LLG vs NK 18th Match Prediction

LLG vs NK Team Previews

Leinster Lightning

Leinster Lightning have undoubtedly been one of the better sides of the tournament but will need to work hard in this upcoming match so as to maintain their supremacy. Although they have been one of the best, their campaign hasn't really gone as per the plan. They have lost more matches than they ideally should have and would now be looking to top that off with a win here.

As it currently stands on the points table, Leinster Lightning are placed at the top, thanks to their superlative net run-rate of 1.155. They have won three matches out of a total of eight played and have a total of 20 points to their name. Another win here would ascertain their top of the table finish and that is exactly what they will be aiming for.

On paper, the Lightning have a decent side with experience available right throughout. They are coming off a massive 128-run win over North West Warriors and would be looking to produce a similar kind of performance. The likes of Andy Balbirnie, Simi Singh, Lorcan Tucker, Harry Tector, and George Dockrell provide them with experience, which can be of utmost importance in pressure-cooker situations.

They have the side they need on-paper and are certainly capable to topple even the best in the business. If they are able to play to their potential here in this match, getting past them could prove to be incredibly difficult for the Knights.

---

Northern Knights Ireland

With just a couple of wins in the tournament so far, Northern Knights Ireland have undoubtedly been one of the worst-performing sides, but there isn't really as big a gulf between them and the other sides as much as it is reflected by their position of the points table. Another win here should be enough to push them to the third-place, which although isn't exactly the position they would have been targeting, but would now be happy with given the situation they are in.

As it currently stands on the ladder, they have 13 points to their name from eight matches and will do really well to not to take the wooden spoon. Having said that, they have a pretty respectable net run-rate of 0.052, which shows that most of the losses that they have sustained have been pretty close.

The thing that works to their advantage is that they have the momentum of a couple of back to back wins coming into this match. They defeated Munster Reds by 99-runs in the last match, which followed a four-wicket win over North West Warriors. A couple of big wins would certainly have brimmed the Knights with confidence and they would be coming out all guns blazing in this important fixture.

On paper, they may not be having a top-order as experienced as that of Leinster Lightning, but they certainly do have the explosiveness they would have wanted. The likes of Paul Stirling and Mark Adair in the top-five can certainly be a luxury to have in this competition and the Knights have that. However, there isn't a lot of experience available apart from the pair and they will need to be at their absolute best on the match day. If that happens and the youngsters provide the necessary support, beating Northern Knights could prove to be a steep climb.