SKK Rapids vs Empire CC Lions, FPL T20
The first qualifier play-off of the 2020 Finnish T20 Premier League sees table-topping SKK Rapids take on second-placed Empire CC Lions for a place in the final. The match takes place at the Kerava National Cricket Ground on August 22 and the live action is scheduled to start at 15:00 local time.
SKK Rapids won ten of 13 completed games in the group stage to finish two points clear of Empire CC Lions. They did lose last time out, however – a high-scoring loss to Helsinki CC – and also lost both games against the Lions in the group stage. Those three were their only defeats in the group stage.
Empire had kept their hopes of topping the table alive by winning those games but a late dip in form ultimately proved costly. Nevertheless, they bowled FPC out for 77 in their most recent game to end with a win. Mahesh Tambe and Amjad Sher both starred in that win, and finished the group stage as the top two wicket-takers in the tournament so far this season.
Stadin ja Keravan Kriketti vs Empire CC Lions Live streaming
Live streaming: European Cricket Network
Toss Prediction
Empire CC have twice won fielding first in this fixture this season.
Weather Report
After an excellent week weather-wise, unfortunately there is rain on the cards on Saturday.
Pitch Condition
The Kerava wicket has more recently favoured batting, but wet weather has always caused issues and there is rain on the forecast.
Read on for team previews, betting tips, latest odds and match prediction for SKK Stadin ja Keravan Kriketti vs Empire CC Lions, Finnish Premier League.
SKK Stadin ja Keravan Kriketti Team News & Playing 11
SKK Team News
Jordan O’Brien was one of the players missing last time out as SKK Rapids came up short against Helsinki. He is likely to return this time. Captain Qaiser Siddique did not play last time out, or in the ECS T10 tournament earlier this month either. Gerard Brady is a potential replacement.
SKK Key Players
- Nathan Collins: Scored 48 more runs at the top of the order last time out and he now has 350 for the season.
- Peter Gallagher: Come into some good all-round form in more recent weeks and will want to bounce straight back to that after not making the grade against Helsinki.
- Atif Rasheed: Another to have suffered a rare blip last time out, considering he has 13 wickets (and a good economy rate) as well as 165 runs for the season.
SKK Team Form
SKK Rapids stuttered at the end of the group stage, following up a six-match unbeaten run with two defeats in their last three matches. They posted just 102/9 as they fell to a three-wicket loss when these teams last met, but bounced back by chasing 142 to beat GYM Helsinki Gymkhana by seven wickets. In their final group game, with top spot already secure, they lost to Helsinki CC, however. Yathu Vijayaratnam took 4-22 as they were set 170 to win, but they could only reach 149/8 despite Nathan Collins’ 48 from 36 balls.
SKK Stadin ja Keravan Kriketti Predicted Playing 11
Nathan Collins, Peter Gallagher, Jordan O’Brien, Ponniah Vijendran, Atif Rasheed, Jake Goodwin, Raja Waqas, Qaiser Siddique (c), Areeb Quadir (wk), Yathu Vijayaratnam, Kamalraj Chandrasekeran
Empire Cricket Club Team News & Playing 11
ECC Team News
Amjad Sher has floated up and down the batting order, but his vital 48* from 24 balls last time out might encourage the Empire captain to move back into the top order. Raaz Mohammad missed the final group game – he is a key part of the bowling attack though and could come straight back into the team.
ECC Key Players
- Mahesh Tambe: Took 4-16 and hit 46* when these teams last met. The bowling all-rounder is top of the wicket-taking charts with 25 for the season.
- Amjad Sher: Hit a crucial 48* not out from 24 balls last time out to move to 215 runs so far this season, while also taking 22 wickets with an economy rate of 5.09 runs per over.
- Raaz Mohammad: Missed the last game but he is still the third of the Empire CC Lions’ bowlers to have taken 20 wickets so far this season.
ECC Team Form
Empire CC ended the season by bouncing back from a crushing defeat to Greater Helsinki Markhors – who bowled them out for 76 – by beating FPC in a convincing manner. Shoaib Qureshi (53) and Amjad Sher (48*) lifted Empire to 139/7, having been 62/5 after 12 overs. Muhammad Imran, Mahesh Tambe, Abdul Ghafar and Kushagra Bhatnagar then each took two wickets as they bowled FPC out for 77 in 18.3 overs.
Empire Cricket Club Predicted Playing 11
Vaanraj Padhaal, Amjad Sher (c), Jonathan Scamans (wk), Yasir Ali, Shoaib Qureshi, Mahesh Tambe, Raaz Mohammad, Kushagra Bhatnagar, Muhammad Imran, Ravi Kumar, Abdul Ghafar
SKK Stadin ja Keravan Kriketti vs Empire Cricket Club Head to Head
Empire beat SKK Rapids twice during the group stage – accounting for two of the Rapids’ three defeats overall. Both were low-scoring games, with Abdul Ghafar, Mahesh Tambe and Raaz Mohammad in the wickets as they limited the Rapids to 112/9 on their way to a three-wicket win when they first met. Then, last time out, Mahesh Tambe proved the star of the show as he took 4-16 as the Rapids managed just 102/9 before hitting 46* in a three-wicket win with three balls to spare.
🏆 SKK Stadin ja Keravan Kriketti vs Empire Cricket Club Prediction
Empire CC Lions beat SKK Rapids twice in the group stage and, despite finishing below them in the table, that could be the mental advantage to beat them once again and reach the final once more.
Aug 22, 2020
17:30 IST / 12:00 GMT
Kerava National Cricket Ground - Kerava, Finland
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