Caribbean Premier League 2014 will see its eight match on Sunday as Antigua Hawksbills go up against Trinidad and Tobago Red Steel.
Antigua are led by West Indies batsman Marlon Samuels, while the side from Trinidad and Tobago are skippered by all-rounder Dwyane Bravo.
The Hawksbills have performed very poorly in the tournament so far and have failed to notch a win. Red Steel, on the other hand, have been winners against Barbados Tridents and losers in the hard-fought game against Guyana Amazon Warriors.
Samuels' men will have to raise their game by several notches if they are to find their name in the winner's side today. In their last encounter against Barbados, they ended up on the losing side, despite a belligerent 84 by Samuels.
They looked as if they would register their win, however, Ravi Rampaul's three-wicket burst in the last over and an unbeaten and well-paced 72 by Barbados' Pakistan's Shoaib Malik kept them at bay.
However, Samuels seems to be in good form. His 84 in the previous game must have given him and his teammates some confidence. Samuels apart, Australians Ben Dunk and David Hussey also contributed in the last game. Both Hussey and Samuels hope big scores will come their way.
There is a lot of scope for improvement in the bowling department too. In the last game, even with 172 on the board they seemed 20 runs short. They have the crafty Saaed Ajmal in their ranks. If he plays and is at his best, the opposition may find it hard.
Meanwhile, Bravo's men could do very little against T20 spin king Sunil Narine in their super over loss to Guyana in the last game. The spinner delivered the first maiden super over to win the game for his team. Red Steel, however, only had themselves to blame for as their mistakes on the field in the last over resulted in the game being a tie.
They will now be looking to pick themselves and get back to winning ways. They had won their first encounter against Barbados. In the loss against Guyana, Samuel Badree did well to bag three wickets.
Steel's batting could do with some improvement as they could only manage 118 in the previous game. Neither Bravo nor Ross Taylor could fire as they both made just one run. They would be hoping for a better show in the field as well. In the crucial last over of the tied game, there were misfields and dropped catches.
A better all-round effort is what Red Steel would be hoping for. Bravo as always is the key. Darren Bravo and Taylor should provide him good support. In the bowling department, Badree would look to continue his good form, while early inroads by pacer Fidel Edwards would help.
The Hawksbills are without a victory and Red Steel lost a game which they should have won. Two teams keen for a win and bolster their standing in the league. The contest promises to be a hard-fought one.
Where to Watch Live
The game will start at 12 pm local time (9:30 pm IST) with coverage on Sony Six in India. The match is available live online HERE. US viewers can catch the action on ESPN3, with the option to live stream HERE.
