One of the most anticipated matches in the 2026 West Indies Championship is set to get underway on May 10, as Trinidad & Tobago Red Force and Barbados Pride lock horns at Antigua’s Coolidge Cricket Ground in a do-or-die playoff. The winner will earn a place in the tournament final against undefeated defending champions Guyana Harpy Eagles, who have already wrapped up their spot in the title decider scheduled for May 20.
Both sides head into the four-day encounter brimming with confidence, having navigated tricky preliminary rounds to secure their shot at the final. The Red Force earned their playoff berth after a consistent run through the group stage, which included a dominant innings-and-271-run win over Leeward Islands Hurricanes in their opening fixture followed by two consecutive drawn matches. They finished second in the overall standings with 53.6 points, enough to book their place in the knockout playoff.
For Barbados Pride, the road to the playoff has been a story of comeback. They opened their campaign with a defeat to Jamaica Scorpions, but fought back steadily to outscore the Scorpions 42.2 points to 34 across the bilateral series. After a high-scoring draw in the second match, the Pride sealed their playoff spot with an impressive innings-and-11-run victory in the third fixture to level the series at one win apiece.
History is on the Red Force’s side heading into this matchup: in their most recent meeting at Barbados’ Kensington Oval in 2025, Trinidad & Tobago secured a commanding innings-and-56-run victory inside two days. That match saw the Red Force’s pace attack dismantle the Pride for just 86 runs in their first innings, cruising to a comprehensive win. This year, the Red Force retains the firepower that delivered that result: fast bowler Jayden Seales returns to the squad after a planned rest, having already taken 13 wickets in just two matches this tournament, while Anderson Phillip enters the playoff as the championship’s leading pace bowler with 17 scalps to his name.
Red Force captain Joshua Da Silva emphasized that his side will not take the Pride lightly, crediting the team’s core cohesion and consistent performance for their run so far. “It is about getting back to the basics and the drawing board by sharpening up a few skills that we may need for the upcoming games, but all in all the team is gelling well. We have a good core here that I think can take us to the final and win it,” Da Silva said.
The Pride, however, enter the fixture on a high note and boast impressive batting credentials that make them serious contenders. They have recorded more 300-plus team totals than any other side in the championship, and are led by the tournament’s top run-scorer Kevin Wickham, who has piled up 371 runs in four innings at an astonishing average of 123.66. Their confidence has been further buoyed by their comeback against the Scorpions, which proved their ability to bounce back from early setbacks. To strengthen their fast bowling attack, the Pride have called up Akeem Jordan to replace Jair McAllister, who featured in the Scorpions series.
Pride captain Kraigg Brathwaite stressed the need for all-round improvement and discipline, particularly with the ball, as his side chases a spot in the final. “Overall, I just want to see discipline in both departments but especially bowling,” Brathwaite said. “Batting wise we had four innings where we scored above 300 plus, but I think we will still need to make improvements all round, batting, bowling and getting better in the field, because there are always things to work on and we can’t take things for granted because we have to get stronger.”
While the two playoff rivals battle it out at Coolidge, the already-qualified Guyana Harpy Eagles are using the lead-up to the final to fine-tune their game, facing off against the West Indies Academy at the Antigua Recreation Ground this week. The defending champions have been unstoppable so far this tournament, notching three straight wins to sit comfortably atop the standings. They also boast the championship’s leading wicket-taker overall, left-arm spinner Gudakesh Motie, who has already claimed 24 wickets in the competition. The Harpy Eagles have made two squad changes for the warm-up match: Jonathan Van Lange and Thaddeus Lovell have been brought in to replace injured fast bowler Isai Thorne, while star quick Shamar Joseph has been rested ahead of the final.
Harpy Eagles captain Tevin Imlach said the fixture against the Academy gives his side a valuable opportunity to fix gaps in their batting ahead of the title match. “We have some things to work on to be at our best, we need to be better as a batting group especially our top five, we need to be more consistent and score hundreds,” Imlach said.
Both the playoff match between Red Force and Pride, and the warm-up fixture between Harpy Eagles and West Indies Academy, will begin at 10am local time (9am Jamaica time) on May 10.
Full Squads
Trinidad and Tobago Red Force: Joshua Da Silva (Captain), Yannic Cariah, Bryan Charles, Cephas Cooper, Jyd Goolie, Terrence Hinds, Joshua James, Amir Jangoo, Evin Lewis, Jason Mohammed, Khary Pierre, Anderson Phillip, Jayden Seales
Barbados Pride: Kraigg Brathwaite (Captain), Joshua Bishop, Jediah Blades, Leniko Boucher, Roston Chase, Jonathan Drakes, Akeem Jordan, Johann Layne, Kyle Mayers, Shayne Moseley, Shamar Springer, Jomel Warrican, Kevin Wickham
Guyana Harpy Eagles: Tevin Imlach (Captain), Kevlon Anderson, Tagenarine Chanderpaul, Richie Looknauth, Thaddeus Lovell, Gudakesh Motie, Matthew Nandu, Keemo Paul, Veerasammy Permaul, Zeynul Ramsammy, Kemol Savory, Nial Smith, Jonathan Van Lange
West Indies Academy: Rivaldo Clarke (Captain), Ryan Bandoo, Carlon Bowen-Tuckett, Giovonte Depeiza, Mavendra Dindyal, Nathan Edward, Damel Evelyn, Amari Goodridge, Mbeki Joseph, Zishan Motara, Shaqkere Parris, Jakeem Pollard, Kelvin Pitman, Reneico Smith