… battle with Tridents is feature clash of  the CPL playoffs at Providence 

 UNBEATEN Guyana Amazon Warriors are heavy favourites to advance to the final of the 2019 Caribbean Premier League (CWI) playoffs, when they battle against Barbados Tridents in the feature clash of a double-header today at the Guyana National Stadium, Providence.

The home team have been flawless this season and have left jubilant fans in Guyana and abroad in awe, as they demonstrated superiority in all facets of their game.

Although the weather forecast (accuweather) predicts a partially cloudy day, with a shower in the morning, it should be a very good afternoon for cricket.

A win against second-place Tridents in qualifier one, would catapult the Warriors into the final, while if the home team lose, they will have a second chance against the winners of the first match eliminator between St Kitts and Nevis Patriots and defending champions Trinbago Knight Riders.

Although Tridents also have a chance at qualifying for the final, they are the underdogs. They trailed Warriors by a massive ten points after finishing their regular season with five wins in 10 games with a net run rate of 0.518.

Warriors, on the other hand, have managed to secure a record-breaking 10 wins in 10 matches for 20 points and a net run rate of 1.724.

TRIDENTS BATTLE
When Warriors played Tridents in match six at home on September 8, they registered a comfortable 47-run victory after Guyanese Chandrapaul Hemraj (63) and Trinidadian Nicholas Pooran (61) had blasted half-centuries.

Tridents’ batsmen found it difficult to get on top of the bowling and only lower order batsman Ashley Nurse was able to get the ball over the ropes. His three sixes and an equal amount of fours had pushed him to a top score of 40, but medium fast bowler Romario Shepherd had destroyed the lower order with figures of 4-13 from 2.4 overs, while leg break bowler Shadab Khan had taken a pair.

In their second clash, at Bridgetown on September 22, Warriors won by 12 runs via the D/L method.

Tridents had again succumbed to the Warriors’ bowling; with off-break bowler, Chris Green taking 4-14 from 3.2 overs and fellow spinner Imran Tahir picking up two scalps to leave the side on 138 all out in 19.2 overs.

Brandon King had then blasted his way to 51 unbeaten runs to help Warriors to 81-2 before rain stopped play in 11 overs.

Tridents have improved and they have won their last two clashes. They defeated the St Lucia Zouks on September 29 by 24 runs and the Knight Riders by seven wickets last Wednesday.

In both games opener Johnson Charles played his part with the bat (47 and 55), while leg-break googly bowler Hayden Walsh Jr has been in form with the ball. They will, however, have to compete against a formidable batting, anchored by skipper Shoaib Malik and bolstered by a no-nonsense top and middle order and some quality world-rated bowlers. Adding to that will be the thousands of supporters expected at the ground.

The first game between Knight Riders and Patriots is scheduled to start at 11:00hrs, while the second clash between Warriors and Tridents would bowl off from 15:30hrs.