Three bets that can help you earn big in the final of CPL 2020

ByVirat Gill, SportsCafe Editor

09/10/2020

After 32 enthralling bout, we finally have our finalists, in the form of TKR and SLZ. The enchanting journey of Daren Sammy's SLZ basked in glory in the semi-finals as they bulldozed GAW while for the unconquered TKR, it was like a stroll in the park to crush JT and make it to the grand finale.

Highest opening partnership - SLZ @ 2.10

Form Guide

TKR- 14, 54, 12

SLZ- 56, 25, 25

Head-to-head

TKR- 12, 0

SLZ- 25, 24

Head-to-Head at the venue

TKR- 12

SLZ- 25

Despite boasting a relatively weak-batting line-up in comparison to TKR, SLZ’s openers have provided good starts in the last three games and have now picked up momentum, peaking at just about the right time, which is what matters as well, leading into big games. SLZ openers have averaged 35.3 in the last three matches, which is far better than TKR's 26.6. In the second semi-final against Guyana Amazon Warriors, St Lucia openers stole the show after they followed the team's incredible bowling performance with a 56-run-opening-stand in just 27 deliveries to wrap up the game. Mark Deyal and Raheem Cornwall will go with a lot of confidence in the finale.

In comparison, TKR finally had Sunil Narine and Lendl Simmons opening after a gap of four games in the first semi-final against Jamaica Tallawahs but they could manage merely 14 runs as Narine showed rustiness with the bat. Be it in the head-to-head games between TKR and SLZ, overall, or their only game at the Brian Lara Stadium, SLZ openers have scored more and done a better job than TKR’ openers and after their fiery opening stand in the last game, they will be pumped to replicate the same on the big day of the finale of the CPL 2020.

Highest Individual Score- Under 60.5 @ 1.83

Form Guide

TKR- 54, 41, 50

SLZ- 32, 35, 42

Head-to-head

TKR- 50, 30

SLZ - 42, 23

Head-to-Head at the venue

TKR- 50

SLZ- 42

Highest score at the venue in last three games- 32, 54, 49

CPL 2020 has been a fairly low-scoring tournament with pitches favoring spinners and life being very difficult for batsmen. To put things into perspective, in the 2019 CPL, there were 29 scores of 60 runs or more, which have come down to a staggering low of 13, this time around. When we talk about batsmen from both teams, they have made a combined tally of four 60-plus-scores thus far in the event. Both the semi-final games which were played at the same venue, and the games turned out to be low-scoring.

In the last three games, not even a single batsman has touched the 60-run-mark at the Brian Lara Stadium. Be it in the head-to-head encounters between both the teams this season or their only game against each other at Tarouba, no one made 60 or more. Even in the last three respective games of both the sides, none of the batsmen breached the 60-run-mark. The tournament finale is always the most important game and brings a lot of pressure and with the pitch already being heavily used in the last few games, it would be difficult to score 60 runs or more for any batsman.

Total runs in the game- Under 288.5 @ 1.83

Form Guide

TKR- 218, 155, 327

SLZ- 111, 279, 327

Head-to-Head- 327, 183

Head-to-head at the venue- 327

Last three games at the venue- 111, 218, 279

As the semi-finals suggested, it is going to be a grind to score runs on a sluggish track at the Brian Lara Stadium. Both the chasing sides in the semi-finals, TKR and SLZ, won the game after being set targets of 108 and 56 runs respectively. The wicket looks tired, is assisting spin and the ball isn't coming on to the bat, and with the pressure of the big final, where all these factors will get combined, it looks a complex task that the match aggregate will surpass the 288 run-mark.

In the last three games, the highest aggregate in any game has been 279. When it comes to the last three games of the respective sides, TKR and SLZ, only once the total of 288 runs was crossed and it was when both the teams met each other. But given both the teams have formidable bowling attacks, and there is so much at stake, unlike last time, it seems unlikely that the final will be a high-scoring encounter. All the odds indicate towards a low-scoring final on September 10 at the Brian Lara Stadium, Tarouba, Trinidad.