Barbados Royals will play their last match in Barbados in the Caribbean Premier League 2024 when they welcome St Kitts and Nevis Patriots at the Kensington Oval in Bridgetown, Barbados on Tuesday.
In the previous CPL 2024 match between the two teams, the Royals won by two wickets in a closely contested affair. Dunith Wellalage starred with both the bat and bowl in that encounter.
The Royals enter the fixture as the current table-toppers, having won four of their five matches this season. Their last match was against a solid Guyana Amazon Warriors unit, where they scored a mammoth 205 runs and comfortably won by 32 runs in the end. Much credit for the win goes to Quinton de Kock for his brilliant century.
The South African star has been in remarkable form and is currently leading the ‘Most Runs’ charts in CPL 2024. Quinton de Kock has been carrying the bulk of the scoring responsibilities at the top. Alongside him, Rovman Powell, David Miller and Alick Athanaze have been pitching in with runs at crucial junctures too. However, the Royals have to choose who the other opener should be - Kadeem Alleyne or Rahkeem Cornwall.
On the bowling front, it has been a collective effort. The pace trio of Jason Holder, Naveen-ul-Haq and Obed McCoy has been impressive. In the spin department, Keshav Maharaj has shown his class since he joined the camp, alongside the Sri Lankan duo of Maheesh Theekshana and Dunith Wellalage. Theekshana has been the most economical of the lot.
The Royals have met the Patriots 19 times in CPL history and won nine times. Out of those nine, five wins have come in their last five matches. Thus, when it comes to form, the game is tilted towards the Royals.
OPPONENT WATCH
The Patriots are languishing at the bottom of the CPL 2024 standings, having lost six consecutive games. Their season has been marked by inconsistency. When the batters have delivered, the bowlers have faltered, and vice-versa.
Evin Lewis, Kyle Mayers and Andre Fletcher have shown flashes of brilliance but are yet to perform as a cohesive unit. Even players like Mikyle Louis and Rilee Rossouw have shown promise but are yet to display their true potential. They all need to come together if they want to end their winless streak.
Anrich Nortje has been the standout pacer with 11 wickets in five matches. Wanindu Hasaranga, with seven wickets, has been leading the spin department. Beyond these two, the Patriots' bowling attack has not hit the mark. The likes of Mayers, Tabraiz Shamsi and Veerasammy Permaul need to step up and deliver in this important clash.
MATCH DETAILS
CPL 2024, Match 18: Barbados Royals vs St Kitts and Nevis Patriots
Venue: Kensington Oval, Bridgetown, Barbados
Date & Time: September 17, 7:00 PM local time | 4:30 AM IST (September 18)
Where to watch: Star Sports Network and FanCode
ROYALS TO WATCH
Quinton de Kock: The 31-year-old South African is in a league of his own this CPL 2024. He is currently the league’s highest run-getter with 308 runs in five matches, which includes a century. He also has won three Player of the Match awards. He can single-handedly change the direction of a game, and the Royals will depend on their world-class opener to put solid runs on the board early on.
Keshav Maharaj: The 34-year-old South African walked in two games late and has already made a mark. In three matches, he has picked up five wickets. He displayed impressive bowling in the previous game against the Warriors and ended with figures of 3/42. His experience will be crucial for the Royals during tough moments when taking a wicket is necessary to turn the tides.
FULL SQUADS
Barbados Royals: Rovman Powell (captain), Alick Athanaze, Kevin Wickham, Shamarh Brooks, Jason Holder, Nathan Sealy, Rahkeem Cornwall, Quinton de Kock, Rivaldo Clarke, Dunith Wellalage, Isai Thorne, Kadeem Alleyne, Maheesh Theekshana, Naveen-ul-Haq, Nyeem Young, Obed McCoy, Ramon Simmonds, David Miller, Keshav Maharaj
St Kitts and Nevis Patriots: Andre Fletcher (captain), Evin Lewis, Kyle Mayers, Veerasammy Permaul, Sherfane Rutherford, Odean Smith, Dominic Drakes, Joshua Da Silva, Ashmead Nedd, Anrich Nortje, Ryan John, Mikyle Louis, Johann Layne, Rilee Rossouw, Josh Clarkson, Mohammad Mohsin, Wanindu Hasaranga