As the West Indies Championship heads into its second round of matches, Trinidad & Tobago Red Force holds a razor-thin 0.6-point advantage over second-placed Jamaica Scorpions after a thrilling opening round of the regional cricket competition. Chasing their first title in two decades, Red Force delivered a dominant statement in their opening fixture, crushing Leeward Islands Hurricanes by an innings and 271 runs at Coolidge Cricket Ground to pocket 22.6 total points, six of which came from bonus points. Just behind Red Force on the leaderboard, Jamaica Scorpions sit at 22 points after a dramatic final-day run chase against Barbados Pride, while defending champions Guyana Harpy Eagles round out the top three with 21.4 points.
Red Force has opted to keep its full squad unchanged for its upcoming second-round clash, but captain Joshua Da Silva is pushing his side to lift their intensity and sharpen their edge heading into the match at Sir Vivian Richards Stadium. Da Silva noted areas for improvement following the opening win, pointing out dropped catches that need to be addressed in the field. While he expressed satisfaction with the early performance of the team’s opening batters, who have bounced back from inconsistent opening partnership struggles last year, Da Silva called on the pair to extend their good form into the next fixture.
For the Leeward Islands Hurricanes, who suffered the lopsided opening round defeat, the squad has made two adjustments: Kofi James and Carlon Bowen-Tuckett will step in to replace Nathan Edward and Daniel Doram respectively. Head coach Steve Liburd says his side’s sole focus right now is bouncing back to secure a win and keep their playoff hopes alive. “It is a three-match series, and we are looking to bounce back and win the game. On reflection we had very good conversations with the players in our different groups about finding different ways we can come back into the series,” Liburd explained.
In Kingston, Jamaica Scorpions are riding high after securing their first victory over Barbados Pride in 10 years, and the side is keen to carry that winning momentum into their home fixture at Sabina Park. Barbados Pride, meanwhile, has shored up its batting order ahead of the rematch, with West Indies Test captain Roston Chase — who has notched 11 centuries at this level of competition — returning to the squad to replace Shian Brathwaite. Barbados head coach Vasbert Drakes acknowledged Jamaica’s standout performance in the last round, where the Scorpions read pitch conditions perfectly to pull off a successful fourth-innings chase, but he says his side has learned from the defeat and is hungry for redemption. “It is a totally different wicket at Sabina Park and totally different environment, and I think everyone will be on a level playing field,” Drakes noted.
The third second-round fixture sees defending champions Guyana Harpy Eagles face Windward Islands Volcanoes at the historic Antigua Recreation Ground, a venue hosting its first regional cricket match since 2009. The Harpy Eagles, who are chasing a fourth consecutive championship title, have welcomed fast bowler Shamar Joseph back into their squad as they target back-to-back wins to open the tournament. Captain Tevin Imlach says the side’s strong late performance in their opening fixture has given them momentum heading into the match, even though the Antigua Recreation Ground pitch is expected to be flatter than their previous venue. Imlach emphasized the need for batters to step up and for the fielding unit to cut down on missed chances after several dropped catches in the opening game.
Windward Islands Volcanoes have made one squad change for the clash, with Johann Jeremiah replacing Teddy Bishop. Head coach Kenroy Peters acknowledged that Guyana enters the fixture as the favored side, having dominated the regional competition in recent years, but he pointed out that his side had strong patches in their opening defeat that they can build on. “We all know Guyana might be the better the team in this format but despite losing, we still had periods where we did well, but we failed to capitalize and maintain pressure for longer periods,” Peters said. “This time around we are looking to correct areas where we are dominating to stay on top, and if things are not going our way, we need to be patient and have better execution while sticking to our plans.”
All three second-round matches are scheduled to get underway at 10 a.m. local time at their respective venues.