Barbados Royals will meet Saint Lucia Kings for the first time in the Caribbean Premier League 2024 when they travel to the Providence Stadium in Guyana on Saturday.
The Royals are the first team to qualify for the playoffs this season, having won five of their six matches. Their last match against St Kitts and Nevis Patriots was a one-sided affair, where they won comfortably by nine wickets. Rahkeem Cornwall was the star of the show with a five-fer, while Quinton de Kock scored another half-century to chase down the 111-run target in 11.2 overs.
With 367 runs from six matches, de Kock is currently leading the batting charts in CPL 2024. Though he has been the main run-provider for the Royals, he has been well-supported by the other batters in the squad. Rovman Powell, Kadeem Alleyne and Alick Athanaze have all come in at regular intervals to pair up and get wins for the Royals. Even David Miller and Jason Holder have been fairly good in the middle order.
The bowling department has been working as a unit too. Each of the bowlers has pitched in with Obed McCoy leading the pack with nine wickets. Maheesh Theekshana, Naveen-ul-Haq and Jason Holder have taken seven scalps each. Keshav Maharaj has also been solid since he joined. In the previous match against the Patriots, Rahkeem Cornwall emerged as a surprise package, taking a remarkable five-fer, which was crucial in the win.
Barbados have met Saint Lucia 22 times in CPL history and have a better head-to-head record. While Barbados have won 13 matches, they have lost nine. Thus, both form and history are on the side of the Royals.
OPPONENT WATCH
Saint Lucia Kings have had a good CPL 2024 outing till now, having won four of their six games. Currently sitting with eight points, another win would confirm a playoff berth for them.
In the batting department, Johnson Charles leads the charts with 206 runs. Captain Faf du Plessis, Tim Seifert and Bhanuka Rajapaksa have also been great when it comes to run-scoring. Breaking the opening partnership of Charles and du Plessis would be crucial for the Royals' bowlers.
On the bowling side, Afghanistan's young spinner Noor Ahmad has been the pick of the lot with 10 wickets. He is also the most economical bowler for the Kings. Alzarri Joseph, however, is yet to reach his full potential. Though he has taken four wickets, he has been quite expensive. Khary Pierre, David Wiese and Roston Chase are the other bowlers in the unit.
MATCH DETAILS
CPL 2024, Match 22: Saint Lucia Kings vs Barbados Royals
Venue: Providence Stadium, Guyana
Date & Time: September 21, 10:00 AM local time | 7:30 PM IST
Where to watch: Star Sports Network and FanCode
ROYALS TO WATCH
Rahkeem Cornwall: The 31-year-old had been struggling with the bat and was even rested for one match. But he came back against the Patriots and proved that he can’t be written off. Despite being a power-hitter, Cornwall turned heads with his bowling prowess, taking a five-fer to finish with figures of 5/16. Now that his bowling has clicked, there’s much expectation on his shoulders to turn his batting gloves on. And if he gets going, there would be no respite for the bowlers.
Quinton de Kock: The 31-year-old has been unstoppable this CPL 2024. He is currently the highest run-getter of the season with 367 runs from six matches. The next on the list is Andre Fletcher, who has just scored 210. The South African also boasts of a strike rate of 170.69. His consistency of form and confident shot-hitting have made him a class apart. The Kings have been expensive in the past, and that's an avenue de Kock would love to explore.
FULL SQUADS
Barbados Royals: Rovman Powell (captain), David Miller, Keshav Maharaj, Alick Athanaze, 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, Kevin Wickham,
Saint Lucia Kings: Faf du Plessis (captain), Tim Seifert, Heinrich Klaasen, Alzarri Joseph, Akeem Auguste, Mikkel Govia, Johann Jeremiah, Khari Campbell, Aaron Jones, David Wiese, Noor Ahmad, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Shadrack Descarte, McKenny Clarke, Matthew Forde, Roston Chase, Johnson Charles, Khary Pierre