Barbados Royals Prepare for CPL Clash as Powell Optimistic About Home Ground Advantage

Barbados Royals and Antigua & Barbuda Falcons will clash in the 13th match of the 2024 Republic Bank Caribbean Premier League (CPL) at the historic Kensington Oval in Bridgetown on Wednesday evening. It’s the start of a home stand for the Royals, who are favourites to win.

Barbados TODAY caught up with Royals and West Indies captain Rovman Powell after practice on Tuesday afternoon. The allrounder said that spirits are high in the camp, with the Royals having won their only two games thus far.

“I think the mood is very good,” he said. “You know it’s always good when you start with two wins, that we have done on the road. It’s now an opportunity for us in our home games to come and find some other wins.”

Taking note of the fact that Barbados has had a significant amount of rain in recent days, Powell nonetheless sounded an optimistic note regarding the state of the pitch. He pointed out that the team had use of the facility before hitting the road some 10 days ago, and his expectation is that the wicket on Wednesday will be a good one.

“I think to be honest it’s one of the better conditions I’ve seen coming into Barbados,” he opined. “The practice wickets were good, the guys told me that the wickets in the middle are good, and it looks pretty good. We had a camp here before the start of the CPL, so cricket has been playing on the wicket. So hopefully tomorrow we get some good wickets.”

With training in full swing, and just two absentees of note, Powell suggested that due to the experience level of his squad, and the fact that they have been playing around the world over the past 12 months, they are in fine fettle.

“I think this is just a top up,” he contended. “A lot of the guys have been playing franchise cricket around the world. So these training sessions are just top up and just to get some blood flowing, hit a few balls out in the middle. As a batting group, see if you can correct some little errors that we have made in the past few games.”

Powell said that the home games will play an important role in ensuring that the Royals can capitalise on their fast start, and contend for the title this year. He encouraged the Barbadian public to come out and support the team.

“Extremely important, home games are very, very important,” he stressed. “It’s important that when you go on your home grounds you try to dominate. It’s always good when you get wins home because that will set the tone for your competition. It’s a short competition we have and we have started so imagine if we come home now and we can find a few wins.

“I think there are lovers of cricket. They have supported us over the last couple seasons or so, and this year provides another opportunity for them to come out. And we’ll try our best to play some good cricket to entertain them.”

The Royals are one of two unbeaten teams thus far in this competition, along with the defending champions. Guyana Amazon Warriors. The Warriors have three wins and a superior net run rate, whilst the Royals have won games against the Antigua & Barbuda Falcons and St Kitts & Nevis Patriots.

(TF)