By Kurtis Hinds
Both captains are confident as Antigua and Barbuda Falcons and Jamaica Kingsmen prepare to square off in Sunday’s Republic Bank Caribbean Premier League final at Kensington Oval.
When the two sides met previously this season on August 7 at Sabina Park, Jamaica, the Falcons secured a thrilling two-wicket victory off the last ball of the match.
In their most recent games en route to the final, the Kingsmen defeated Guyana Amazon Warriors by five wickets in the high-scoring Qualifier 2, after the Falcons cruised to a nine-wicket win over the Amazon Warriors in Qualifier 1.
Speaking during Saturday’s pre-final media briefing, Falcons captain Moeen Ali called on his team to execute their game plan one more time this season to secure the title, with the Falcons currently unbeaten in their last five games.
“We’ve just got better and better as the tournament’s gone on. We’ve played quite consistently, but obviously, with one more game to go, anything can happen.
“Unless you win the final, coming second doesn’t really matter so much. It’s a big game against a very, very good side, and Jamaica was the most dangerous side, in my opinion,” Ali revealed.
Kingsmen captain Powell was equally complimentary of the Falcons side, which he described as full of match winners. He added that his team’s tournament plans have eventually come together nicely.
“We’re pleased to be in the final. When we sat down as a group before the start of the competition, we outlined three goals; to see if we could get into the playoffs, and then our second goal was to push to the final. The third goal was when we got to the final, to cross the line.
“When you look at it, it’s been an up-and-down run for us. I think as the competition went on, we got progressively better as the team and started finding those winning formulas,” Powell said.
The Jamaica skipper noted that Antigua played some of the best cricket during the group stage, so it was no surprise they finished as one of the top two teams before progressing to the final.
Both captains were complimentary of the playing conditions and atmosphere at Kensington Oval, with Ali adding that the CPL as a whole is very unique when compared to other T20 leagues around the world.
“It’s very different to all the other leagues in terms of the way you play and what strengths you need. In the CPL you need to play spin well; you need to have power hitters, and as bowlers, if you don’t bowl well, you can get absolutely murdered here. It’s very unique.
“There’s a lot of wind and there’s a bit of dew here and there, but those kinds of things help. There are different strengths you need, and it’s good to get some super talented players, and it’s a great place to play. The crowds are also outstanding,” Ali added.
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