Twitter reactions after Dale Steyn announces retirement | Dale Steyn announces retirement: Fans, players and pundits react on Twitter
All good things come to an end, even though we don’t want them to. The legendary Dale Steyn, South Africa’s highest-ever Test wicket-taker announced his retirement from cricket on Tuesday, with millions reminiscing on his brilliance throughout a glorious career.
Such was Steyn’s impact that it was not only South African supporters paying tribute to a magnificent cricketing journey. Fans and players from across the globe – including the magnificent James Anderson – took time to commend such a true legend of the game. Others including AB de Villiers and Pat Cummins also sent messages of congratulations to Steyn.
Steyn finishes with 699 international wickets, including 439 in Tests. He goes down as one of the greatest ever fast bowlers, boasting a strike rate of 42.30 in Tests, including a scarcely believable 42.90 in 22 Tests in Asia.
The kind of numbers most pace bowlers can only dream of.
Twitter reactions as Dale Steyn announces retirement from cricket
Steyn took to social media to announce his decision to retire from cricket. “It’s been 20 years of training, matches, travel, wins, losses, strapped feet, jet lag, joy, and brotherhood,” Steyn’s statement read.
“There are too many memories to tell. Too many faces to thank.”
“Today I officially retire from the game I love the most. Bitter sweet but grateful.”
“Thank you to everyone, from family to teammates, journalists to fans, it’s been an incredible journey together.”
35 bowlers have taken 300+ Test wickets. No one among them has a better strike-rate than Dale Steyn (42.3). That's a wicket after every 7 overs. The greatest bowler of this generation has called it a day. Thanks for making us love cricket and happy retirement, @DaleSteyn62
Congrats on a remarkable career. Set the standard for fast bowlers world round to follow for 20 years. No better competitor to watch in full flight, enjoy retirement mate!?♂️All time great
I have to say, @DaleSteyn62 was consistently the best bowler I faced throughout my career. I feel like he never bowled me a bad ball. Such an fierce competitor on the field, but such a sweet and super kind person off it. Enjoy the fruits of retirement. You deserve it mate. ???? https://t.co/N2qa5KLXLG
A once in a generation kind of bowler. An out and out match winner on any surface. Congratulations on a phenomenal career @DaleSteyn62. Best wishes for your second innings. #GOAThttps://t.co/ftyNGpEYZa
On the day that Dale Steyn retires, a reminder that he remains a far, far greater bowler than the other guy everyone keeps bracketing him with, and that's no insult to the other guy, who's also very good but not quite that good.
Still remember the you being such a gentleman, coming back from the gate to click a picture with me back in 2012. Thank you for teaching me to be humble at heart always ❤️ pic.twitter.com/4FZHWfO8Q4
My favourite Bowler of all time The Bowler which Batsman feared to play ? Bowler who dominated almost every one Best test bowler of all time Bowler filled with aggression Steyn Gun ? Injury Ruined his career ?? Happy Retirement to the legend#DaleSteynpic.twitter.com/jB9wrR4XA2
I can't believe the news of dale Steyn retiring from International Cricket. I always turned the T.V on when you are bowling, whether you are playing for IPL or south africa or against India. You will always be my favourite bowler. Happy retirement life #Legend#GOAT@DaleSteyn62pic.twitter.com/F6EyZRvSrU
Dale Steyn’s record is incredible without qualification, but the fact that he averaged less than 23 at a better strike rate than anyone else ever in predominantly a bat-dominated era makes him the greatest fast bowler of all time, for me
Dale Steyn held the No.1 Position in ICC Test Bowling Rankings for 2343 Days. He had an Era. One Of The Greatest Of All Time. Thank You, Dale Steyn for Amazing memories. pic.twitter.com/9BNMw74WgG
My childhood hero behind him. Can it get any better than this? The best Test match bowler I've ever seen walking in front of that scary man who I saw bowling when I was 8 years old and fell in love with cricket. https://t.co/uI1YT9uzCF
CPL 2021 Match 10: BR vs JAM Dream11 & Fan2Play Prediction Possible Playing 11 Pitch Report | BAR vs JAM Dream11 Prediction Today | Barbados Royals vs Jamaica Tallawahs Key Players | St Kitts Pitch Report
The caravan of the 10th edition of the CPL rolls on as Barbados Royals lock horns with Jamaica Tallawahs at Warner Park in St. Kitts on Wednesday, September 1.
This will be the second fixture between these two sides and Jamaica Tallawahs will be looking to stage a redemption following their 15-run defeat in the previous encounter. After a record-breaking blitz in their opening game where they smashed the second-highest total in CPL history, the Tallawahs faltered during their run-chase of 162 against the Royals.
The batting-unit never really took off as the likes of Mohammad Amir (2/23), Raymond Reifer (3/31) and rest of the Barbados Royals bowlers tightened screws.
It didn’t help that Andre Russell registered a golden duck while Shamarh Brooks (47 off 45) and Carlos Brathwaite (29 off 27) were underwhelming. As for Barbados Royals, they will be hoping to continue with the momentum they have gained in the last game following two consecutive defeats in their campaign thus far.
Johnson Charles: The right-handed opener smashed a whirlwind 17-ball 25, an innings which included 2 fours and as many sixes, in the last game against the Tallawahs. However, the Royals will hope that the swashbuckler kicks on and gets a big score in the next encounter.
Glenn Phillips: Phillips batted in the middle-order in the last game against Tallawahs and the move paid off as the wicketkeeper-batsman smashed a match-winning unbeaten 46-ball 56; an innings which included 6 fours and a six. The Royals will hope that the New Zeaander carries his form in the next game.
Raymon Reifer: Reifer was easily the ‘MVP’ for the Barbados Royals in the last game as he racked up a brisk cameo of 20-ball 31* which included 2 fours and 2 sixes to help the Royals post 5/161 in 20 overs.
He then proceeded to register figures of 3/31 in tour overs which included the prized scalp of Andre Russell for a golden duck. It will be interesting to see if the all-rounder carries his form in the next encounter against the same opposition.
Mohammad Amir: The Pakistani left-arm pacer was brilliant in the last game as he gave away just 23 runs in his quota of four overs besides claiming two wickets. He has taken six wickets in three games so far in CPL 2021, whilst conceding just 5.33 runs per over.
Oshane Thomas: The West Indian pacer had a rare poor outing in the last game as he gave away 34 runs in his four overs. However, barring the last game, Thomas has been brilliant with the ball in CPL 2021 so far. In the first couple of games, Thomas claimed four wickets which included a three-wicket-haul against St Kitts.
Jason Holder: The skipper has the second most wickets (11) in Jamaica-Barbados encounters. He registered figures of 1/22 in three overs in his last outing.
Jamaica Tallawahs
Chadwick Walton: Walton faltered in the last game against the Tallawahs as he registered a 9-ball 3. The right-hander scored a 29-ball 47; an innings which included six fours and two sixes in the first game against St Lucia Kings and the Tallawahs will hope that he emulates the same against Royals.
Walton loves playing against the Royals. He has the most number of runs (358) in encounters between these two sides. Those runs come at an average of nearly 33.
Andre Russell: The West Indian all-rounder smashed a 14-ball 50 in the first game but missed out big time in the last game as he endured a golden duck. Can Dre Russ improve on his batting average of 19 in 10 innings vs Barbados? Although, those runs come at a superb strike rate of 185.37.
He had an equally poor outing with the ball as he was taken for 49 runs in four overs for a solitary wicket. So, it’s a big redemption game for Dre Russ.
Rovman Powell: The Tallawahs skipper had a good day with the ball against Royals in the last encounter as he registered figures of 1/21 in three overs. He, however, missed out with the bat, scoring an 8-ball 9. Can he shrug off the blip in the next game?
Veerasammy Permaul: The spinner was the pick of the bowlers for Jamaica in the last game as he registered figures of 2/15 in four overs. He will be the one to watch out for.
Shamarh Brooks: He may have top scored with a 45-ball 47 in the last fixture against the Royals but the innings proved to be detrimental to the team’s cause. Can the young batsman redeem himself in the next game?
Stats and Facts
Both sides have locked horns in 17 games this far with the ledger locked at 8-8.
Barbados Royals won the first encounter against Jamaica Tallawahs in CPL 2021 by 15 runs.
Chadwick Walton has scored the most runs (358) among both sides during their encounters.
Possible Playing XI
Barbados Royals: 1. Johnson Charles, 2. Shai Hope (wk), 3. Kyle Mayers, 4. Glenn Phillips, 5. Jason Holder (c), 6. Azam Khan, 7. Raymon Reifer, 8. Thisara Perera, 9. Hayden Walsh, 10. Mohmmad Amir, 11. Oshane Thomas
Warner Park St Kitts Pitch Report and Weather Conditions
The pitches at Warner Park have been quite brilliant thus far. While batsmen have scored runs, fast bowlers and spinners have also generated help from the surface, making it a brilliant contest to watch between bat and ball. The average 1st innings score after eight games is 165.47 while sides batting first have won on five occasions.
As far as the weather is concerned, it is expected to be clear with temperatures fluctuating between 25-29 degree Celsius. Humidity is set to hover around 68%.
Fantasy Cricket
Note: Teams below are not based on the final playing XIs. We may not be able to update these teams in time after the final playing XIs have been announced.
Barbados Tridents may have won the last game but with Jamaica Tallawahs boasting of an imperious batting strength, one can expect the Rovman Powell-led side to stage a comeback in the return fixture.
WI-W vs SA-W 1st T20 Dream11 & Fan2Play Prediction Possible Playing 11 Pitch Report | WI-W vs SA-W Dream11 Prediction Today | West Indies Women vs South Africa Women Key Players | Antigua Pitch Report
At the same time as an important CPL tournament is taking place, an important T20I bilateral series also takes place.
West Indies, coming off a successful series against Pakistan, will be looking to continue the momentum here. However, they will be missing star player Stafanie Taylor due to being a close COVID-19 contact, which is certainly a blow. As a result, Anisa Mohammed will lead the side, and the likes of Deandra Dottin and Hayley Matthews must step up.
The Windies have a fine record against South Africa. However, this South Africa side has come leaps and bounds in recent years. A number of their players were successful in the recent Hundred, and they welcome back skipper Dane van Niekerk after missing their successful tour of India.
In the absence of Taylor, Hayley Matthews will have an even more important role to play. She has struggled against South Africa in the past (8 inns, 143 runs, avg. 17.88, SR 105.93), so West Indies will be hoping she can turn these numbers around.
Matthews had an excellent Hundred campaign recently, with 221 runs in eight matches at an average of 31.75 and strike rate of 119.45.
Deandra Dottin has an outstanding record against South Africa. No player has more runs in WI-SA T20Is than the talented all-rounder, at a superb average and strike rate (440, avg. 40.00, SR 150.68). She also has four wickets in eight innings against them.
Kycia Knight scored the most runs in West Indies’ recent T20I series vs Pakistan (69, avg. 34.50). She has experience against South Africa (nine matches), with 95 runs at 23.75, but will be aiming to improve her strike rate of 77.24.
Skipper Anisa Mohammed will be key in limiting the excellent South Africa batting lineup. She has taken 21 wickets in 15 matches against them at an average of 15.19.
Shamilia Connell has taken six wickets in seven matches vs South Africa, at a fine economy rate of 4.78. Can she build on her wickets tally?
South Africa:
Welcome back to international cricket, Dane van Niekerk. The South Africa skipper is coming off an incredible Hundred campaign, top-scoring with 259 runs at an average of 43.16. She also took eight wickets.
van Niekerk will be looking to improve on her numbers vs West Indies. In 12 innings against them, she has struck just 165 runs at an average/strike rate of 15.00/76.04.
Mignon du Preez has the most runs of any South Africa player vs West Indies. However, like van Niekerk, du Preez will be aiming to improve on her average of 18.13.
Lizelle Lee has the next most runs for South Africa against West Indies. Her 197 runs come at a decent average of 28.14 and strike rate of 110.06. Also, Lee is coming off a fine Hundred campaign, where she scored 215 runs at an average of 43.00 and strike rate of 124.27.
Marizanne Kapp also had a fine Hundred campaign, with 150 runs (avg. 37.50) and 11 wickets (avg. 6.36) in five matches. Like her teammates, she will be aiming for a big performance against West Indies, as she averages just 14.83 in 13 innings (178 runs), as well as just the four wickets in nine innings.
Laura Wolvaardt is enjoying a fine 2021. In addition to 90 runs at 45.00 in T20Is this year, Wolvaardt scored 181 runs at 36.20 in the recent Hundred. Also, Wolvaardt has scored 94 runs in four matches vs West Indies at an average of 31.33.
Shabnim Ismail is one to watch, as always. The classy South Africa pacer has taken 13 wickets in 10 matches vs West Indies. van Niekerk has the next-most wickets for South Africa vs West Indies with nine scalps.
Stats and Facts
Head-to-head: Matches 19, West Indies 13, South Africa 4, N/R 2.
The last time these two sides met was in 2018, and the teams played out a 2-2 series draw.
This will be the first meeting between the teams at Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in Antigua.
Possible Playing XI
Qiana Joseph could slot in at five, with Kyshona Knight and Chedean Nation to move up the order in the absence of Stafanie Taylor. Anisa Mohammed will lead the side.
Regular captain Dane van Niekerk is back from injury in what looks a terrific South Africa team on paper.
South Africa: 1. Lizelle Lee, 2. Dane van Niekerk (c), 3. Marizanne Kapp, 4. Mignon du Preez, 5. Laura Wolvaardt, 6. Sune Luus, 7. Chloe Tyron, 8. Trisha Chetty (wk), 9. Shabnim Ismail, 10. Ayabonga Khaka, 11. Nonkululeko Mlaba
Sir Vivian Richards Stadium Antigua Pitch Report and Weather
West Indies played two T20Is against Pakistan on this ground in July. West Indies won both games, defending 136 in one and chasing 103 in the other. Back in March, West Indies mens chased down two scores of 270+ vs Sri Lanka in consecutive ODIs. Expect an easy-paced surface with some possible assistance for the spinners.
The forecast is for warm and clear weather in Antigua.
Fantasy Cricket
Note: Teams below are not based on the final playing XIs. We may not be able to update these teams in time after the final playing XIs have been announced.
CPL 2021 Match 9: TKR vs SLK Dream11 & Fan2Play Prediction Possible Playing 11 Pitch Report | TKR vs SLK Dream11 Prediction Today | Trinbago Knight Riders vs St Lucia Kings Key Players | St Kitts Pitch Report
Remarkable stuff. Trinbago Knight Riders, who had lost just the three wickets, were unable to chase 158 courtesy of a terrific bowling effort by St. Lucia Kings. In the process, they picked up their first win of CPL 2021 – a crucial result in what is shaping up to be a competitive tournament.
It is a tournament where champions TKR have lost two of their first three matches, after dominating CPL 2020 without losing a single match. Apart from Tim Seifert, none of their top order players were able to get going; reflective of their season to date. Plus, their finish with the ball left a little to be desired, so they will get the chance to make amends 48 hours later against the same opponent.
What a time for St Lucia to pick up their first win against Trinbago for the first time since CPL 2016. Roston Chase led the way in typical Roston style, making a difference to the contest seemingly without making a fuss. Tim David again showed why he is hot property in T20 cricket, and Wahab Riaz bounced back after a shocker to defend 13 in the final over to seal victory.
The challenge for the Kings will be to repeat such an effort a day later against an opponent looking to find momentum in CPL 2021.
A match-losing knock by Colin Munro on Sunday. So, how does he bounce back? His overall record vs SLK is decent (9 inns, 267 runs, avg. 38.14, SR 132.18), but he is yet to hit top form in CPL 2021.
Lendl Simmons also struggled to find fluency. Like Munro, Simmons’ overall record for TKR vs SLK is solid (180 runs, avg. 45, SR 136.36). but TKR needs a big performance from their star opener, who was the top-scorer in CPL 2020 (11 inns, 356 runs, avg. 39.55).
Kieron Pollard missed out Sunday (9), but is still a factor given how brilliantly he has performed vs St Lucia in the past. His 387 runs against them come at an average of 48.38 and strike rate of 151.17. He scored a brilliant 58* off 30 balls vs Barbados a few days ago.
Also, Pollard might be well-served giving himself a bowl. He has taken 20 wickets in 12 innings against SLK, including seven wickets in two games last season.
Tim Seifert was the player who found form for TKR. His 40* off 16 balls wasn’t quite enough to get TKR over the line, but the performance is certainly encouraging.
Sunil Narine has taken just five wickets in nine matches vs SLK, including 0/30 on Sunday.
Ravi Rampaul has the equal-most wickets in CPL 2021 so far (six wickets in three matches). Isuru Udana had an off day on Sunday after taking 5/21 in the previous game. Can he rediscover his wicket-taking form?
St. Lucia Kings:
No player has scored more runs in TKR-SLK matches than Andre Fletcher. His 28 off 25 balls two days ago is in line with his overall record against TKR (479 runs, avg. 28.18, SR 103).
Roston Chase was player of the match on Sunday, courtesy of a superb performance. He followed up his 30* (24) with a terrific spell of 1/17. Key player.
Faf du Plessis is yet to get going so far in CPL 2021, but his class is permanent. He has scored just 12 runs in three innings vs TKR, so he will be out to make an impact.
Tim David continues to impress. His two innings in CPL 2021 read: 56 (28) and 43 (32). He will be key again as SLK’s finisher.
Wahab Riaz bounced back well, and will be key at the death. He has taken four wickets in four games vs TKR.
Stats and Facts
Head-to-head: Matches 18, SLK 3, TKR 13, N/R 2.
SLK’s win was their first win vs TKR since CPL 2016.
TKR have lost two of their first three games this season. Last season, they won CPL without losing a single match.
Possible Playing XI
Darren Bravo was reportedly out with an ankle problem on Sunday. He has a superb record vs St. Lucia (323 runs at an average of 107.67 and strike rate of 150.23), so it will be interesting to see if TKR slot him back in if fit.
Obed McCoy was reportedly rested to manage workload. It remains to be seen if SLK bring back McCoy for this match.
St. Lucia Kings: 1. Rakheem Cornwall, 2. Andre Fletcher (wk), 3. Faf du Plessis (c), 4. Roston Chase, 5. Mark Deyal, 6. Tim David, 7. Keemo Paul, 8. Wahab Riaz, 9. Usman Qadir, 10. Alzarri Joseph, 11. Obed McCoy/Jeavor Royal
Warner Park Basseterre St Kitts Pitch Report and Weather
The team batting first has won five of eight matches so far in CPL 2021, with the average first innings score reading 178 in these games. Interestingly, the team batting first has won three of the four games in the daytime matches. Quick run-scoring is very possible due to the easy-paced surface and small boundaries.
The forecast is for more clear and warm weather.
Fantasy Cricket
Note: Teams below are not based on the final playing XIs. We may not be able to update these teams in time after the final playing XIs have been announced.
Big game in take two of Trinbago Knight Riders vs St Lucia Kings. SLK were excellent on Sunday, and will be keen to produce a similar performance. However, backing TKR to bounce back in an important game, especially if they get the chance to bat first.
Ranked: Top 5 players from 3rd ENG vs IND Test | Top players from the 3rd ENG vs IND Test: England win by innings and 76 runs
How often in recent times has India lost test matches and test series from winning positions? There have been so many instances as an Indian fan, where you must think, “How on earth did India lose this Test?”
Safe to say though, the 3rd Test at Headingley was different. This Test was probably lost on the very first day with India falling like a house of cards to the swing of Jimmy Anderson, coupled with Ollie Robinson and Craig Overton’s immaculate line and length.
Indian fans are starting to have Déjà vu of the 2014 series, where India won the 2nd Test at Lord’s and then went on to lose the series 3-1. India will be hoping for a different result this time around, as this team has shown the fight and have made impossible comebacks in recent times and under difficult conditions. The swords are out for the Indian team and more so for Virat Kohli and the middle order who keep being dismissed in the same fashion time and again.
Indian fans will be hoping that India can turn things around dramatically at The Oval in the 4th Test just like they did in Australia last year after posting their lowest Test score of all time.
Malan’s last First Class match was back in June. Although he hit 199 in that game, people could argue that Ollie Pope would have been an option to consider for the much maligned England number three slot. However, Malan played beautifully, scoring a fine 70 at number three, providing the kind of assurance and solidity that England have been lacking for quite some time.
4. Rohit Sharma
The only Indian player on this list and rightly so. When India started the second innings, Anderson and Robinson displayed some top-class swing bowling, making run-scoring quite difficult. Sharma left well, patiently waiting to pounce on rare loose deliveries from England’s disciplined and skilful attack. The way he stood his ground ensured that India made the England bowlers work and set a platform for the middle order.
3. Joe Root
Well, a Joe Root hundred shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone now. He is having the time of his life and with another hundred in the Test match, that’s three for the series in three matches and six for the year already. With five Test matches to play, Joe Root looks set to pass the record for the highest runs scored in a calendar year.
Root came in at 2-159 after England openers finally got them off to a great start. He was the only one who converted the fifty into another hundred and India don’t seem to have any answer to Joe Root’s class at the moment.
2. Ollie Robinson
With seven wickets in the test, including a 5-for in the second innings, Robinson has taken to Test match cricket like duck to water. A lot of experts have already tipped Robsinon to take on the mantle of fast bowling along with Archer once Broad and Anderson hang up their boots. He dismissed a well set Virat Kohli in the second innings with a terrific piece of bowling and opened the floodgates for the Indian collapse.
1. James Anderson
Time again, Jimmy makes us wonder how he does it. To bowl with that gusto and keep yourself hungry at the age of 39 is a thing of beauty. He dismissed KL Rahul, India’s shining light so far on this tour, in the first over of the Test match, before dismissing Pujara and Kohli in the first hour of the Test.
He took three wickets in the first innings in his eight overs while only giving away six runs with six maidens. You would expect nothing less than a 630-wicket stalwart.
The series is now evenly poised at 1-all, but England will definitely have the upper hand going back to London at The Oval for the fourth Test. But this Indian team has shown time and again that they will not be bullied like the old Indian teams, (Sorry Mr Sunil Gavaskar) and they know how to make a comeback.
As a fan, we can expect there will no love lost between the two teams at The Oval and we can expect some hard and tough cricket when the 4th Test begins on 2nd September.
CPL 2021 Match 8: SKN vs GUY Dream11 & Fan2Play Prediction Possible Playing 11 Pitch Report | SKN vs GUY Dream11 Prediction Today | St. Kitts and Nevis Patriots vs Guyana Amazon Warriors Key Players | St Kitts Pitch Report
The 8th match of the 9th season of the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) will see St.Kitts and Nevis Patriots lock horns with Guyana Amazon Warriors at Warner Park in St. Kitts.
This will be the second meeting between these two sides in as many days. Yesterday, the impressive and much-improved St. Kitts &Nevis Patriots notched up a comfortable eight-wicket win over as they chased down 147 in just 18.5 overs. Devon Thomas (55 off 54 balls) and Evin Lewis (62 off 39 balls) were the stars of the show for St Kitts as the duo racked up 113 runs for the opening wicket in just 13.4 overs.
St Kitts & Nevis Patriots are riding high with two wins in as many games and they will looking to make it a hat-trick when they square off against the Warriors
Guyana Amazon Warriors, on the other hand, need to address their batting. The likes of Shimron Hetmyer and Nicholas Pooran are batting too low in the order at the moment and, as a result, they are ending up with underwhelming totals. Will there be a change in batting order for the Amazon Warriors in the next game?
Evin Lewis: Lewis smashed a whirlwind 39-ball 62 against Guyana in the last game and he will be looking to emulate the same in the next outing.
Before yesterday, Lewis had a poor record vs Guyana. Now, he has scored 210 runs in 12 innings against Guyana with his 62 in the last game being his highest total.
Devon Thomas: Thomas chipped in with an unbeaten 54-ball 55 in the last game against Guyana. He has scored a total of 204 runs in 8 innings against Guyana at an average of 25.5.
Sherfane Rutherford: The middle-order batsman smashed a match-winning 43-ball 53 in the first game against Barbados Tridents. He will play another game against his former side today, and will be looking to improve on his score of 14 yesterday.
DJ Bravo: Skipper Bravo has chipped in with both and ball in the tournament this far. While he stroked an unbeaten 35-ball 47 in the first game, he chipped in with a crucial wicket of Shimron Hetmyer in the last game against Guyana Amazon Warriors. He has 26 wickets in 20 matches against them.
Dominic Drakes: The left-arm pacer has been a revelation in the tournament thus far. In two games, he has claimed 5 wickets at an average of 7.80 and an economy rate of 4.87.
In his last outing against Guyana, Drakes claimed 3/26 in 4 overs and he will be looking to make an encore in the next game.
Guyana Amazon Warriors
Nicholas Pooran: The Warriors skipper has chipped in with handy cameos while batting at No.7 in the two games thus far. However, with the middle order not really firing, there is a good enough case for Pooran to promote himself up the order and make the maximum impact.
Pooran chipped in with a 10-ball 23 in the last game against St Kitts. However, given his stupendous record against SKN- 141 runs in 4 innings including a three figure score- it is imperative he gets the maximum balls to bat for him to make the difference.
Shimron Hetmyer: The left hander smashed a brilliant 41-ball 54 in the first game against TKR but missed out against St Kitts as he managed 5 ball-4. He will be looking to make amends for the same.
His record against SKN is impressive: 241 runs in 7 innings with the highest score being 79.
Odean Smith: Smith put up a match-winning performance for Guyana in the first game as he chipped in with a 15-ball 24 before claiming two important wickets for 10 runs in two overs.
He, however, had a poor outing in the last game against St Kitts as he didn’t trouble the scorers with the bat while conceding 18 runs in 3 overs with the ball.
Mohammed Hafeez: The veteran Pakistan all-rounder had a good outing in the last game as he chipped in with an unbeaten 31-ball 38 besides bowling four economical overs for 18.
Stats and Facts
Both sides have locked horns on 13 instances with Guyana Amazon Warriors bossing the ledger with a 10-3 lead.
However, St Kitts and Nevis Patriots beat Guyana in their first meeting this season by 8 wickets. This was their first win vs GAW since 2017.
Both sides have met at Warner Park on 6 occasions with Guyana winning 5 of them.
Possible Playing XI
St Kitts and Nevis Patriots: 1. Devon Thomas, 2. Evin Lewis, 3. Sherfane Rutherford, 4. Joshua de Silva (wk), 5. Asif Ali, 6. Fabian Allen, 7. DJ Bravo (c), 8. Dominic Drakes, 9. Sheldon Cottrell, 10. Paul van Meekeren, 11. Fawad Ahmed
Warner Park Basseterre St Kitts pitch report and weather conditions
With 6 matches having already taken place at St Kitts, the pitches are likely to get slow and sluggish as the tournament wears on. The average 1st innings score after six games is 166.8 while sides batting first have won on four occasions.
As far as the weather is concerned, it is expected to be clear with temperatures hovering between 27-30 degree Celsius. Humidity is set to hover around 6%.
St Kitts and Nevis Patriots have a better balance as far as their batting-unit as well as their bowling is concerned. They are much improved in 2021. Backing them to make it two-in-two against Guyana on Sunday.
CPL 2021 Match 7: SLK vs TKR Dream11 & Fan2Play Prediction Possible Playing 11 Pitch Report | SLK vs TKR Dream11 Prediction Today | St Lucia Kings vs Trinbago Knight Riders Key Players | St Kitts Pitch Report
From a record defeat to playing the record CPL title holders, St Lucia Kings have quite the task ahead of them today. The talent is there, but they will need to produce when it matters in a competition that is already looking quite competitive, especially with Barbados and St Kitts picked up victories yesterday.
So, how well can they recover from a 120-run defeat against champions Trinbago Knight Riders? TKR opened their CPL 2021 account with a dominant win over Barbados a couple of days back, courtesy of Isuru Udana’s five-for and Kieron Pollard’s magnificent finishing. The form of their top order is an area for improvement, so keep an eye on Lendl Simmons, Colin Munro and Tim Seifert in their quest to find form.
In a short, sharp competition, picking up early points and confidence is key on the agenda. Both teams will be aiming for a quality performance today.
Andre Fletcher has the most runs in SLK-TKR matches. His 451 runs have come in 17 matches, at an average of 28.19 and strike rate of 102.27. He scored 39 (27) and 42 (27) vs TKR in CPL 2020.
Mark Deyal provided resistance against TKR last season, and SLK will be hoping he does the same this season. He scored 29 (27) and 40 (33) vs TKR in CPL 2020.
Faf du Plessis will be crucial to SLK’s hopes. Coming off a golden duck a couple of days ago, Faf will be looking for his first big innings since returning from a concussion. He has scored just two runs in two innings vs TKR, but Faf’s class can’t be ignored particularly given how well he was playing earlier in 2021.
Tim David’s rise continues. He scored a superb 56 off 28 balls vs Jamaica two days ago, and he will be key as a finisher here.
Obed McCoy will be key in limiting the impact of the TKR batsmen. McCoy was superb against Australia recently, and was in the wickets vs Jamaica, although expensive (3/52).
Keemo Paul and Wahab Riaz will need to overturn some poor numbers. Paul has taken just the one wicket in four innings vs TKR. Wahab is coming off a terrible day, where he conceded the second-highest economy rate of any bowler (min. 2 overs) in a single CPL game. Riaz has three wickets in three games vs TKR.
Trinbago Knight Riders:
Lendl Simmons is yet to make an impact in CPL 2021, but he enjoys playing against St. Lucia. In four innings for TKR against them, he has slammed 155 runs (avg. 51.67) at a strike rate of 151.96. This includes a swushbuckling 84* off 49 balls in CPL 2020.
Darren Bravo has an unbelievably good record against St. Lucia. In 10 innings, he has scored 323 runs at an average of 107.67 and strike rate of 150.23. This includes two half-centuries in two matches last season (50 off 42 balls and 58* off 47 balls).
Like Simmons, Colin Munro hasn’t made an impact yet in this tournament. Today could be the day, as he has enjoyed past success against SLK (8 inns, 227 runs, avg. 32.43, SR 146.45).
Kieron Pollard is in some fine touch. He scored a brilliant 58* off 30 balls vs Barbados two days ago. Also, he has a magnificent record against St. Lucia, with 378 runs in 13 innings at an average/strike rate of 54.00/153.04. He also has 20 wickets to his name against them.
Isuru Udana is coming off a player-of-the-match performance vs Barbados, thanks to a brilliant haul of 5/21. He will be key again in limiting St. Lucia’s finishers.
Sunil Narine will be looking to improve on his numbers of five wickets in eight games vs St. Lucia. Also, he averages just 13.83 with the bat against them.
Stats and Facts
Head-to-head: Matches 17, SLK 2, TKR 13, N/R 2.
St. Lucia have not beaten TKR since the 2016 CPL season.
TKR have won 13 of their past 14 CPL matches.
Kieron Pollard took seven wickets in two matches vs St Lucia in CPL 2020.
Possible Playing XI
Will SLK persist with Wahab Riaz after a bad day out? His experience suggests they should.
St. Lucia Kings: 1. Rakheem Cornwall, 2. Andre Fletcher (wk), 3. Faf du Plessis (c), 4. Mark Deyal, 5. Roston Chase, 6. Tim David, 7. Keemo Paul, 8. Wahab Riaz, 9. Usman Qadir, 10. Kesrick Williams, 11. Obed McCoy
TKR could look at batting Sunil Narine lower down the order to accommodate Darren Bravo, who has an outstanding record vs SLK, up the order.
Trinbago Knight Riders: 1. Lendl Simmons, 2. Sunil Narine, 3. Colin Munro, 4. Tim Seifert, 5. Darren Bravo, 6. Kieron Pollard (c), 7. Denesh Ramdin (wk), 8. Isuru Udana, 9. Akeal Hosein, 10. Ravi Rampaul, 11. Jayden Seales
Warner Park Basseterre St Kitts Pitch Report and Weather
The team batting first has won four out of six games so far in CPL 2021. In these four wins, the average first innings score is 183.25, bumped up by Jamaica’s 255. This indicates that run-scoring is possible given the easy-paced nature of the pitch and smaller boundaries.
The forecast is for warm and clear weather.
Fantasy Cricket
Note: Teams below are not based on the final playing XIs. We may not be able to update these teams in time after the final playing XIs have been announced.
This has the potential to be a good game given the quality St. Lucia have in their ranks. However, Trinbago Knight Riders have the wood over St. Lucia and should be good enough to win the game.
CPL 2021 Match 6: JAM vs BAR Dream11 & Fan2Play Prediction Possible Playing 11 Pitch Report | JAM vs BAR Dream11 Prediction Today | Jamaica Tallawahs vs Barbados Royals Key Players | St Kitts Pitch Report
The 6th game of the 9th edition of the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) will see Jamaica Tallawahs lock horns with Barbados Royals at Warner Park in St. Kitts.
Jamaica Tallawahs couldn’t have asked for a better start to their CPL 2021 campaign, could they? The Rovman Powell-led unit showed their batting might to the hilt in their opening game against St Lucia Kings as they smashed the second highest score in the history of the T20 league.
Batting first, the Tallawahs went up and running as the duo of Chadwick Walton (47 off 29 balls) and Kennar Lewis (48 off 21 balls) smoked 81 runs in the powerplay.
There was no looking back from there on for Jamaica Tallawahs as the likes of Haider Ali (45 off 32 balls), skipper Rovman Powell (38 off 26 balls) chipped in with handy cameos before Andre Russell smashed a whirlwind 14-ball 50* – the fastest in the history of CPL- as Tallawahs posted the 2nd highest total in CPL history- 5-255 in 20 overs.
The total proved to be more than enough thanks to Migael Preotrious, who claimed 4/32 in four overs including three top-order wickets, and Imran Khan, who finished with figures of 3/7 in 2.3 overs. Having notched up an imperious 120-run victory in their opening game, the Tallawahs will be looking to continue with their good form in their next match against Barbados Royals.
Speaking of the Royals, the Jason Holder-led unit has got off to an abysmal start to their campaign. They have lost their first two games against St. Kitts and Nevis Patriots and defending champions, Trinbago Knight Riders, and in both cases their batting has been found wanting.
In their last outing,they could only manage 122 runs in 19.2 overs which was never going to be an issue for the Knight Riders as they chased it down in 16.5 overs. Can Barbados Royals address their slide or will Jamaica Tallawahs storm to yet another win?
Chadwick Walton: Walton was at his swashbuckling best in the last game against St Lucia Kings as he smashed a whirlwind 29-ball 47 which included six 4s and two 6s.
Walton has a decent record against Barbados Royals. In 11 outings, he has scored 355 runs at an average of 35.50 and a strike rate of 124.13.
Kennar Lewis: Lewis showed his class in the last game as he flayed the St.Lucia bowlers to all corners during his 21-ball 48- an innings which included two 4s and as many as five 6s.
Lewis struck at 228.57 and was easily the most dominant partner among the two. He has played just two matches against Royals, managing 25 runs in two innings and the opener would be looking to make amends this time around.
Andre Russell: Dre Russ sent warning signs to all the teams in his maiden outing as the swashbuckling all-rounder smashed the fastest fifty in the history of the CPL.
Russell smashed a 14-ball 50* during which he smoked as many as six sixes and three fours. His record against Barbados, however, isn’t particularly great – 152 runs in 9 innings at 21.71 and a strike rate of 187.65 – and he will be looking to make amends for it.
Haider Ali: The young Pakistani batsman impressed one and all with his brilliant knock of 32-ball 45 which ensured that the Tallawahs kept up with the momentum in the middle overs after the openers had provided them with a brilliant start. It will be interesting to see if he can continue his performance in the next game.
Migael Pretorius: The fast bowler wreaked havoc in the first game as he dismissed three of the first 4 top-order batsmen of St. Lucia to effectively end the contest. He eventually finished with figures of 4/32 in 4 overs.
Imran Khan: The right-arm leg-spinner chipped in with figures of 3-7 in 2.3 overs against St Lucia Kings as he ran through their lower-order. Khan enjoyed a great outing the last time he played against Barbados Royals. He claimed three wickets at an economy rate of 4.75.
Barbados Royals
Glenn Phillips: With Barbados Royals boasting not much firepower in the middle-order, it is imperative for the likes of Glenn Phillips to come good, something that hasn’t been the case in CPL 2021 thus far. Phillips has thus far registered scores of 5 and 24 and he will be desperately looking to make amends in the next game against his former franchise.
Johnson Charles: Just like Phillips, the onus lies on Johnson Charles to provide a blistering start to Barbados Royals. In two games thus far, Charles has managed scores of 12 and 13, something he would like to improve on in the forthcoming game.
As far as his record against Jamaica Tallawahs is concerned, the right-hander has managed just 46 runs in four outings at an average of 11.50 and a strike rate of 82.14.
Shai Hope: Hope has chipped in with contributions of 44 off 38 balls and 20 off 19 in his first two outings this season. But, the right-hander will need to make an improvement in his strike rate. Hope has played three matches against Jamaica, managing just 52 runs at 17.33 and a strike rate of 120.93.
Azam Khan: Khan has played two decent knocks in as many games. While he scored a 16-ball 28 against St Kitts, he chipped in with a 21-ball 30 in the last game to finish as the leading run-getter for his team.
Oshane Thomas: With figures of 3/22 (4 overs) and 1/14 (4 overs) in the first couple of games, Oshane Thomas has been sensational in the CPL thus far.
With regards to his record against Jamaica Tallawahs, Thomas has claimed 3 wickets in 4 games at an average of 21.25 and an economy rate of 7.98.
Mohammad Amir: Amir was brilliant in the last game as he knocked over the top-3 of TKR to give his side a brilliant start in their defence of 122. The Pakistani seamer finished with figures of 3/21 in 4 overs.
Stats and Facts
Both sides have locked horns on 16 instances with Jamaica Tallawahs winning eight of them and Barbados Royals coming out victorious on seven occasions.
Last season, Barbados Tridents emerged victorious in both their outings against Jamaica Tallawahs.
Both sides have squared at Warner Park in St Kitts only once with Barbados emerging victorious.
Possible Playing XI
Jamaica Tallawahs
Playing XI – 1. Chadwick Walton (wk), 2. Kennar Lewis, 3. Sharmarh Brooks, 4. Haider Ali, 5. Rovman Powell (c), 6. Andre Russell, 7. Craig Brathwaite, 8. Chris Green, 9. Migael Pretorious, 10. Veerasammy Permaul, 11. Imran Khan
Barbados Royals
Playing XI – 1. Glenn Phillips, 2. Johnson Charles, 3. Shai Hope (wk), 4. Jason Holder (c), 5. Azam Khan, 6. Kyle Mayers, 7. Thisara Perera, 8. Ashley Nurse, 9. Hayden Walsh Jr, 10. Mohammad Amir, 11. Oshane Thomas
Warner Park, St Kitts Pitch Report and Weather Conditions
The pitches in St Kitts have been full of runs thus far but there has been enough in the surface to keep both pacers and seamers interested.
The average 1st innings score after four games is 173.5 while sides’ batting first have won thrice. With regards to the weather, it is expected to be clear with temperatures hovering between 26-30 degree Celsius. Humidity is set to hover around 69%.
Fantasy Cricket
Note: Teams below are not based on the final playing XIs. We may not be able to update these teams in time after the final playing XIs have been announced.
Dream11 & Fan2Play Prediction
CPL 2021 Match 6: JAM vs BAR Fan2Play Prediction
Match Prediction
With Jamaica Tallawahs batting in belligerent form and Barbados Royals down in the dumps courtesy of consecutive defeats, back the Tallawahs to notch up their second win of the season.
CPL 2021 Match 5: GUY vs SKN Dream11 & Fan2Play Prediction Possible Playing 11 Pitch Report | GUY vs SKN Dream11 Prediction Today | Guyana Amazon Warriors vs St. Kitts and Nevis Patriots Key Players | St Kitts Pitch Report
It’s the battle of the two winners from day one of CPL 2021. Both Guyana Amazon Warriors and St Kitts and Nevis Patriots were impressive in their first up games, beating Trinbago Knight Riders and Barbados Royals respectively.
The bowling, which has been a strength of the Warriors over the years, came to the fore against TKR. Defending just 142, the Pooran-led side produced a wonderful team effort to restrict the defending champions to just 133, including a maiden over in the penultimate. Plus, the form of Shimron Hetmyer is a plus, and the Warriors will be hoping their top order clicks as well.
Speaking of top orders, the Patriots’ top order crumbled in the opener against Barbados, falling to 38/4 in 7.2 overs. However, Sherfane Rutherford, Dwayne Bravo and Fabian Allen showcased the strength of the Patriots’ middle order this season, as they produced the goods to score 137 runs in the last 12.4 overs to finish on a strong 175/5. A solid bowling display then capped off a good outing for last season’s bottom-placed team, who now have strong reason to believe they are in for a much better season.
Guyana have won the last six matches between these two sides, so it will be interesting to see how well the confident Patriots fare here.
Nicholas Pooran scored an incredible 100* off 45 balls against the Patriots last season. He will be aiming for a big performance when finishing the innings here.
Odean Smith was player of the match in GAW’s opener. He batted at three, scoring a 15-ball 24 and took 2/10 with the ball too. He could prove to be a crucial player for the Warriors.
Shimron Hetmyer scored the first half-century of any player in CPL 2021 (54 off 41 balls). No player has more runs in GAW-SKN matches than Hetmyer, with a superb tally of 237 runs in six matches at an average/strike rate of 59.25/141.07.
Shoaib Malik has a solid record against SKN, with 195 runs in seven matches at an average of 39.00 (SR 115). He will be a key cog in GAW’s middle order.
Romario Shepherd was GAW’s star bowler in the opening night, with 3/15 against a strong TKR lineup. He will be aiming to build on just two wickets in four matches so far against St. Kitts.
Naveen-ul-Haq took 26 wickets in 14 games at an average of 17.58 in the Vitality Blast. He took the equal-most wickets for GAW last season (11), along with Imran Tahir.
Tahir was at his brilliant best in the first match. He took 2/12. Also, he has an impressive nine wickets in five matches vs St. Kitts.
St. Kitts and Nevis Patriots
Sherfane Rutherford is one of the key players to watch in CPL 2021, given his ability to go big in the middle. He was superb on SKN debut, hitting 53 off 43 balls in a player of the match performance. This will be his first meeting against his former team, and he will be motivated to perform.
Dwayne Bravo was also magnificent on SKN debut. Although he was expensive with the ball (0/37), Bravo produced the goods with the bat (47* off 35 balls). Against GAW, Bravo has struck 243 runs at an average of 20, as well as 25 wickets in 19 matches.
Evin Lewis will be key, but has to overturn a terrible record against the Warriors. In 12 matches, Lewis has struck just 187 runs at an average of 15.58 and strike rate of 87.
Is this the day of Chris Gayle? He has enjoyed past success against the Warriors, with a total of 505 runs in 17 matches at an average of 36.07. However, his strike rate of 115 suggests he hasn’t been able to get a hold of the Warriors bowlers.
Fabian Allen will be key to SKN’s hopes. He was superb two days ago, with 19* (7) and 2/12. He is also a livewire in the field.
Dominic Drakes (2/13 in four overs) enjoyed a wonderful start to CPL 2021. Can he back it up with another fine performance? Sheldon Cottrell has the most wickets in GUY-SKN matches (12 in nine games).
Stats and Facts
Head-to-head: Matches 12, Guyana Amazon Warriors 10, St. Kitts & Nevis Patriots 2.
Guyana have won all five matches against St. Kitts at Warner Park.
St. Kitts have not beaten Guyana since the 2017 CPL season.
St. Kitts and Nevis Patriots: 1. Evin Lewis, 2. Devon Thomas (wk), 3. Chris Gayle, 4. Asif Ali, 5. Sherfane Rutherford, 6. Dwayne Bravo (c), 7. Fabian Allen, 8. Dominic Drakes, 9. Sheldon Cottrell, 10. Paul van Meekeren, 11. Fawad Ahmed
Warner Park Basseterre St. Kitts Pitch Report and Weather
Yesterday, Andre Russell and Jamaica Tallawahs went ballistic as they racked up 255/5. On the same day, Barbados struggled. However, fast run-scoring is very possible in these conditions, with an easy-paced pitch and small boundaries. The weather is forecast to be warm and clear.
Fantasy Cricket
Note: Teams below are not based on the final playing XIs. We may not be able to update these teams in time after the final playing XIs have been announced.
GUY vs SKN Dream11 Prediction
Option 1:
CPL 2021 Match 5: GUY vs SKN Dream11 Prediction
Option 2:
CPL 2021 Match 5: GUY vs SKN Dream11 Prediction
Fan2Play Prediction
CPL 2021 Match 5: GUY vs SKN Fan2Play
GUY vs SKN Match Prediction
This promises to be a beauty. Guyana have a fine record against St. Kitts, but this is a different St. Kitts unit this season. This one could come down to whether the team batting first can notch a total of 160+ and put the team batting second under scoreboard pressure.
Cricket News: Twitter reactions to Andre Russell fastest ever CPL fifty | Twitter reacts to unbelievable Andre Russell 50 off 14 balls in CPL 2021
Ridiculous. Just ridiculous. Andre Russell was back at his magnificent best, as he slammed the fastest-ever fifty in CPL history against the sorry St. Lucia Kings.
The Kings, who are considered one of the title contenders for this year’s CPL title, simply had no answers. He unleashed 14 balls of carnage to finish what was already looking a dominant Tallawahs total, scoring 1, 6, 0, 1, 6, 6, 4, 6, 6, 6, 0, 0, 4 and 4. In the process, he went past JP Duminy’s record of 15 balls for the fastest CPL fifty, achieved for Barbados against Trinbago Knight Riders in 2019.
Records tumbled everywhere. Tallawahs’ 255/5 was the second-highest score in CPL history. The 120-run margin was the biggest margin in terms of runs in CPL history. Wahab Riaz’s economy rate of 20.33 in his three overs is the second-worst economy rate for a bowler who sent down at least two overs in a CPL game. Carnage.
Unsurprisingly, Andre Russell was player of the match. He said that he came in with a clear frame of mind, and gave credit to his teammates who set up the perfect platform.
“Just got there with a clear frame of mind. Kennar really set the tone for us. Well played by the boys,” Russell said. “As a big hitter, I come low down… Nine times out of ten I think I can do what I did today. They call this ground the bullring. It is a small ground, so once you are off target, you are bound to get hit.“
Twitter reactions to Andre Russell 50 off 14 balls: fastest ever CPL fifty
Andre Russell is the first batsman in T20 history to score a 14-ball 50 on two occasions. Both coming in the space of 9 months – for Colombo in LPL 2020 and for Jamaica today. #CPL2021
Andre Russell now has the fastest Caribbean Premier League fifty in just 14 balls. He overtook JP Duminy, who reached there in 15 balls in 2019.#CPL2021
— Guerilla Cricket #GCFromHome (@guerillacricket) August 27, 2021
Wahab Riaz gave away 61 runs from his 3 overs. And also scored 26 runs with the bat. Became the first player to score 25+ runs and to give away 60+ runs in the same match in the history of @CPL#CPL21
