About the Match
Trinbago Knight Riders were finally made to sweat in the this year's Caribbean Premier League. They lost their last game to Jamaica Tallawahs when they failed to post a decent total despite a strong start by Colin Munro and skipper Brendon McCullum. They'd be looking to resume their winning run when they take on Barbados Tridents on 13th July 2017. Barbados Tridents are right behind Trinbago Knight Riders as far as points table is concerned and a win will take them at first position with the Knight Riders.
Trinbago Knight Riders
After a sensational start to the tournament, Knight Riders faced their first loss of the tournament, courtesy of Jamaica Tallawahs. They have won three out of their four matches and stand tall at first spot at the points table with the NRR of over 1.6.
Their last match didn't end up as they'd have liked, but the bright spots were still there, that is, McCullum-Munro show coupled with some fireworks here and there. Sunil Narine and Brendon McCullum started off beautifully and thanks to a superb knock by Colin Munro, they put on a hundred runs in just under eight overs. They, however, failed to keep up the momentum and lost eight wickets for 38 runs leaving them at 147 at the end of the innings.
Their bowlers tried to defend a total which wasn't enough. Sunil Narine picked up two wickets but was denied the third one due to a no-ball. Tallawahs kicked-off from there and raced to the target with two wickets to spare.
Barbados Tridents
The Tridents started off their campaign in a spectacular fashion as they posted a superb victory over Jamaica Tallawahs. They've won one and lost one since then. They lost their second match which was a reverse fixture against Jamaica Tallawahs. They, however, managed to jump back to winning ways with a solid win against St. Lucia Stars by D/L Lewis method.
Batting first, their openers found form as both Williamson and Smith got decent starts. Dwayne Smith scored 36 off 27 deliveries and Kane Williamson scored 46 runs at just over a-run-a-ball rate. The difference to the total was made by Kieren Pollard who smashed his way to 85 in just 28 deliveries. Barbados will be looking up to him once again in this all-important match.
Their bowlers then played their part as the Stars could post a total of only 129 in a little over 15 overs. Wayne Parnell and Wahab Riaz were the pick of their bowlers as they picked up five important wickets between them despite getting hammered at an economy on the higher side.
Our Prediction
It is the first time the teams will be meeting in this year's edition and given the recent performances of the sides, it will be an enticing battle. Tridents' opening pair is finally amongst the runs while the Knight Riders' top three are performing in a way which any team in the world would be envy of. The Knight Riders lack someone of Kieron Pollard's stature in the lower middle-order which could make a considerable difference. Going by the form and recent-most results of the sides, Barbados Tridents look more likely to prevail in this important match.
