St Lucia Kings v Barbados Royals CPL Tips: Kings to attack Royals bowling

• Holders Kings miss out v TKR

• Royals are there for the taking

• Batters should go well on flat wicket

• Powell & Rutherford need to step up

St Lucia Kings v Barbados Royals
Monday 25 August, 00.00
TV: Live on TNT

St Lucia Kings v Barbados Royals team news

St Lucia Kings should have taken down Trinbago on Sunday. They looked to be cruising in a chase of 188 at 94 for one in the 12th but the loss of Johnson Charles sparked a collapse. They were never in the hunt from that point again.

They had also squeezed effectively in the field until an onslaught from Kieron Pollard. They have work to do not to give up positions of strength. Their pacers are proving expensive with Keon Gastin going at more than 12 an over. Alzarri Joseph was not included in the XI but he has profligacy in his locker, too.

Probable Kings XI:  Seifert, Charles, Chase, David, Potgieter, Wiese, Ackeem, Gaston, Pierre, Shamsi, Thomas 

Royals have lost two from two and find themselves bottom of the table. Twelve-run and six-wicket defeats to Patriots and Falcons respectively should rightly spread alarm. Both were expected to be two of the weakest teams in the section.

Having lost Jason Holder their bowling looks weak and it would have stung that his potency was too much for them against Patriots. They need far more from senior batters Rovman Powell and Sherfane Rutherford, who are hiding in the middle order. Get up and influence the game early.

Probable Royals XI:  King, De Kock, Kadeem, James, Powell, Rutherford, Bosch, Sams, Young, Warrican, Simmonds

St Lucia Kings v Barbados Royals pitch report

The Gros Islet surface is good for batting. In the last 28 matches, 21 first-innings have busted 160 or more. That is a strong base to start looking at bigger numbers. More than 180 is a 46% chance so that, coupled with our fears about the Royals bowling, at 171/5 for 5/61.84. That bet is, of course, toss dependant. If they bat first we are in a great position as the par line on the Exchange is likely to be higher. Both teams to score 170, the flip side, is 6/42.50. So the question really comes down to whether Royals can show up with the bat.

St Lucia Kings v Barbados Royals match prediction

Kings are shaping up as 1.834/5 favourites for this one. Given that they are holders and Royals have been so poor, that is probably about right.

An immediate, gut reaction might have been 'value'. Perhaps they should be a couple of ticks shorter. But then this isn't the same Kings team which triumphed last season. They have lost big players in Noor Ahmed and Faf Du Plessis. 

What we can be pretty sure of is that on a decent batting track, the bowling side is going to drift by the break. That opens up the chance of getting with the superior Kings batting against weaker bowling at better odds in the chase. 

St Lucia Kings v Barbados Royals player bets

On a flat one milestone betting can take team-mates out of the equation. So focussing on the most reliable for runs in these two teams makes sense. Quinton de Kock for a 50 at 5/23.50 for Royals sticks out. Likewise Charles at the same price. With the ball, Oshane Thomas was a regular winner for top bowler back in the day and 16/54.20 for most Kings wickets has appeal. 

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