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Hero CPL T20 cricket …Win tonight takes Warriors to play-offs
By Sean Devers
A win for the Warriors tonight in Jamaica over two-time Champions Tallawahs is the easiest
Kumar Sangakkara
route for them to qualify for the play-offs of the 2017 Hero CPL T20 cricket tournament but it is not the only one.
With Tallawahs, Patriots and Knight Riders assured of qualification, the race for the final play-off spot is now between Tridents and the Warriors. Tridents (before last night’s game against Stars) were on four points from seven matches and even if they win their three remaining games and Warriors beat Tallawahs in their last game tonight, the Warriors would advance.
Although both teams would finish on 10 points Warriors’ net run rate would be superior to Tridents. However, if Warriors lose tonight they will remain on eight points and will hope that Tridents lost to Stars last night or to Knight Riders and Patriots in their last two games.
If Tridents lose just once and the Warriors lose tonight then the South American Franchise will have to hope that Tridents’ victories are by close margins to maintain their higher net run rate.
So, with 29 wins and 21 losses from 51 CPL matches, Warriors’ best option is to win tonight but that will not be that easy since Tallawahs have only lost four of their 17 CLP matches at Sabina Park and they beat the Warriors, who panicked in the last over at Providence with eight to win and lost by two runs when they last met.
Glenn Phillips, the 20-year-old New Zealander made 51 while Guyanese Jonathon Foo (20 from 12 balls) and Lindl Simmons (20 from 24) supported as Tallawahs made 128-7. Steven Jacobs (2-18), Reyad Emrit (2-24) and Rashid Khan (2-38) were the main wicket-takers for the Warriors who were restricted to 126-4 off 20 overs as Chadwick Walton top-scored with 37 as Kesrick Williams captured 3-30.
This track at Sabina Park is similar to the Jamaican pitches of the 1980’s; hard, fast and bouncy with bounce and turn for the spinners but ‘true’ to bat on. Tallawahs pace quartette of the genuinely quick 20-year-old Jamaican Oshane Thomas, Pakistan’s experienced 36-year-old Mohammed Sami, left-arm Jamaican Krishmar Santokie and 27-year-old Vincentian Williams, the tournaments’ leading wicket-taker, should enjoy what is rated as the best track in the tournament.
Off-spinner Mahmudullah offers spin options for Sri Lankan Skipper Kumar Sangakkara who has been in majestic form with the bat with scores of 74 not out, 63 and 69 in his last three innings.
Apart from the elegant Sangakkara, Simmons, Phillips, Andre McCarty, the pugnacious Rovman Powell and Foo are all dangerous in this format while although over 80 catches have been floored this season, the Tallawahs, led by a couple of stupendous catches by Foo, were absolutely brilliant in the field in their win against Chris Gayle’s Patriots on Wednesday night when Thomas bowled with raw pace.
The Warriors were also victories in their last game, when left-arm Pakistani 32-year-old pacer Sohail Tanvir snatched 5-3 in the most economical spell in t20 cricket to bundle out the Tridents for 59 (Red Steel’s 52 v Tridents in B’dos in the lowest total in CPL). This was also the second best spell in the five-year history of CPL behind Shakib Al Hassan’s 6-6 for Tridents against Red Steel in 2013.
Tanvir is only behind Williams with 13 scalps and should relish the Sabina Park track as should Emrit Roshan Primus and 19-year-old Essequibian Kemo Paul. Leg-spinner Khan, who has not been at his best and left-arm Spinner Veerasammy Permaul could be the two spinners used.
While their bowlers have done a good job in limiting the opposition to small totals, their batsmen (with the exception of Walton, who returns to home turf and Trini Jason Mohammed) are yet to register a fifty so far.
Tanvir could again bat during the power-play overs while the Guyanese pair of Assad Fudadin and Gajanand Singh have batted well but failed to build on good starts. Wilting in pressure situations has been the Warriors batsmen’s main problem this season.
Wicket Keeper Luke Ronchi has played for both New Zealand and Australia where he lived for most of his life and should be at home on the hard and bouncy track tonight while Emrit, Primus, Paul and Permaul could all contribute with the bat for the Warriors who holds the record for the highest total in CPL (212-5 v Hawksbill) in 2014 in St Kitts.
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