Sharjah Warriors v Desert Vipers
Tuesday 31 January, 14:00
TV: Live on BT Sports
Team news
Warriors are still without their England trio of Dawid Malan, Moeen Ali and Chris Woakes. It will be interesting to see if they return at all. They have been boosted by Marcus Stoinis arriving.
Probable XI: Gurbaz, Kohler-Cadmore, Denly, Stoinis, Hose, Walter, Nabi, Noor, Naveen, Jawadullah, Siddique
We've been banging on about Vipers' poor ba;ance for some time. Benny Howell batting at No 5 when you have a level auction? They were murdered by Mumbai Emirates by 157 runs last time out. Wanindu Hasaranga was a notable absentee.
Probable XI: Mustafa, Hales, Munro, Billings, Howell, Rutherford, T Curran, L Wood, Watt, Pathirana, Ahmed
Pitch report
Vipers will be nervous about losing the toss and bolwing in Sharjah. Emirates took them for a horrific 241. Warriors should look to be aggressive in the powerplay and put them under pressure again. Warriors have a par run rate to put them on for 167 so they could be an overs on the par line.
How to play
Vipers are a conundrum all of a sudden. It's just not fathomable how that Mumbai implosion happened. It's harder still to see how a team capable of such a performance can win a title.
Warriors are 2.206/5. They have won their last three completed games. They should be capable of flipping the odds here.
Tops value
Alex Hales scored 83 off 52 for Vipers against this lot in their first game in a seven-wicket success. He is 2/1 with Sportsbook to be clear top bat. Tom Kohler-Cadmore has been boosted to 13/5 for top Warrior bat. With the ball, we're surpriused death bowlers Naveen-ul-Haq is as big as 4/1 for top Warriors wicket-taker.