SLK vs TKR 9th Match CPL 2023 – Trinbago Knight Riders are looking for their first victory in this season after their first match got washed out. On the other hand, Saint Lucia bounced back in their previous match. However, the upcoming Saint Lucia Kings vs. Trinbago Knight Riders match has significance in the point table.
Saint Lucia Kings vs Trinbago Knight Riders Match Preview:
Saint Lucia Kings
The Kings were involved in 4 of the first 6 matches of the CPL 2023. It was high time for the Gros Islet hosts, who lost to Jamaica Tallawahs before beating Barbados Royals. then they had to share washouts with Guyana Amazon Warriors and St Kitts & Nevis Patriots.
St Lucia has 5 of the top 6 run-getters in this season so far. That is mostly because they have played more innings than other franchises, but also does speak volumes of the batting firepower at their disposal.
The side also has 4 of the top 8 wicket-takers in this season’s tournament to date. Pacer Matthew Forde has led the spell, while Scottish Chris Sole has been finding deadly pace and good carry in Caribbean pitches.
Trinbago Knight Riders
More than a week into the CPL 2023, the TKR is still trying to conclude their first match. West Indian quartet Kieron Pollard, Dwayne Bravo, Andre Russell, and Sunil Narine make for a formidable set of all-rounders for Trinbago. The entire team can rely heavily on these top 4 stars for runs and wickets.
TKR got started against St Kitts & Nevis. But only because of the wet weather in Gros Islet, they could not make the final say. Early pointers from that game suggested Guptill open the batting again. He recently has been nominated for the Big Bash draft in Australia.
SLK vs TKR Match Details:
The St Lucia Kings vs Trinbago Knight Riders match will be on the 9th of the 2023 Caribbean Premier League tournament. The Kings currently are at the second position in the CPL table, while the Knight Riders are at the bottom of the list. Both teams have only one win between them this season amid a string of washouts in Gros Islet.
SLK vs TKR Predicted Playing XI:
Predicted Playing XI for St Lucia Kings:
Johnson Charles (Wk), Faf du Plessis (C), Sadrack Descarte, Sean Williams, Sikandar Raza, Roston Chase, Roshon Primus, Alzarri Joseph, Khary Pierre, Chris Sole, Jair McAllister
Predicted Playing XI for Trinbago Knight Riders:
Martin Guptill, Mark Deyal, Kieron Pollard (C), Chadwick Walton (Wk), Andre Russell, Nicholas Pooran, Dwayne Bravo, Sunil Narine, Akeal Hosein, Jayden Seales, Kadeem Alleyne
Saint Lucia Kings vs Trinbago Knight Riders Key Players:
Saint Lucia Kings
Scottish right-arm fast-medium bowler Chris Sole was expensive in the first two outings. He picked 1 for 22 from his 12 balls against Guyana. There is great variety in the bowling with Alzarri Joseph, Sikandar Raza, Khary Pierre, and Roston Chase. Raza is a key all-rounder in the SLK squad. He was vital in their win scoring 23 in 13 balls at number 5 and picking up 1 wicket for 21 runs from his 4 overs. The big thing for Saint Lucia Kings is its openers- Faf du Plessis and Johnson Charles are match-winning players at the top.
Trinbago Knight Riders
Kiwi Martin Guptill will open again in the Saint Lucia Kings vs Trinbago Knight Riders match. This veteran cricketer has been a powerful weapon for the TKR squad. In the next match, he will apply his expertise and experience to uphold his team in the point table.
Trinbago has a promising duo- Narine and left-armer Akeal Hosein. Hosein and Narine shared 20 wickets in the last season of CPL and it will be exciting to see how often, if at all, they bowl in tandem in the match. Both can be deployed during the opening powerplay.
Pitch & Weather Conditions:
Warner Park, Basseterre in St Kitts & Nevis will hold the Saint Lucia Kings vs Trinbago Knight Riders match. The pitch here is a bit tricky. The bowlers would find advantages during the first half making it slightly challenging for the batters to connect their shots. But as the match progresses, batting on this surface would be easier. However, the weather might be partly cloudy with a temperature of 29 degrees Celsius on the match day.
SLK vs TKR Match Prediction:
There is slight information on Knight Riders’ current form since they have not finished any match till now. On the other hand, Saint Lucia Kings, have bounced back from their downfall. So, I predict, that Saint Lucia will beat Trinbago Knight Riders in the Saint Lucia Kings vs Trinbago Knight Riders match.
