BR vs ABF, Preview | Antigua and Barbuda Falcons eye maiden top four finish in CPL

Yesterday at 3:27 PM

Barbados Royals and Antigua and Barbuda Falcons set to battle each other for the second time at the Kensington Oval on Saturday. While the Royals will be looking for their first win in the tournament, the Falcons will be eyeing their first top-four finish in the tournament.

‌The league stage of the CPL is about to come to an end, with only one team officially qualified for the playoffs, while the other five teams are still battling for their place in the top four. The upcoming game will be another crucial battle between two-time champions, Barbados Royals, against the new franchise on the block in Antigua and Barbuda Falcons. The two teams had last faced each other in game number three, where the Falcons had won their first game against the Royals after facing two disappointing defeats against them in their debut season last year. This is set to be an interesting battle between the two teams, for whom every game will be crucial in the tournament.

The Royals are having one of their worst seasons this year after finishing third last season. The Rovman Powell-led side is still languishing at the bottom of the table with 4 losses and one rained-out game. Though there were glimpses of great performances in their last game against the Guyana Amazon Warriors with Powell’s half-century and Eathan Bosch’s spell, they still failed to break their losing streak in their first home game this season. This will be a moment where they can finally avenge their loss against the Falcons and get their first win of the season.

While the Royals are still looking to open their account, the Antigua franchise are also in a tough position as well with three wins, four losses, and one no result in the eight games they have played. Though they might be third on the points table, the disappointing results in the last two games against the Trinbago Knight Riders and the St Lucia Kings have put them in a tricky situation where their remaining two games will be a do-or-die matter for them. Imad Wasim and his men will have put their best game forward to ensure their maiden top-four finish in the season.

Form Guide

The Royals have struggled in the T20 format and are still searching for their first win in the tournament.

The Falcons have also lacked consistency in the tournament, having lost three of their last five games in the tournament.

Barbados Royals: L L NR L L

Antigua Barbados Falcons: L L W L W

BR vs ABF Head-to-Head in T20s

The Falcons had made their debut in the tournament only last year and have only played three games against the Barbados franchise so far, where they might have lost their first two games last season, but got their first win against them in the current edition

Barbados Royals 2 - 1 Antigua and Barbuda Falcons

Pitch and Weather

The surface at the Kensington Oval was tough for the batters in the last game as the pacers got the freedom to use their variations due to its slow nature, and the spinners got a lot of grip and turn in the middle overs. However, the conditions seemed to have gotten easier to tackle as soon as the batters were set at the crease. Making chasing an ideal choice on this wicket.

Though the conditions are expected to be slightly overcast and cloudy in Barbados, the chances for rain are minimal with the expected temperature ranging from 28-30 degrees Celsius.

Team News

The Royals might make one change in their lineup by bringing in young all-rounder Johann Layne in place of Chris Green, who has underperformed in the last two games he has played.

The Falcons might also make some forced changes by bringing in Rakheem Cornwall and Obed McCoy in place of Odean Smith and Salman Irshad, since their ability to vary their pace can come in handy on a slow and dry surface in Barbados.

Barbados Royals Probable XI: Quinton de Kock(w), Brandon King, Kadeem Alleyne, Rassie van der Dussen, Sherfane Rutherford, Rovman Powell(c), Johann Layne, Daniel Sams, Eathan Bosch, Jomel Warrican, Ramon Simmonds.

Antigua and Barbuda Falcons Probable XI: Jewel Andrew (wk), Amir Jangoo, Karima Gore, Andries Gous, Shakib Al Hasan, Imad Wasim (c), Fabian Allen, Rakheem Cornwall, Usama Mir, Jayden Seales, Obed McCoy.

Broadcasting Platforms

The 22nd game between Barbados Royals and Antigua and Barbuda Falcons will be digitally streamed on the Fancode app/website, and the action will be captured on television on the Star Sports network at 4:30 am