-Haq, Imran Tahir.

St Lucia Zouks: Andre Fletcher (wk), Rahkeem Cornwall, Mark Deyal, Roston Chase, Najibullah Zadran, Mohammad Nabi, Daren Sammy (c), Scott Kuggeleijn, Obed McCoy, Kesrick Williams, Zahir Khan.

Venue: Brian Lara Stadium, Tarouba, Trinidad

When to watch: September 9, 3:00 AM IST

Where to watch: Star Sports Network and Fan Code