Guyana Amazon Warriors v St Kitts and Nevis Patriots, 20th match, Port of Spain
Our XI: Brandon King, Evin Lewis, Nicholas Pooran (wk), Ben Dunk, Shimron Hetmyer, Imran Tahir, Chris Green, Keemo Paul, Sohail Tanvir, Naveen-ul-Haq, Sheldon Cottrell.
NOTE: We might not always be able to tip you off about late injury (or other relevant) updates, so do keep an eye out for the toss before making your final picks.
Captain: Imran Tahir The batsmen from St Kitts and Nevis average 14.72 against spin while average 23.15 against pace. With the conditions gradually getting harder for batsmen, backing the spinners might be wise move. Tahir has 11 wickets at an average of 14 and economy of 6.41 this season.
Vice-captain: Keemo Paul The last time these two teams met, Paul took four wickets. His variations in pace and batting abilities make him a potential vice-captain pick. Paul has seven wickets at an economy of 6.70 so far in the tournament.
Hot Picks
Evin Lewis
Lewis, who has amassed 182 runs at a strike rate of 134.81 this season, is arguably the only hope for St Kitts to move ahead in the tournament. They are overly reliant on quick starts but both their openers have been struggling in conditions that have proven tough this season. Lewis was pushed to the lower-middle order to play a finisher's role in the previous game, but that did not come off.
Shimron Hetmyer
After three failures in a row, he managed a 30-ball 26 in the previous game against the Trinbago Knight Riders. With Pooran, King and Ross Taylor not striking form, the Amazon Warriors' dependency on Hetmyer increases. He is the leading run-scorer for the Amazon Warriors scoring 169 runs in six innings so far in CPL 2020.
Value picks
Ben Dunk
He got starts in all the games he has batted in this season but consistently failed to convert them. He is the second-highest run-getter for the Patriots, scoring 125 runs in six innings at a strike rate of 114.67.
Brandon King
A poor start to the tournament notwithstanding, King's performance in the coming games will play vital role in determining whether or not the Amazon Warriors can to make it to the playoffs. King's start in the powerplay could help the Amazon Warriors get to an above par score or chase down a relatively low target. King has just 46 runs from six games and would be looking to get a big one soon.
Points to note
The Patriots are finding it hard to win matches, with their over-reliance on Lewis a cause of concern. The pitches are not suiting aggressive batsmen and both teams have plenty of them. Back the spinners.