Warriors face Sri Lankan champions Wayamba Elevens in what promises to be a clash of different styles.

It will be the clash of champions from different continents. The South African champions Warriors face the champions of Sri Lanka, Wayamba Elevens in this scintillating fixture.

Out of the two South African representatives in this year’s Airtel Champions League, Warriors are the one boasting a lot of international talent. Warriors are one of the stronger teams of the tournament. They paved their way to the Airtel Champions League T20 when they handed a heavy defeat to the Highveld Lions in the Pro20 Championship finals.

On the other hand, Wayamba Elevens are not new to the tournament. Wayamba is one of the few teams who played in the inaugural Champions League T20. Their last outing was not as successful as expected, but this time around things have changed. Wayamba dominated their domestic league this season and are bound to be on a high. They will be looking to carry their fine form to the international stage.

The Warriors squad took a slight hit when Jacques Kallis opted to play for Royal Challengers Bangalore. Nonetheless, a line-up which boasts the likes of Ashwell Prince, Mark Boucher, Nicky Boje, Johan Botha, Makhya Ntini and Juan Theron means the Warriors will be more than a handful.

On the other hand, with big names like Jayawardene, Mubarak, Thisara Perera, Ajantha Mendis and Rangana Herath comprising the squad, Wayamba are surely no pushovers. They marched to the domestic title without much hullabaloo, winning most of the games by big margins and would be looking to carry this form to the tournament.

One area of concern for the Wayamba Elevens could be their batting. Given the strong pace attack of the Warriors and the low batting strength of the Wayamba Elevens, Warriors will be the firm favourites to take the tie.

Nonetheless, both the champions will be looking to start their campaign with a win. A game of cricket is won on the field and not on paper. When these two teams step onto the greens, they will be looking to prove the critics wrong and send a message to all the other teams.

Teams

Chevrolet Warriors: Davey Jacobs(c), Mark Boucher(w), Arno Jacobs, Ashwell Prince, Colin Ingram, Craig Thyssen, Garnett Kruger, JJ Smuts, Johan Botha, Juan Theron, Justin Kreusch, Lonwabo Tsotsobe, Lyall Meyer, Makhaya Ntini, Nicky Boje

Wayamba Elevens: Mahela Jayawardene, Mahela Udawatte, Sameera de Zoysa, Jehan Mubarak(c), Kushal Janith Perera(w), Shalika Karunanayake, Farveez Maharoof, Rangana Herath, Thissara Perera, Kaushal Lokuarachchi, Chanaka Welegedara, Damitha Hunukumbura, Ajantha Mendis, Jeevantha Kulatunga, Isuru Udana

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