Top table teams Guyana Amazon Warriors and Jamaica Tallawahs will fight it out in the Caribbean Premier League on Monday.
Guyana head the points table, while Jamaica are second but with a game in hand. Furthermore, both teams are yet to lose a game. Jamaica are led by West Indies opener Chris Gayle, while national teammate n wicketkepper Denesh Ramdin is captain of the Warriors.
Defending champions Jamaica have started from where they left last season. In both their games, they won without breaking a sweat. The first game saw Gayle, in a brutal display, hammer 111 with 10 sixes against St Lucia Zouks as he took his team home. In the second encounter, the Tallawahs were all over Antigua Hawksbills as they skittled them out for 96 runs. Windies quickie Jerome Taylor and Kiwi veteran Daniel Vettori did most of the damage.
Vettori's figures of three wickets for 13 runs was impressive, while Taylor will be looking to burst through again. Andre Russell chipped in with two wickets against the Hawksbills. And they all hope to continue their good form with the ball.
Chasing 96 was not expected to be a stiff ask and they won easily, losing just two wickets. Gayle is in excellent form with the bat, while his bowlers are doing a fantastic job as well. At this point Jamaica look like the team to beat.
Guyana, on the other hand, have extended their winning run to three games now. Two of these have been closely contested encounters, with one ending in a tie. Narine's mesmeric super over won them that game.
The last time they won convincingly was when they brushed aside Darren Sammy's St.Lucia by nine wickets. A Krishmar Santokie four-wicket haul and a Martin Guptill 50 saw them emerge as victors.
In the last game against Red Steel they got out of jail, thanks to some tardy fielding by Steel and Narine's skills in the super over. Chasing 119, they were in a precarious position at 56 for 6. But thereafter Christopher Barnwell and Sunil Narine rescued them as the tail stuck out and ensured the game ended in a tie.
Their bowling has looked very good in the competition so far, with the spinners led by Narine often tieing up the opposition. The pacers have picked up wickets at crucial points as well or at least have kept the runs down.
Both teams look settled and confident ahead of this encounter. To dominate will be Jamaica's objective, while the unyielding Guyana would want to strangle the marauding Tallawahs.
Where to Watch Live
The game will start at 5pm local time (1:30 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.
