CPL 2016, Match 4 Preview: St Kitts & Nevis Patriots aim to shrug off losing start against the Jamaica Tallawahs

St Kitts and Nevis Patriots will be aiming to brush off their losing start in the tournament when they Jamaica Tallawahs at their home ground – Warner Park, Basseterre. The home side suffered a 6 wickets loss at the hand of Guyana Amazon Warriors in their tournament opener. The Patriots like mentioned in the previous preview, are a potent side but must get their act together on the match if they expect to open their account in the points table.

The Jamaica Tallawahs after having struggled over the past two seasons to find consistency within will look forward to creating an impact right away after having cautioned their opponents in the tournament to expect a ‘ruthless’ brand of cricket.

St Kitts & Nevis Patriots

The St Kitts and Nevis Patriots openers – Lendl Simmons and Evin Lewis – were a complete blooper in the previous game. Jonathan Carter also was dismissed for a poor single digit score. The middle order shouldered the batting burden. Faf du Plessis, Brad Hodge, Devon Thomas all made handy contributions to save the team from a tricky position. Thisara did his bit with the bat was very expensive with the bat whereas Carlos Brathwaite was poor in both the departments.

An improved performance from the all-rounders will add strength. The bowling department has match-winners in it but weren’t at their best in the previous game. Krishmar Santokie was the only bowler who made his presence felt. World no.1 Samuel Badree was smoked to all corner at an economy of over 9 runs an over. All these facts talk about only one point; the side is very potent on paper but needs to put in a collective effort to help the team dominate the opposition.

Probable XI: Lendl Simmons, Evin Lewis, Jonathan Carter,  Faf du Plessis, Brad Hodge, Thisara Perera, Carlos Braithwaite, Tino Best, Samuel Badree, Tabraiz Shamsi, Krishmar Santokie

Jamaica Tallawahs

Coach Paul Nixon, who has returned after leading the franchise to its only title in 2013, has a whole news squad to look after this season. His presence will make a difference for sure. The squad has some really exciting batting talents in their ranks. The most promising name which one can spot is the young Australian T20 star Alex Ross who has garnered great appreciation for his batting skills back in his country.

The team also has the veterans Kumar Sangakkara, Shakib Al Hasan and Dale Steyn in their line-up. The biggest attraction tomorrow will be the biggest T20 superstar Chris Gayle. Fans will hope for the Jamaican giant to treat them with a blazing knock. Andre Russell will be another star to watch out for. Young local fast bowlers Oshan Thomas and Timroy Allen will also fancy their chances tomorrow.

Probable XI:

Chris Gayle, Chadwick Walton (WK), Kumar Sangakkara, Alex Ross, Jermaine Blackwood, Andre Russell, Shakib Al Hasan, Imad Wasim, Dale Steyn, Oshan Thomas, Timroy Allen

Pitch & conditions:

The previous game played at the venue saw an even contest between bat and ball. The weather will be pleasant. The skies are expected to be cloudy with a maximum temperature of 29 degrees.