BACK AGAIN!!
Just like the “biggest party in sport”, yours truly is back. In the realm of sports writing/commentary, I consider myself a bona fide novice. As such, I paused my pen for the WI vs Pakistan Test matches. Having had my vocabulary and literary skills thoroughly tested by the WI’s 15-match T20 home season, I had to regroup. After all, this isn’t just ANY tournament. This is the CPL. Cricket Played Louder. The premier T20 competition in the Caribbean, bringing together the Region’s best and their International counterparts. Six franchises, each packed with enough star power to light up any night. The eyes of the cricketing world would be on beautiful St. Kitts & Nevis, home of this year’s tournament. I took my rest, gathered my thoughts, and planned my approach. So, with a couple deep breaths, let’s crack on, shall we?
WHAT A START.
Barely 4 days and 8 matches old, the 2021 CPL has definitely started with a bang. We’ve seen nail-biters, blow-outs, upsets, and excellence aplenty. Warner Park, for all its idyllic beauty, is by no means a huge ground. The batters have already plundered 117 sixes and 155 fours in 16 completed innings as I write this piece. This isn’t to say that the willow has had things all its way, however. Variations in bounce and pace from the playing surfaces used thus far have kept the bowlers in the game. The franchises have employed their bowling combinations to the tune of 91 wickets out of the 96 lost. Jamaica Tallawahs recorded the largest victory margin in CPL history, defeating St. Lucia Kings by 120 runs. Amazon Warriors upset TKR in the opening match, handing the defending champions their first loss since the 2019 edition. All this in FOUR DAYS!
OUTSTANDING PERFORMERS.
St. Kitts Patriots, as the home franchise, are clearly relishing playing in front of their adoring fans. They are the only undefeated team in the competition, and two major additions to their squad have brought tremendous benefits. In DJ Bravo, they secured a priceless combination of experience and battle-tested skills. Sherfane Rutherford has been a man on a mission, sitting atop the run-scoring chart with 2 half-centuries already. The fact that they have 5 members of the current WI T20 team in their ranks doesn’t hurt either. TKR offset the loss of Bravo with the experience of Ravi Rampaul. It has worked well to date, with the former WI player leading all wicket-takers at this point. The Tallawah’s Andre Russell and South African debutant Migael Pretorius have also proven their worth. “Dre Russ” plundered 50 off 14 balls, a Hero CPL record, and Pretorius is 2nd behind Rampaul.
BIGGEST SURPRISES
2020 champs TKR do not look like themselves this year. They have already lost 2 of their 3 games and last year’s aura of invincibility seems to have faded. Whilst Bravo’s departure is a major blow, the absence of Head Coach Brendon McCullum cannot be overlooked. Regular run machines Lendl Simmons and Colin Munro haven’t yet fired, but Kiwi keeper Tim Seifert has. Playing primarily as a batter now that Ramdin is back with TKR, Seifert currently tops the runs chart for his team. Elsewhere, St. Lucia Kings have introduced Tim David as the first player from Singapore in CPL history. David, who has Australian parentage, has already notched scores of 56 vs Tallawahs and 43 vs TKR. He’s definitely one to keep an eye on this year. So too is Sri Lankan Isuru Udana, with a 5-wicket haul in just his 2nd ever CPL match for TKR.
WHAT TO EXPECT?
Quite simply, more. More excitement, more close finishes, more drama, more entertainment – more of everything that makes CPL the biggest party in sport. TKR will not surrender their title without a fight. Skipper Pollard is not the type to allow that. Amazon Warriors and Barbados Royals are struggling in these early stages, but to write them off would be foolhardy. The Warriors have been to 5 finals without success, so their hunger for a maiden title will motivate them. Barbados won twice as the Tridents and will want to give their new owners immediate returns on their investment. St. Lucia Kings, also rebranded under new ownership, have last year’s run to the final fresh in their minds. If the Patriots kick on from their start, it would be hard to bet against them reaching their second final. I can honestly predict there won’t be a dull moment ahead.
