CPL 2019: St Kitts and Nevis Patriots vs Jamaica Tallawahs, Match 8, Basseterre: Preview, predictions, likely XIs

CPL 2019: St Kitts and Nevis Patriots vs Jamaica Tallawahs, Match 8, Basseterre: Preview, predictions, likely XIs

Chris Gayle

St Kitts and Nevis Patriots will host Jamaica Tallawahs for Match 8 of the 2019 CPL, at Warner Park, Basseterre, St Kitts. Neither side has got off the mark yet, and both will be keen to make amends to that here.

The Patriots had lost to Trinbago Knight Riders by 11 runs in their first match of the tournament, and subsequently to Guyana Amazon Warriors by 8 wickets. However, this will be their first match at home.

The Patriots have a dangerous new-ball pair in Sheldon Cottrell and Alzarri Joseph, who will be supported by the likes of Carlos Brathwaite, Rayad Emrit, and Usama Mir. The batsmen, however, have not raised themselves to pull off anything beyond cameos. That remains an primary area of concern.

The Tallawahs have lost their only match, against the Knight Riders – this, despite boasting of Chris Gayle and Andre Russell, two of the biggest names in T20 cricket. Their bowling looked thin that day at Port of Spain, and unless that is addressed, they will probably continue to concede big totals.

Head to head

The sides are more or less evenly matched, the Tallawahs having won 5 and the Patriots 4 of their 9 encounters.

Key players

Sheldon Cottrell (St Kitts and Nevis Patriots): Cottrell’s 4-0-13-3 against the Knight Riders are the best as well as the most economical figures of the tournament. He will be the one the Patriots will look up to, to weather the Gayle-Russell storm.

Chris Gayle (Jamaica Tallawahs): Gayle loves these occasions, and who knows? This may be the match where he decides to celebrate his return to the Tallawahs camp!

Likely XIs

St Kitts and Nevis Patriots: Kjorn Ottley, Evin Lewis, Devon Thomas (wk), Mohammad Hafeez, Carlos Brathwaite (c), Fabian Allen, Jason Mohammed, Usama Mir, Rayad Emrit, Alzarri Joseph, Sheldon Cottrell.

Jamaica Tallawahs: Chris Gayle (c), Glenn Phillips, Chadwick Walton, Rovman Powell, George Worker, Andre Russell, Shamar Springer, Steven Jacobs, Jerome Taylor, Christopher Lamont, Oshane Thomas.

Prediction

The Patriots to push their home advantage to victory.