TEDDIE CASTERTON looks at the semi-final match-ups and wonders whether Trinbago Knight Riders - ten wins from ten in the group stage - can possibly be stopped
Semi-final 1: Trinbago Knight Riders v Jamaica Tallawahs
Semi-final 2: Guyana Amazon Warriors v St Lucia Zouks
Both the semi-finals and the final will be played at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy in Tarouba.
Semi-final 1: Tuesday, September 8, 3.30pm (BST)
Semi-final 2: Tuesday, September 8, 10.30pm (BST)
Final: Thursday, September 10, 3.30pm (BST)
Trinbago Knight Riders have dominated the tournament, winning all 10 of their group matches – just like Guyana Amazon Warriors last year.
In truth, they’ve only been truly tested in one instance – against the Barbados Tridents. After Tridents made 148 for 7 off 20 overs, Knight Riders only managed to chase it down on the penultimate delivery and eight wickets down.
From needing 31 off 12 to just nine off five, Trinbago had Kieron Pollard to thank; his intervention of 72 from 28 balls has been mentioned since as one of the great all-time T20 finishing efforts.
Other than that game, however, Pollard’s side have cruised their way into the semi-finals without trouble. That said, Guyana Amazon Warriors’ 2019 campaign can act as a precautionary tale; their run of 11 straight wins was ended in the final when it mattered most.
Guyana have hit form at the right time
Jamaica Tallawahs have endured a rather different journey, truth be told. They struggled through the group stage, qualifying for the latter stages somewhat in spite of themselves. They lost more games than they won, picking up just seven points, with three victories and a washout alongside six defeats.
After a slow start, Guyana finished second in the group with 12 points, eight points behind Trinbago but six clear of Barbados, who missed out on qualification just 12 months on from winning last year’s competition.
They won six of their 10 games, losing the remaining four. Importantly, they arrive in the knockout phase on an upward trajectory, having on their last four games; they will be looking to carry on that momentum into the semi-finals when they face St Lucia Zouks.
The last time these two came together, Chris Green’s Amazon Warriors were in a clinical mood. They chased down 110 in just 14 overs, losing only three wickets.
St Lucia Zouks, meanwhile, finished third – some turnaround under the stewardship of head coach Andy Flower and captain Darren Sammy. With one win each against one another in the group phase, it will be interesting to see how they go in the semi-finals.
In a low-scoring tournament, where surfaces have rarely proven straightforward for batsmen, Glenn Phillips, Shimron Hetmyer and Darren Bravo have led the way in terms of consistency, with the most runs across the tournament.
New Zealander Phillips tops the list, having made 314 runs at an average of 39.25, while also possessing the highest strike rate of the trio. Hetmyer, though, has scored one more fifty than Phillips, and two more than Bravo.
In a one-off semi-final, however, watch out for the heavy-hitters. Names in T20 cricket come little bigger than Pollard; he is striking at over 200, having struck 20 sixes in the competition so far.
Could Dre Russ turn on the style just in time?
Andre Russell, too, has threatened to ignite for Jamaica Tallawahs. If any side looks equipped to beat Trinbago, it might just be Jamaica – not because of any real cohesion, but because of Russell’s generational talent.
According to Cricviz, Trinbago have bowled 42 overs of spin during the powerplay in this year’s tournament thus far. Expect no different in the semi-finals, given the conditions we have seen throughout the competition.
Trinbago Knight Riders to cruise past Jamaica Tallawahs – they’ve been far too strong throughout the tournament to stop here.
Guyana Amazon Warriors to beat St Lucia Zouks and set up yet another final appearance.
Although temperatures will reach 31 degrees at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy in Tarouba, thunderstorms are a possibility.
The Cricketer's coverage of the CPL comes in collaboration with the Caribbean Cricket Podcast
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