Jamaica Tallawahs (JAM) and Saint Lucia Kings (SLK), formerly known as St Lucia Zouks, meet each other in match 3 of the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) 2021. Two-time winners Jamaica Tallawahs reached the semi-finals last season after finishing fourth in the points table. Saint Lucia Kings, meanwhile, made it to the final for the first time in the franchise’s history. They finished third in the points table, but Trinbago Knight Riders outplayed them in the title clash.
Head-to-Head
Played: 15
JAM won: 9
SLK won: 6
Team News
Carlos Brathwaite could miss Jamaica Tallawahs’ opening fixture after being forced into isolation due to a Covid-19 positive case found on his return flight from Manchester. Andre Russell is another big player in the squad. The all-rounder, who hit three fifties in CPL 2020, had picked up a three-wicket haul against Australia in the final T20I of the five-match series.
With Qais Ahmad and Chris Green joining from Guyana Amazon Warriors, Jamaica Tallawahs have a potent spin attack. Both overseas spinners are likely to start together, while Veerasammy Permaul and Ryan Persaud are other spin options. The 39-year-old Fidel Edwards will spearhead the pace department. South Africa’s Migael Pretorius and youngster Joshua James could feature prominently for Jamaica Tallawahs this season.
Floyd Reifer, the head coach, will be hopeful that Haider Ali can fill in the void left by Glenn Phillips. The Pakistan batsman has hit two half-centuries in the recently concluded Kashmir Premier League. Brathwaite, Chadwick Walton, and captain Rovman Powell had struggled with the bat in CPL 2020. Also, Kirk McKenzie, who scored a 99 against New Zealand in the 2020 Under-19 World Cup, is included in the Jamaica Tallawahs’ roster.
Saint Lucia Kings is the only franchise to have appointed an overseas player as the captain in CPL this season. Faf du Plessis, who missed the entire Hundred season due to concussion issues, will lead the team. Keemo Paul and Obed McCoy have fitness concerns, but the duo is likely to be available for selection on Friday.
The last season’s finalists have an enticing bowling attack. They bolstered the pace unit by signing Wahab Riaz and Alzarri Joseph. The duo will join McCoy, Paul, and Kesrick Williams. Roston Chase, Usman Qadir, Rahkeem Cornwall, Samit Patel, etc., are the spinners in the 17-member squad. Though, Patel will miss the first few matches.
Squads
JAM: C Walton; R Powell, Kennar Lewis, Abhijai Mansingh, Haider A, S Brooks, Kirk McKenzie; C Brathwaite, A Russell, J Mohammed; F Edwards, Veerasammy Permaul, Q Ahmad, C Green, M Pretorius, Joshua James, Ryan Persaud
SLK: A Fletcher; F du Plessis, K Cottoy, T David, Mark Deyal, K Alleyne; R Chase, K Paul, R Cornwall, Javelle Glen, S Patel; W Riaz, O McCoy, Jeavor Royal, Kesrick W, A Joseph, U Qadir
Parameswaran Sankaranarayanan
Parameswaran Sankaranarayan is a sports enthusiast who has worked in print, website, and other digital platforms. He was part of the editorial team of first-ever Indian football-based website - IndianFootball.com (now defunct) - and passionately follows the latest happenings in world football. During his time as a journalist, he had the opportunity to interact with some of the iconic personalities in Indian sports and witness some memorable moments in Indian football.
Read All Articles >
