Trinidad & Tobago Red Steel will go up against Guyana Amazon Warriors in the Caribbean Premier League in a return match at Port of Spain on Friday.
Red Steel, led by Dwayne Bravo, will be looking to take revenge for their earlier loss against Denesh Ramdin's Warriors.
The first match between the two sides had the unforgettable Sunil Narine Super Over in which he delivered the almost unthinkable -- a maiden. The Red Steel batsmen could do nothing against the spinner as they crashed to a defeat. It remains to be seen how Narine's presence will affect them.
Bravo's men, though, put that loss behind them and steamrolled the winless Hawksbills in their next match. Red Steel's Irish import Kevin O'Brien launched a ferocious assault as he rendered the Hawksbills bowlers helpless during the course of his 90 of 49 deliveries. Skipper Bravo commended the Irishman after the performance.
"We all know what he's capable of and he's showing it. Last year he did it also," the Windies all-rounder was quoted as saying by ESPNCricinfo.
Ross Taylor too came good as he made an unbeaten 51. Bravo had words of praise for the Kiwi as he looked upon Taylor as a trusted lieutenant.
"Ross is one of the best players in the game," Bravo added. "We've seen it over the last couple years with New Zealand in various formats and even in the last CPL. He brings great depth and leadership to the team and it's something I very much welcome."
Medium pacer Kevon Cooper did well to take three wickets in that game and the skipper himself picked up two. Spinner Samuel Badree was also economical.
O'Brien and Taylor continuing their good form would give Red Steel fans and the team more joy. Darren Bravo and Nasir Jamshed making good scores will give the side confidence. Kevon Cooper is expected to make early inroads while spinner Badree is always dangerous in the T20 format.
As always, all-rounder and skipper Dwyane Bravo will be the key. If he gets going it will be very tough to stop Red Steel. A contest between Dwayne Bravo and Narine would be a treat for the viewers.
The Warriors, who have done well so far, are second in the points table. However in the last game against Jamaica Tallawahs they lost a tight game in the final over. In that match their inability to hit fours and sixes ultimately cost them the game. They lost only two wickets but could not force the pace.
The bowling was once again good as they restricted the powerful Tallawahs batting lineup to 148. Narine was once again at his stingy best as he gave away only 14 runs in four overs, while picking up one wicket. James Neesham and Ronsford Beaton scalped two wickets apiece.
In the last game they surprisingly preferred to open with Neesham rather than his countryman and top order batsman Martin Guptill.
They will be looking to the experienced Mohmammad Hafeez to make handy contributions with the ball and the bat, while Lendl Simmons, after his half-century in the last game, will again be expected to provide solidity. Medium pacer Santokie went wicketless and went for runs last time around and a good performance from him would hold the team in good stead. Once again Narine will hope to tie the batsmen up in knots.
Ramdin's Warriors would be hoping to put that loss behind them and get back to winning ways. Bravo's Red Steel on the other hand would dearly want to continue winning.
Where to Watch Live
The game will start at 8 pm local time (5:30 am IST) with coverage on Sony Six in India. The match is available live online HERE. US viewers can catch the action on ESPN3, with the option to live stream HERE.
