Leewards and Windwards skittled as 32 wickets fall across three fixtures
Seamers dominated the opening day of Round 2 in the ongoing West Indies Championship, which bowled off on Sunday across three venues.
T&T 85 for 6 (Lewis 18, Da Silva 16*; Pitman 4-20) trail Leewards 131 all out (Gore 57, J Louis 19; Phillip 6-38) by 46 runs
16 wickets fell at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in Antigua and Barbuda, where the Trinidad and Tobago Red Force dismissed the Leeward Islands Hurricanes for a measly 131 in 39.3 overs, batting first.
The faster bowlers accounted for all ten Hurricanes wickets, with Anderson Phillip’s sparkling 6 for 38 leading the Red Force attack. He was ably assisted by Jayden Seales, who finished with 3 for 33.
Terrance Hinds (1/46) was the other wicket-taker for T&T, while Karima Gore’s 57 was the highlight of the Leewards innings.
The Red Force were left reeling at 69 for 6 in their response courtesy of a rampaging spell from pacer Kelvin Pitman, who has so far taken 4 for 20.
An unbroken 16-run seventh-wicket stand between captain Joshua Da Silva (16*) and Anderson Phillip (2*) then saw them to stumps at 85 for 6, still 46 runs adrift of the Leewards' first innings total.
Oshane Thomas (2/32) was also among the wickets for the Leewards.
Hope: “There are others who bid and don't pay on time but yet get all the cricket."
Calvin Hope
President of the Barbados Cricket Association (BCA), Calvin Hope, has recommitted to his criticism of Cricket West Indies' (CWI) decision to overlook the Kensington Oval as a host venue for the 2026 first-class and international seasons.
Hope, who was speaking on Mason and Guest, voiced his apprehension regarding the “fairness” of a selection criterion that favours indebted countries, labelling it "flawed."
“I am on record consistently raising concerns about the allocation of matches to territories that owe CWI several million dollars and tend to get all the cricket,” he began.
Jamaica, Antigua and Barbuda, Trinidad and Tobago, and Guyana are set to accommodate Sri Lanka, New Zealand, and Pakistan across all three formats for the international home season beginning in June.
The Caribbean Premier League (CPL) has confirmed that its 2026 season will begin on August 7, with St. Vincent and the Grenadines hosting matches for the very first time, with three fixtures set to take place at the Arnos Vale Stadium.
A statement from the CPL says the move "marks an exciting expansion in host venues" for the competition and reinforces the tournament's “commitment to bringing world-class T20 cricket to fans across the Caribbean.”
Arnos Vale leg of CPL 2026:
August 7 - Jamaica Kingsmen vs Antigua and Barbuda Falcons
August 8 - St. Kitts and Nevis Patriots vs Trinbago Knight Riders
August 9 - Antigua and Barbuda Falcons vs. St. Lucia Kings
Three centuries were recorded on the final day of the Jamaica-Barbados contest
Jamaica Scorpions
Guyana 264 & 233 for 6 (Imlach 82, Nandu 58; John 2-48) beat Windwards 286 & 209 (Ambris 107*, Descarte 39; Motie 4-46) by 4 wickets
The Guyana Harpy Eagles commenced their defense of the West Indies Championship in ideal fashion, defeating the Windward Islands Volcanoes by 4 wickets on Wednesday’s final day of their round one encounter at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in Antigua and Barbuda.
The Harpy Eagles, who began the day on 38 for 1, needing an additional 194 runs for victory, were handed a sturdy foundation from overnight batsmen captain Tevin Imlach (82) and Matthew Nandu (58).
The pair shared in a 137-run second-wicket stand to bring the Harpy Eagles to within 94 runs of victory, before useful contributions from Kemol Savory (24) and Gudakesh Motie (23) saw them to a successful chase at 233 for 6 in 78.4 overs.
There were two wickets apiece for Ryan John (2/48) and Kenneth Dember (2/75).
Cricket West Indies (CWI) has announced plans to formalize a strategic partnership with NCL Canada Inc. (NCL), the current owner and operator of Canada’s Global T20 league (GT20). A statement from CWI said the alliance would be “focused on the development and growth of the Global T20 tournament and its supporting ecosystem in North America and the Caribbean.”
The collaboration includes the possibility of CWI taking an ownership stake in the league, as well as the acquisition of a franchise within the competition, along with “broader commercial opportunities.”
Both organizations are exploring avenues to facilitate the participation of Canadian teams in future CWI tournaments, further enhancing competitive opportunities and cross-regional engagement. CWI’s High-Performance Centre, which is set to be constructed in Antigua, would also be made available to Canadian players for training.
