CPL 2018: Match 26, Match Prediction- Who will win the match, St Kitts and Nevis Patriots or Barbados Tridents?

The first dead rubber of this year’s Caribbean Premier League (CPL) will be played between St Kitts and Nevis Patriots and Barbados Tridents in St Kitts. Both teams were required to win their respective last matches in order to stay alive in the tournament and it was eventually the Patriots who held their nerves and qualified for the playoffs, which will get underway on September 11.

Moreover, Chris Gayle’s men also have the opportunity to top the points table if they manage to roll their opponent over in the upcoming encounter. The Tridents, on the contrary, having lost five consecutive defeats at home, would hope for a change in fortune in their fourth away match. Jason Holder and Co have nothing, but pride to play in their penultimate match of the event.

Pitch

The track at Warner Park, Basseterre has been conducive to effortless stroke-making in the last few matches and the next encounter is likely to witness another batting paradise. Yet another time, the bowlers won’t have much room for error as the batsmen would be trying to pounce on anything and everything on a wicket, which has peanuts to offer to the bowlers.

Team Combination

St Kitts and Nevis Patriots

The Patriots won’t want to disturb their winning combination. Chris Gayle and Evin Lewis are the opening batsmen. Rassie van der Dussen played a fluent knock in his second match in the event and would want to carry on. The bowlers were found wanting in the previous and would be desperate to hit their straps at the earliest before the start of the playoffs.

Predicted XI

Chris Gayle (C), Evin Lewis, Rassie van der Dussen, Ben Cutting, Mahmudullah, Devon Thomas, Carlos Brathwaite, Anton Devcich, Fabian Allen, Sheldon Cottrell, Alzarri Joseph

Barbados Tridents

The Tridents are likely to give their benched players an opportunity in the next match. Indian-born Sunny Sohal may be drafted in place of Shamar Springer and left-arm pacer Dominic Drakes may come in place of Imran Khan, who was taken to the cleaners by the St Lucia Stars’ batsmen. Holder’s men only focus would now be to end their campaign on a positive note.

Predicted XI

Dwayne Smith, Martin Guptill, Hashim Amla, Shai Hope, Sunny Sohal, Nicholas Pooran (wk), Jason Holder (C), Ashley Nurse, Dominic Drakes, Wahab Riaz, Mohammad Irfan

Probable top performers

Chris Gayle- St Kitts and Nevis Patriots, Mohammad Irfan- Barbados Tridents

The prediction is for St Kitts and Nevis Patriots to win the match.