CPL Play-offs Betting Preview: Guyana Amazon Warriors vs Jamaica Tallawahs

In the first of Caribbean Premier League (CPL) play-offs, Jamaica Tallawahs take on Guyana Amazon Warriors at Warner Park in St Kitts. Amazon Warriors finish first in the league, having scored 14 points from 10 matches. Tallawahs finished a close second, with 13 points from 10 matches. The winner of this match will go straight to the finals, while the loser will get a second chance in the third play-offs game. This will be a fascinating prospect for those inclined to cricket betting, as both the teams are evenly matched and there are no clear-cut favourites.

Guyana Amazon Warriors preview

Their batting is a bit top-heavy. If they have a poor start with the bat, they are unlikely to recover. They could lose the match in the first six overs. But more often than not, they win in the first 10 overs. Dwayne Smith, Chris Lynn, Nic Maddinson and Jason Mohammed may not be big stars in the cricket world. But almost always make useful contributions at the top of the order.

In T-20 cricket, reputation hardly matters – unless of course in the cases of Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers. What is important for cricket betting is the form a player is in. Smith, Lynn and Mohammed are in terrific nick. If they get going, Amazon Warriors are unstoppable.

The bowling is not star-studded either. But Sohail Tanvir, Veerasammy Permaul and Adam Zampa bowl their four overs tightly and take wickets at regular intervals. It is not easy to beat this Guyana outfit. They make up for the lack of big names in the team with sensational efforts on the field.

Jamaica Tallawahs Preview

Jamaica Tallawahs are at the opposite end of spectrum. They are the most star-studded team in the league. Chris Gayle, Kumar Sangakkara, Shakib Al Hasan and Andre Russell play for them. They are West Indies’ answer to Kolkata Knight Riders. But the fact is that they could finish only second in the league. The play-offs are the occasions when big players wake up and make their presence felt.

Vital statistics

Amazon Warriors won the home match against Tallawahs comfortably by seven wickets. In the away match, they had a sniff at victory too. They posted 128 for six in 20 overs and then took four Tallawahs wickets in seven balls. But Russell, Shakib and Gayle combined to effect a remarkable turn-around and the Jamaican team won by five wickets with 4.1 overs to spare.

Prediction

You can never count Jamaica Tallawahs out during cricket betting. They have such good players who can change the course of a match in a couple of overs. But Amazon Warriors look the better all-round squad. Our prediction is in favour of Jamaica Tallawahs. Expect the big boys to turn the heat in the CPL play-offs.

Photo Credit: EspnCricInfo