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The Royals have been unbeaten by the Warriors in the knock-out rounds of CPL, having won three out of three times, including two tournament finals.
Barbados Royals are all set to take on the Guyana Amazon Warriors in Qualifier 2 of the Caribbean Premier League 2024 on Friday at the Guyana National Stadium in Guyana.
The winner will meet Saint Lucia Kings in the CPL 2024 final. On Tuesday, the Royals defeated Trinbago Knight Riders by nine wickets in the Eliminator, which was affected by floodlight failure. With the DLS method in play, the Royals achieved the 60-run target in the designated five overs, thanks to David Miller’s spectacular knock.
Miller single-handedly led the Royals to a win by scoring 50 runs off 17 balls. Though the other batters didn’t need to chip in, more will be expected on Friday. Quinton de Kock was in the form of his life at the beginning of the season but has struggled off late. Captain Rovman Powell is yet to score a match-winning knock. Alick Athanaze has been steady but the rest of the batters are yet to shine. Thus, it would be crucial to utilise the powerplay and not lose wickets early to put pressure on the Warriors’ bowlers.
The bowlers have had a decent season till now. Maheesh Theekshana has been the leader of the pack when it comes to wickets, with 16 to his name. Naveen-ul-Haq has been clinical in the Royals' last two games, whereas experienced pacers Obed MCoy and Jason Holder have also done their job. On Friday, restricting the Warriors will be critical and all the bowlers have to give it their best.
Qualifier 2 will be the 27th meeting between the two sides. Though the Warriors lead the head-to-head stats with 17 wins, they have never been able to beat the Royals in the CPL knockouts. They lost the CPL final two times - in 2014 and 2019, and the Qualifier 1 in 2022. In CPL 2024, the Royals have won once and lost once against the Warriors.
Defending champions Guyana entered the CPL 2024 knockouts as the table toppers but lost Qualifier 1 to the Saint Lucia Kings by 15 runs via the DLS method after the match was called off due to rain.
In the batting department, Shimron Hetmyer leads the attack for the Warriors and is their top scorer with 390 runs at an impressive strike rate of 188.40. He would be foremost on the Royals’ hitlist. Shai Hope and Rahmanullah Gurbaz have also been solid in the top order. Romario Shepherd, Moeen Ali and Keemo Paul have handled the middle. The Royals should aim at taking early wickets to restrict the big hitters from getting in the groove.
In the bowling front, spin duo Gudakesh Motie and captain Imran Tahir have done the most damage, picking 31 wickets between them. Dwaine Pretorius has also been impressive, taking 14 wickets, alongside all-rounder Moeen Ali, who has 12 to his name. However, they have been expensive in the past, and that's what the Royals would target when on the crease.
CPL 2024, Qualifier 2: Barbados Royals vs Guyana Amazon Warriors
Venue: Guyana National Stadium, Guyana
Date & Time: October 4, 7:00 PM local time | 4:30 AM IST (October 5)
Where to watch: Star Sports Network and FanCode
David Miller: The South African turned heads against Trinbago when he turned a difficult match into an easily achievable target. He was regaining his form in the last three games, with the highlight coming in the crucial Eliminator. He is second behind de Kock in the top batters list for the Royals, having scored 232 runs in nine matches at a strike rate of 166.90. All eyes will be on him to repeat a similar blitzkrieg against the Warriors.
Naveen-ul-Haq: The 25-year-old Afghan has been in the shadow of Maheesh Theekshana this season but has chipped in with the ball in every match. A tad bit expensive at the start of the tournament, Naveen quickly turned things around and has been a solid figure in the last few matches. He has taken 11 wickets with an impressive average of 27.72 and a strike rate of 19.09. His form will be paramount in restricting the Warriors to a lower total.
Barbados Royals: Rovman Powell (captain), Quinton de Kock, David Miller, Keshav Maharaj, Alick Athanaze, Shamarh Brooks, Jason Holder, Nathan Sealy, Rahkeem Cornwall, Rivaldo Clarke, Dunith Wellalage, Isai Thorne, Kadeem Alleyne, Maheesh Theekshana, Naveen-ul-Haq, Nyeem Young, Obed McCoy, Ramon Simmonds, Kevin Wickham
Guyana Amazon Warriors: Imran Tahir (captain), Romario Shepherd, Shimron Hetmyer, Ronaldo Ali Mohamed, Raymon Reifer, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Shamar Joseph, Saim Ayub, Kevlon Anderson, Azam Khan, Junior Sinclair, Dwaine Pretorius, Matthew Nandu, Gudakesh Motie, Kevin Sinclair, Shai Hope, Keemo Paul
