Hero CPL T20 Cricket final set for tonight Tallawahs & Royal face-off at Providence

Sep 30, 2022 Sports

By Sean Devers

Kaieteur News – Jamaica Tallawahs and Barbados Royals have been arguable the best teams in the 10^th Edition of the Hero CPL and tonight, on a Providence track which has been very good for batting, they will face-off for the coveted title from 7PM (ECT) and 6PM in Jamaica.

The good track and lightning fast outfield is ready for tonight’s showdown and although the Warriors are not involved, tickets have already been sold out so large turn-out is anticipated to watch what should be an epic battle unfold under what Guyana’s Met Office predicts will a clear night sky.

Overall these two teams have battled each other on 19 occasions with Barbados winning 10 times, Jamaica 8 while the other one ended in a no-result.

This season they have faced each other twice; Royals winning by eight wickets in St Lucia and Tallawahs winning six runs on the DLS in Trinidad.

This will be Barbados’ fourth final having won titles in 2014 & 2019, while Jamaica will be in their third final after beating Guyana in the inaugural final in 2013 and getting past Barbados in 2016 final.

Usually favouring spin, the Providence track is very good to bat on this time around with the three highest totals for this season being scored in the Guyana-leg including the only 200 plus total of 226-4 made by the Tallawahs to deny the Warriors a spot in their sixth final.

The only three centuries this season have also been made here but the pitch also has ‘something’ for the bowlers,

With many Guyanese ‘rooting’ for the Tallawahs, the contest should a riveting one with the Tallawahs having two of the three centurions in their side in Brandon King; the second most runs scorer with 339 and Shamarah Brooks whose classy unbeaten 109 silenced a capacity partisan crowd on Wednesday night.

The Jamaican Franchise have in their batting line-up, Skipper Rovman Powell, Kennar Lewis, Ramon Reifer, Mohammed Nabi, Fabian Allen, Imad Wasim and Chris Green.

Barbados Royals captain Kyle Mayers and Jamaica Tallawahs captain Rovman Powell with the Hero CPL trophy on the eve of the 2022 final in Providence, Guyana tonight. (Getty/CPLT20)

Tonight’s game is being played on the same pitch used for Qualifier 2 and the Tallawahs should have the psychological advantage.

Jamaica’s bowling will be led by Nicolson Gordon, Reifer, Nabi, Green, Allen, Wasim and Mohammed Amir who suffered a groin injury in Wednesday’s game he could be replaced by South African Migael Pretorius.

Royals, who finished at the bottom last season, have lost just two of the 11 games on the road to tonight’s final and have dominated the tournament despite losing David Miller and Quinton de Kock for the Guyana-leg.

Their batting will depend on Kyle Mayers, third on the list of run-scorers with 337, while the big hitting Rakeem Cornwall, Harry Tector, Devon Thomas, Azam Khan and Jason Holder are expected to support.

The Royals are a more balanced unit since Holder and Obed McCoy has 16 scalps each while together with Ramon Simmons Mujeed and Hayden Walsh their bowling attack is strong.

The toss could be important also since the dew factor and scoreboard pressure has to be taken into account.

Barbados Royals (probable): Kyle Mayers, Rahkeem Cornwall, Harry Tector, Azam Khan, Najibullah Zadran, Devon Thomas, Jason Holder, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Obed McCoy, Hayden Walsh Jr, Ramon Simmonds

Jamaica Tallawahs (probable): Brandon King, Kennar Lewis (wk), Shamarh Brooks, Rovman Powell (capt), Imad Wasim, Fabian Allen, Raymon Reifer, Mohammad Nabi, Chris Green, Nicholson Gordon, Mohammad Amir/Migael Pretorius.