Battle looms as Amazon Warriors, Tridents square off in final

Basseterre (St. Kitts), Aug 16 (IANS/CMC) Guyana Amazon Warriors will try to compensate for last year's heartbreak when they clash with a buoyant Barbados Tridents in the final of the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) here Saturday.

The two teams took contrasting paths to the final - Amazon Warriors battling through the playoffs and Tridents booking a direct spot - but this will account for little when they pit their strengths against each other in the summit clash at Warner Park here, reports CMC.

Amazon Warriors, in particular, will be highly motivated, especially against the backdrop of their loss in the final of the inaugural tournament to Jamaica Tallawahs.

They have already remedied this in part by beating Tallawahs in Thursday's second playoff but a win in the final will put the finishing touches on an impressive campaign.

Amazon Warriors coach Roger Harper is mindful of not repeating the mistakes of last year, which saw them falter in Port of Spain.

"This time around we will be looking to produce our best cricket when it counts," he stressed.

"We will not necessarily be looking to do anything different to what we have done previously in the tournament."

Amazon Warriors finished second on 12 points with a 6-3 record that was shared by the top four finishers. Tridents, however, topped the standings courtesy of a superior net run rate and booked their spot in the final.

After watching Tallawahs beat Trinidad and Tobago Red Steel by four wickets on Wednesday, Amazon Warriors promptly greeted them in the second playoff with a resounding 10-wicket defeat - the first ever in CPL history.

The performance sent a stern warning to Tridents but their skipper Kieron Pollard said his side was not fazed.

"The Warriors played very well last night, but I am not worried," said Pollard.

"We will do our preparation and get ourselves ready for playing them, but we are going to concentrate on our strengths rather than worry too much about theirs."

Amazon Warriors may do well to be reminded of the Tridents last outing, when they crushed Tallawahs here by 88 runs, in the final preliminary game.

When the two teams met during the Barbados leg of the tournament, Amazon Warriors came away with a narrow seven-run victory.

Head coach Robin Singh said Tridents were prepared, especially after the long rest which came after they avoided the playoffs.

"Preparations have been good this week and we have welcomed the break after playing so many games in quick succession at the end of the group stages," said Singh.

"We have some players who have done really well throughout the tournament such as Jason Holder and Kieron Pollard, but we will be looking to prepare all of our players to be their best in the final."

--IANS/CMC

sr/bg