The fifth match of the 2021 Inter-Provincial Cup will see Harry Tector’s Northern Knights (NK) playing host to Andy McBrine’s North West Warriors (NWW) at the Civil Service Cricket Club on Tuesday, May 18.
The two teams have endured similar fortunes this season, having won one match and lost one so far. The teams are only separated by net run-rate (NRR), with NWW in second spot (0.084), while NK sit at third (-0.432) in the tally.
Both NK and NWW have been a part of the Inter-Provincial Cup since its inception. A total of seven matches have been played between them and the head-to-head count is tightly contested. While their last two matches have been abandoned due to rain, NK hold a slight edge with three wins. NWW, on the other hand, have won two.
NK vs NWW Dream11 prediction
Considering that both teams have performed equally, it’s hard to pick a clear winner here. NWW, however, have been slightly better in terms of batting this season but the toss will play an important role. The teams batting first at this venue have won just 25% of the matches, so one can expect the toss winning captain to bowl first.
NK vs NWW best players for Inter-Provincial Cup fantasy team
Top-Tip: Best batsmen
While batsmen have majorly struggled to get going this season, Northern Knights’ Jeremy Lawlor remains an exception. The 25-year-old batsman has made 112 runs in two matches and boasts an average of 112.00 as well.
For NWW, while most of their batters have failed to score runs, Stuart Thompson has done a commendable job. The 29-year-old has scored 60 runs so far, and while it may not be the best return, his ability to hit boundaries quite regularly can be a big plus.
Top-Tip: Best bowlers
Pacers have enjoyed bowling on this track this season and one could rightly expect the trend to continue. If you are looking to pick a bowler from NK, Graeme McCarter could be your go-to man. He might have picked just three wickets in two matches, but he has done so at an excellent economy of 3.31
As far as NWW are concerned, Graham Hume could be an ideal pick. The right-arm fast bowler has conceded just 57 runs in two games so far and has picked four wickets too. His ability to score runs in the lower order could be an added bonus too.
Top-tip: Best all-rounder and wicket-keeper
NWW captain Andy McBrine is by far the best option among the all-rounders. The 28-year-old has scores of 32 and 38 so far and has picked three wickets at an economy of 4.15.
As far as wicket-keepers are concerned, Stephen Doheny should remain an ideal choice. The wicketkeeper-batsman is averaging 47.5 fantasy points per game and is indeed a better option than NK’s Neil Rock.
NK vs NWW probable playing XI
NK playing XI: Paul Sterling, Ruhan Pretorius, Jeremy Lawlor, Harry Tector (captain), Luke Georgeson, Neil Rock (wicket-keeper), Mark Adair, Graeme McCarter, Ben White, Matthew Foster, James McCollum
NWW playing XI: William Porterfield, Stephen Doheny (wicket-keeper), Andy McBrine (captain), Stuart Thompson, Shane Gatkate, Grahan Kennedy, Graham Hume, William McClintock, Nathan McGuire, Craig Young, Boyd Rankin
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Featured photo: Twitter / Northern Knights
