The 2026 edition of the West Indies First-Class Championship kicked off in spectacular fashion last week, with three opening-round matches across Antigua and Jamaica delivering a deluge of batting milestones, inspired bowling performances, and unexpected results that have set the stage for a highly competitive regional tournament. Across the three fixtures, fans were treated to seven centuries, three five-wicket innings hauls, and one stunning ten-wicket match haul, proving that the region’s top domestic red-ball cricket remains as thrilling as ever.
The most eye-catching individual performance came from Barbados Pride batsman Kevin Wickham, who wrote his name into West Indies domestic cricket history by scoring centuries in both innings of his side’s clash against Jamaica Scorpions at Chedwin Park. The elegant right-hander becomes only the third Barbadian batsman this century to achieve the rare feat of twin hundreds in a regional first-class match, following in the footsteps of veteran captain Kraigg Brathwaite, who hit 102 and 122 against Guyana in 2015, and all-rounder Ryan Hinds, who notched 168 and 150 against the Leeward Islands in 2006.
Wickham’s first innings dominance yielded a brutal 153 off just 190 deliveries, decorated with six boundaries and 12 towering sixes that sent spectators into applause. He followed that up with an unbeaten 108 in the second innings to set Jamaica a challenging 324-run target for victory. Speaking after his innings, Wickham noted that his simple approach at the crease was key to his success: “My mindset was just to play straight. It was about getting in on this wicket and batting for a long period. Once I was there, I knew the runs would come. The pitch was tough, but I backed my game.”
However, Wickham’s historic performance would ultimately not secure a win for Barbados, as the hosts’ opening pair delivered a clinical counterattack to chase down the target. Jamaica Scorpions captain John Campbell and left-handed opening partner Kirk McKenzie put together a commanding 242-run first-wicket stand, the foundation of a convincing seven-wicket victory that earned the Scorpions maximum points. Campbell notched his 11th regional first-class century with a polished 126, featuring 11 fours and six sixes, while McKenzie compiled a calm, well-constructed unbeaten 135 — his third first-class hundred — to steer the Scorpions across the finish line.
At the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in Antigua, defending champions Guyana Harpy Eagles pulled off a impressive come-from-behind win against the Windward Islands Volcanoes, overcoming a first-innings deficit to claim a four-wicket victory. Left-arm spinner Gudakesh Motie was named Player of the Match for a match-winning performance with the ball, claiming sensational match figures of 10 wickets for just 119 runs. His spin wizardry broke the back of the Windward Islands batting line-up, setting up a comfortable win for the defending champions shortly after the tea break on day three.
The most lopsided result of the opening round came in the second Antigua fixture at Coolidge Cricket Ground, where Trinidad & Tobago Red Force recorded an emphatic innings and 271-run victory over the Leeward Islands Hurricanes. After dismissing the Hurricanes for just 138 on the opening day, Red Force batsman Amir Jangoo stole the show with an unbeaten marathon double century that put the game out of the hosts’ reach. Jangoo spent nearly eight hours at the crease, scoring 203 with 16 fours and five sixes to record his second first-class century — remarkably, his first was also a double hundred.
Reflecting on his knock, Jangoo credited his teammates for taking pressure off early in his innings, saying: “I think it was a pretty difficult time to start, Oshane Thomas and Justin Greaves bowled well, thankfully Josh and Terrance took some pressure off me because they scored freely which got me into my innings so all I had to do was put away the bad balls and rotate as much as possible and ensure I cashed in at the end. The innings was more about kicking on from my start because for my whole career I haven’t made use of my starts, 17 fifties and one hundred before this, so happy to convert from this fifty and looking for many more.”
Jangoo shared an unbroken 253-run sixth-wicket partnership with Terrance Hinds, who scored his own second regional century to help Red Force declare on a mammoth 507 for 5, leaving the Hurricanes with an imposing 369-run first-innings deficit. The hosts collapsed to 46 for 5 in their second innings, and despite a fighting unbeaten 56 from captain Justin Greaves, they were all out for just 98. Off-spinner Khary Pierre led the Red Force bowling attack with figures of 4 for 37.
Red Force captain Joshua Da Silva praised his side for a near-perfect opening to their campaign, as they chase a first domestic first-class title in more than 20 years: “Overall, we had a good three days, we started off well with the ball and that set the momentum for us, which we followed up with the bat with outstanding knocks from Jangoo and Hinds. All in all, we had a great three days and even though we didn’t expect to get the ten wickets so quickly, we were patient enough for long periods and that helped us.”
The second round of the 2026 West Indies Championship is scheduled to get underway on Sunday, April 19, with all three fixtures set to resume hostilities across the two host nations.