Defending champions Guyana Harpy Eagles have booked a direct spot in the final of the 2025 West Indies Championship after a 93-run victory over the Windward Islands Volcanoes on the final day of their third-round encounter at the Coolidge Cricket Ground, which confirmed their place atop the league points standings.
It was the Harpy Eagles' seamers who did the damage early in the day, picking up two wickets in the morning session to restrict the Windwards to 103 for three at Lunch, chasing 319 for victory.
Skipper Alick Athanaze (64) and Johann Jeremiah (25) shared in a hope-renewing 74-run fourth-wicket stand on either side of the interval before Veerasammy Permaul (3/41) removed the latter, initiating the spin takeover.
Akeem Auguste was around four years old the first time he stood at a crease, his father the bowler, soon to discover a sport that would come to define his life.
By age twelve, his love for the game was accompanied by a desire for excellence, but when the young Saint Lucian was not selected for the Windward Islands’ Under 15 side, he decided from that point he would never be passed over for any team ever again.
"I didn't get selected and from then on, I never wanted to get that feeling again of being left out of a team. I started to train a little harder and be more intentional with the things I was working on,” he admitted.
It is the kind of disappointment that either breaks a young sportsperson or quietly reshapes their drive for success. Luckily for Akeem, that early setback caused the latter.
Leewards trail T&T by 17 runs with six second-innings wickets remaining
Barbados 439 (Drakes 94, Chase 84; Mindley 3-62, Smith 3-91) beat Jamaica 142 & 286 (Smith 73, King 63; Bishop 5-72) by an innings and 11 runs
The Barbados Pride have confirmed their place in the 2026 West Indies 4-Day Championship playoffs following a dominant innings and 11-run victory over the Jamaica Scorpions in the third-round contest at Sabina Park.
Led by an impressive five-wicket haul from spinner Joshua Bishop, who claimed 5 for 72, the visitors wrapped up the win just after the Tea interval, dismissing the Scorpions for 286 in 70.4 overs in their second innings.
Jamaica began the day on 22 for one, needing an additional 275 runs to make the Pride bat again after being forced to follow on in response to Barbados’ first-innings total of 439 all out.
All-rounder Odean Smith top-scored for the hosts with 73. He shared in a promising 86-run eighth-wicket stand with Abhijai Mansingh (35). After which, Jamaica scored only six runs.
Brandon King converted his overnight 15 into a half-century (63), with Kirk McKenzie (12) adding just the five runs to his overnight seven.
Jomel Warrican chipped in with figures of 2 for 39 for the Pride, who claimed victory inside three days.
The 2026 edition of the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) will feature several historic milestones for the tournament. St. Vincent & the Grenadines will host matches for the first time, with the opening fixtures scheduled for the Arnos Vale Stadium.
The competition will feature seven teams, another first. The Antigua & Barbuda Falcons, Barbados Royals, Jamaica Kingsmen, Guyana Amazon Warriors, Saint Lucia Kings, St Kitts & Nevis Patriots are joined by reigning champions the Trinbago Knight Riders.
The season will consist of 39 matches set to take place from 7 August to 20 September, when Barbados will host its maiden CPL final.
Pete Russell, CEO of the Republic Bank Caribbean Premier League, said: “With an expanded tournament in 2026, we are delighted to be bringing CPL cricket to St Vincent & the Grenadines for the first time. We are equally excited about hosting finals week in Barbados, where we have ambitious plans to deliver the biggest and most memorable finale in the tournament’s 14-year history. Each year, our goal is to raise the bar, and I am more confident than ever that CPL 2026 will be our best season yet.”
The initiative has been expanded to include Barbados
Republic Bank and Cricket West Indies have officially renewed their partnership for the 2026 staging of the Primary Schools ‘Five for Fun’ Cricket Programme, reaffirming their shared commitment to youth development and grassroots cricket across the Caribbean.
Five for Fun, which is entering its sixth year, provides boys and girls aged 7–11 with structured access to the sport. The initiative seeks to introduce children to the fundamentals of the game through a modern and exciting format.
The 2026 season will run from April to September, hosted in Saint Lucia, Saint Kitts, Nevis, Guyana, and Trinidad and Tobago. This year, the programme continues its regional expansion with the addition of Barbados to the roster.
