Cricket betting tips: Caribbean Premier League outright preview and best bets

Cricket betting tips: Caribbean Premier League

3pts Guyana Amazon Warriors to win Caribbean Premier League at 9/2 (General)

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The Caribbean Premier League returns for the 2024 edition at the stroke of midnight on Thursday, and all signs are pointing towards another title success for defending champions GUYANA AMAZON WARRIORS.

Guyana were a class apart last year, dominating the regular season to finish top of the league table, before routing Trinbago Knight Riders by nine wickets in the final. For good measure, Guyana had the two leading runscorers in the competition, along with the two leading wicket-takers.

We talk a lot about pedigree in franchise cricket – and with good reason. Guyana have never failed to qualify for the playoffs in this competition, and last year’s triumph came as no surprise to anyone who follows this tournament closely.

Guyana set for bold title defence

And that certainly transfers to other franchise leagues. Earlier this month we saw Oval Invincibles dominate The Hundred, just as they did in 2023, while it wasn’t that long ago Kolkata Knight Riders won their third IPL title. Sydney Sixers, one of the most successful teams in Big Bash history, made the final again last winter.

This is by no means a new phenomenon, and it continues to prove an excellent guide when betting on outright markets in these competitions.

That’s a big tick for Guyana, then, and on paper they again look close to bombproof. There are few big changes from last season’s championship winning team – always a good sign – and the one notable capture looks a huge positive, with Afghanistan opening batsman and wicket-keeper Rahmanullah Gurbaz added to the roster.

The batting has so much going for it. Shai Hope and Saim Ayub plundered over 900 runs between them last year, putting clear distance between themselves and the third highest runscorer in the tournament, and one could argue both are better T20 players 12 months on following some impressive efforts in the IPL and PSL respectively. If selected, Gurbaz will add to what could prove to be an irresistible top three.

With this team, some might argue the best is still to come. Romario Shepherd, Shimron Hetmyer and Keemo Paul are all destructive finishers in the middle order engine room who played their part in last season's success – the former ending the competition with a whopping strike-rate of 235.41. Pakistan’s Azam Khan is another name to note.

The bowling is top-notch, too. South Africans Dwaine Pretorius and Imran Tahir took 38 wickets between them last season and are sure to be a handful again, the latter expected to form a potent spin pairing with Gudakesh Motie. Add Shamar Joseph and Shepherd to mix – the latter so good against South Africa in the recent T20I series – and this looks a very strong and well-balanced attack.

I’m struggling to pick holes anywhere, and with the playoffs this year due to be played in Providence, Guyana’s home ground, things certainly appear to have fallen into place for the title defence.

Crucially, the betting is playing ball, with Guyana currently priced at 9/2 across the boards. That looks way out to me. In fact, I’d have them as outright favourites at around the 5/2 mark, so must put them forward as a strong bet.

• CLICK HERE to back Guyana Amazon Warriors with Sky Bet

Trinbago dangerous with strong finishing power

As was the case 12 months ago, I expect Trinbago to once again prove the biggest dangers to Guyana and should a market on the finalists be offered at some stage, I'd be betting for history to repeat itself.

Paul Krishnamurty, a regular contributor on these pages, described Trinbago as a potentially erratic outfit on this week’s Cricket…Only Bettor CPL preview show, and he was right to point out that as recently as 2022, Trinbago endured a miserable campaign.

Nevertheless, this team has so many of the traits I look for in franchise cricket. They have pedigree, having won the competition three times already, boast world-class spinners in Sunil Narine and Akeal Hosein, and have that strong West Indian core which means their XI ought to remain settled.

Perhaps more significant is their middle order. Andre Russell, Kieron Pollard and new recruit Tim David promise plenty of big finishes, and we’ve seen enough evidence from the last 12 months to confirm those two West Indies veterans have plenty of life left in their batting.

This looks a very dangerous side to me, and while I much prefer Guyana’s chances, it’s impossible not to respect Trinbago.

Can Klaasen carry St Lucia?

It’s my feeling that there might be class gulf between those two sides and the remaining four, though I do want to mention St Lucia Kings who finished third in the regular season last year and have made an outstanding signing in Heinrich Klaasen, arguably the best T20 batsman on the planet right now.

He and fellow South African Faf du Plessis, who still appears to be batting well enough at the grand old age of 40, will be key, as will fellow veterans Roston Chase and David Wiese.

St Lucia are certainly banking on experience, but as former T20 specialist Dan Christian once quipped, ‘old blokes win things’.

Winning the tournament might be a stretch for St Lucia, but they also have a couple of exciting young guns on their books in the shape of Matthew Forde and McKenny Clarke, and I can certainly see them going well.

Posted at 1530 BST on 28/08/24

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