The two table toppers -- Guyana Amazon Warriors and Jamaica Tallawahs -- will lock horns in the first playoff of CPL 2016 at the Warner Park in Basseterre on Wednesday. These two have undoubtedly been the best sides of CPL 2016 and thus they have the opportunity to playoff one. Whoever wins on Wednesday will go straight through to the final of CPL 2016.
Tallawahs have reached this stage of the competition a number of times in the last three seasons and they know how to handle pressure at this level. With Chris Gayle, Shakib Al Hasan, Kumar Sangakkara and Andre Russell in their ranks, they need not worry much as most of them are capable of winning games single-handedly.
But these batsmen have not been in great shape and knock in this edition of the CPL. If they want to qualify for the final of CPL 2016, then they will have to be at their sublime best, especially Gayle, who is also the skipper of Tallawahs. Gayle started this tournament with a number of good scores, but as the tournament progressed, he seemed to have lost the fizz. If he clicks, then Warriors will have a genuine problem to deal with.
However, the Tallawahs are coming into this fixture after two consecutive losses and they will be kind of low on morale. Also, they will miss the presence of Dale Steyn in their bowling rank.
Meanwhile, the Warriors have lost just three games in CPL 2016. Thus they managed to finish at the top of the points table. Four players -- Chris Lynn, Jason Mohammad, Sohail Tanvir and Adam Zampa -- have been the keys to Warriors' success in CPL 2016. Lynn is the highest scorer from his side as he has notched up 398 runs at an average of just above 49.00. Zampa and Tanvir are the two highest wicket-takers in the tournament so far and they are likely to add more numbers to their wickets column.
Ever since Martin Guptill has left the tournament, Rayad Emrit has led the side wonderfully. The kind of form Warriors are in currently, they will hold the edge over the Tallawahs in the first playoff of CPL 2016.
The weather is likely to be clear and one can expect a full game of entertaining T20 cricket.
Expected playing XI:
Guyana Amazon Warriors: Dwayne Smith, Nic Maddinson, Chris Lynn, Jason Mohammad, Anthony Bramble (wk), Chris Bramble, Sohail Tanvir, Rayad Emrit (C), Veerasammy Permaul, Steven Jacobs, Adam Zampa.
Jamaica Tallawahs: Chris Gayle (C), Chadwick Walton, Kumar Sangakkara (wk), Rovman Powell, Shakib Al Hasan, Andre Russell, Imad Wasim, Timroy Allen, Kesrick Williams, Garey Mathurin, Jon-Russ Jaggesar.
Where to watch live
The Playoff ONE of CPL 2016 between Guyana Amazon Warriors and Jamaica Tallawahs is scheduled to start from 7 p.m. local time (4:30 a.m. IST, 12:00 a.m. BST) start. Below are the live streaming and TV options (Note: IST am timings are next day):
India: Sony Six and Sony Six HD. Live Streaming: SonyLiv.
UK: BT Sport. Live Streaming: BT Sport Live Streaming.
USA: ESPN 3. Live Streaming: Watch Espn.
Australia: Fox Sports. Live Streaming: Foxtel Play.
New Zealand: Sommet Sports
Barbados: Caribbean Broadcasting Corporation
Trinidad: Caribbean Communications Network, TV 6, CNC 3
Nevis: Caribbean Cable Networks
Guyana: National Communications Network, TVG
St Kitts: ZIZ Broadcasting Corp
St Lucia: Helen Television System, St Lucia Cable Vision
Jamaica: TVJ
