Last Updated on 5 years by Charbel Coorey

CPL 2020 Semi Final 2: GAW vs SLZ Preview Dream11 Possible Playing 11 Pitch Report | GUY vs SLZ Dream11 Prediction Today | Guyana Amazon Warriors vs St. Lucia Zouks Key Players | Tarouba Pitch Report

One of the big questions around CPL 2020 now is whether Guyana Amazon Warriors can finally break their CPL duck. Runners up an incredible five times, Guyana have suffered their fair share of heartbreak over the years, most notably in 2019, where they won 11 straight games only to lose the Final.

Now, they look to have timed their run a little better, hitting form at the backend of the season. They enter the Semi Finals on the back of four straight wins, with their bowlers in particular leading the way. But, there is absolutely no room for complacency or error in a knockout game, especially when mental scars may still exist from previous campaigns.

So, can St. Lucia Zouks reopen the Guyana wounds? The Zouks have generally punched above their weight in CPL 2020, sitting second for most of the campaign until a bit of an inconsistent finish to the league stage. However, six wins and four losses shows that they are more than capable of delivering when it matters, led by their all-rounders and bowling attack. Can they get it right where it really counts?

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Key Players to Watch/Key Stats

• Shimron Hetmyer endured a poor run of form through the middle of the campaign. However, the exciting southpaw is coming off scores of 56* and 32*, with the former coming in his last meeting vs Zouks.
• Nicholas Pooran has what it takes to overcome the Zouks’ battery of off-spinners. He average 37.33 and strikes at 123.89 vs off-spin.
• Mohammad Nabi has been a key man for the Zouks in CPL 2020. The all-rounder has taken 11 wickets in 10 games, and will be crucial against GAW’s left-handed players.
• So too will Roston Chase. He is coming off 32* vs the Tallawahs, and can also deliver quality overs when needed. Also, Chase was man of the match in Zouks’ first game against Warriors in CPL 2020, scoring 66 (51).
• Andre Fletcher has the second-most runs in GAW-SLZ matches (287).
• Imran Tahir is as consistent as ever. He finished the league stage with the equal-most wickets (15). This includes figures of 3/22 and 1/10 vs Zouks this season.
• Scott Kuggeleijn has been one of the unsung heroes of the Zouks’ campaign. He took the second-most wickets in the league stage (14), including 3/24 and 1/17 vs Warriors.
• Kesrick Williams finished close behind with 13 wickets. The medium pacer is a prolific T20 performer, with 129 wickets in 97 T20 matches.
• Naveen-ul-Haq is one of the form bowlers of the competition. He has taken eight wickets in his last six T20s, including 2/24 vs Zouks.
• Keemo Paul’s last game was against Zouks, where he took 2/25.

Stats and Facts

• Head-to-head: Matches 15, Guyana 10, St. Lucia 5.
• Zouks beat Warriors by 10 runs in the first meeting between the sides in CPL 2020. In the second, Warriors won by 7 wickets.
• Andre Fletcher has taken 12 catches behind the stumps this year – the most wicketkeeping dismissals in CPL 2020.
• Brandon King scored just 116 runs in 10 matches. This is in stark contrast to CPL 2019, where he plundered 496 runs at an average above 55. Can he come good in the knockouts?

Possible Playing 11

Guyana Amazon Warriors:  1. Brandon King, 2. Chandrapaul Hemraj, 3. Shimron Hetmyer, 4. Nicholas Pooran (wk), 5. Ross Taylor, 6. Keemo Paul, 7. Romario Shepherd, 8. Ashmead Nedd/Kevin Sinclair, 9. Chris Green (c), 10. Naveen-ul-Haq, 11. Imran Tahir

St. Lucia Zouks: 1. Rahkeem Cornwall, 2. Mark Deyal, 3. Andre Fletcher (wk), 4. Roston Chase, 5. Mohammad Nabi, 6. Najibullah Zadran, 7. Javelle Glen, 8. Daren Sammy (c), 9. Scott Kuggeleijn, 10. Kesrick Williams, 11. Zahir Khan

Tarouba Pitch Report and Conditions

Some showers are forecast in Trinidad, so the captain who wins the toss could look to chase. The game will be played on the same track as the TKR vs JT game earlier, so it is likely to be on the slower side and assist spin.

Dream11 Prediction

Option 1:

Option 2:

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Match Prediction

An interesting match awaits in a pressure situation. Guyana have the talent, but St. Lucia have plenty of fight about them. This game has the makings for a close battle, but Guyana, on the back of great form, look good for a win. Ultimately, though, it might very well depend on who chases under lights with a chance of rain.

Thanks for reading!

Also read: Do you write cricket blogs? Here are 6 tips to writing great cricket blogs!