Preview by Vishaal Loganathan

Hyderabad, Sep 21: There's nothing worse than going into a game knowing even your best performance might not be enough to take you through to the next round. Sri Lankan team, the Ruhuna Rhinos and English Champions Leicestershire go into their last qualifying game hoping they can get a massive result in their favour as well as for the other teams to slip up allowing one of them to go through. Both teams were beaten by Trinidad and Tobago, who assured themselves of a spot in the main event.

Contrasting performances against T&T:

Ruhunu Rhinos can look at theirs and Leicestershire performance against Trinidad and Tobago and be a happier unit than the English side. The Rhinos did reasonably well with the bat, coming back into the game strongly after losing 3 early wickets. The form of Sri Lankan regular, Dinesh Chandimal would give the Islanders a lot of hope and they will also count on Sanath Jayasuriya to come good. Their performance with the ball was a much better one, as they used the conditions well to put the Caribbean side under immense pressure before Sherwin Ganga took the game away from them with a blistering knock.

Leicestershire, on the other hand, did not come out with many positives from the game against T&T. Their bowling was toothless and their batting was even worse. James Taylor was the only player to come out with his head held high thanks to a counter attacking fifty and the Leicestershire team management will hope the others take a leaf out of his book and put in a performance worthy of Champions.

Pitch and Conditions: In all four matches so far, it was clear that run making was easier when the ball was hard and new. Both Leicestershire and Ruhuna would know that already and hope to make the first few overs count. Ruhuna have a long list of slow bowlers and will look to use them from the start while Leicestershire skipper, will look to bring in all their T20 experience to count and ensure Sanath Jayasuriya and company don't flay them.

Final Word: Ruhuna's array of slower bowlers gives them the edge but Leicestershire did not become champions of Friends Life T20 for nothing. Leicestershire already have a horrible net run rate courtesy their humiliating loss against T&T while Ruhuna's chances are a lot brighter which will make them doubly determined to get a win and try to sneak through. In the end though, it may turn out to be a game which ensures none of the 2 go through.

Teams:

Leicestershire (From): Matthew Hoggard(c), James Taylor, Paul Nixon(w), Andrew McDonald, Claude Henderson, Jacques Du Toit, Nathan Buck, Abdul Razzaq, Wayne White, Greg Smith, Jigar Naik, Will Jefferson, Harry Gurney, Joshua Cobb, Matthew Boyce

Ruhuna (From): Mahela Udawatte(c), Alankara Asanka Silva, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Yashodha Lanka, Shihan Kamileen, Arosh Janoda, Dinesh Chandimal(w), Omesh Wijesiriwardene, Milinda Siriwardana, TM Sampath, Chinthaka Perera, Shalika Karunanayake, Sanath Jayasuriya, Janaka Gunaratne, Amal Athulathmudali, Kushal Janith Perera