分类： sports

The stage is set at Bridgetown’s iconic Kensington Oval for Sunday’s high-stakes Republic Bank Caribbean Premier League (CPL) T20 final, where two in-form sides – Antigua and Barbuda Falcons and Jamaica Kingsmen – will battle for the 2024 league title. Ahead of the title decider, both team captains have shared their excitement and measured confidence in pre-match media comments, setting the tone for what is expected to be a thrilling contest.

This already shapes up as a rematch of an early-season classic that kept fans on the edge of their seats. When the two squads first locked horns on August 7 at Kingston’s Sabina Park, the Falcons pulled off a dramatic last-ball victory, scraping across the line by two wickets after a tense final over. Both teams have earned their place in the final after defeating the same opponent in the playoff stage: the Falcons delivered a dominant nine-wicket win over Guyana Amazon Warriors in Qualifier 1, while the Kingsmen responded with a five-wicket victory over the same Amazon Warriors in a high-scoring Qualifier 2 to book their spot in the title match.

Speaking at Saturday’s pre-final press briefing, Falcons captain Moeen Ali says his side has built steady momentum through the tournament, entering the final on a five-match unbeaten run. “We’ve just got better and better as the tournament’s gone on. We’ve played quite consistently, but obviously, with one more game to go, anything can happen,” Ali told reporters. “Unless you win the final, coming second doesn’t really matter so much. It’s a big game against a very, very good side, and Jamaica was the most dangerous side, in my opinion.” Ali urged his squad to stick to the game plan that has carried them this far, as they target their first title of the season.

His counterpart, Jamaica Kingsmen captain Rovman Powell, returned the compliment, acknowledging the Falcons’ strength as a deep squad filled with game-changing talent across the batting and bowling orders. For the Kingsmen, Powell says the run to the final has been the result of steady improvement after an uneven start to the tournament. “We’re pleased to be in the final. When we sat down as a group before the start of the competition, we outlined three goals; to see if we could get into the playoffs, and then our second goal was to push to the final. The third goal was when we got to the final, to cross the line,” Powell explained. “When you look at it, it’s been an up-and-down run for us. I think as the competition went on, we got progressively better as the team and started finding those winning formulas.” Powell also noted that the Falcons’ top-two finish in the group stage was no surprise, given the consistently strong cricket they have played throughout the campaign.

Both leaders also shared positive comments about the venue and the unique nature of Caribbean Premier League cricket. Ali highlighted that the CPL stands out from other T20 leagues around the globe due to its specific on-field demands and vibrant match atmosphere. “It’s very different to all the other leagues in terms of the way you play and what strengths you need. In the CPL you need to play spin well; you need to have power hitters, and as bowlers, if you don’t bowl well, you can get absolutely murdered here. It’s very unique,” Ali said. He added that variable conditions, from constant coastal wind to occasional evening dew, add an extra layer of challenge that makes the competition exciting for both players and fans. “There are different strengths you need, and it’s good to get some super talented players, and it’s a great place to play. The crowds are also outstanding,” he added.

After a 12-week pause in domestic competition, Barbados’ top karting talent is gearing up to return to the track this Sunday, September 20, as the Barbados Karting Association’s (BKA) Sectus Technologies Championship kicks off its fifth round at Bushy Park. This event comes fresh off the regional Nations Cup Caribbean hosted last month in Trinidad and Tobago, where the Barbados national team claimed an impressive second-place finish overall, just behind the host nation.

Leading the charge for local hopefuls in this weekend’s round is 14-year-old rising star Aeden Bruce, who turned heads at the Nations Cup with an standout individual performance. Bruce was the only competitor across all participating nations to complete every one of the tournament’s six races, a feat that saw him secure three podium placements and three additional top-five results. His consistent performance earned him second place in the individual overall standings, outperforming every other visiting driver and finishing only behind Trinidad and Tobago’s Jonathan Sharam, who took the top individual spot. Already crowned the 2025 BKA 100cc champion, Bruce now makes his debut season in the more competitive Easykart 125cc category, where he currently sits third in the standings heading into round five. He is chasing two more experienced drivers: current leader Aaron Blackett and former champion Jacob Mayers, who hold the first and second positions respectively. However, Mayers will not return for the remainder of the 2025 season, as he has relocated overseas to pursue higher education, opening up a spot for competitors like Bruce to climb the rankings.

Bruce is not the only member of Barbados’ Nations Cup squad looking to advance their standings this weekend. Jordyn Hinkson and Jaylan Priddee, both of whom represented their country at the regional event, currently occupy second and third place in the Easykart 100cc class, trailing current leader Jaydn Brathwaite as they push to close the points gap.

In the tightly contested Easykart 60cc Cadets division, Edward Norris holds both the class lead and the top spot in the overall Champion Driver title race, with two other Cadets class drivers ranking in the overall top six. Sitting second in the class and fourth overall is Ava Mayers, who made history for the BKA back in April this year. Mayers became the first female karting driver in the association’s 40-year history to finish as the highest points-scorer in an official championship round, breaking a long-standing gender barrier in Barbados karting. Rounding out the top five overall standings is Finn Cox, who claims third place in the Cadets class and fifth in the overall hunt for the Champion Driver title.

With seven of the season’s eight total races now completed after this weekend’s round, competitors are gearing up for a tight push to the season finale, with multiple titles still up for grabs across all classes.

The Caribbean Premier League (CPL) has reached its final act, with Jamaica Kingsmen set to lock horns with Antigua and Barbuda Falcons in Sunday’s championship decider at Barbados’ iconic Kensington Oval. The path to the final for Jamaica was secured after a heart-stopping semi-final clash on Friday, where the franchise held their nerve to beat crowd-favorite Guyana Amazon Warriors by five wickets, finishing their winning run chase with just three deliveries left to spare.

Set a mammoth target of 207 runs on a pitch that has historically posed major challenges for batting sides, the Kingsmen got off to a blistering opening that put them in early control. By the end of the mandatory powerplay, the side had raced to 75 runs for the loss of just one wicket. Maaz Sadaqat, who was dismissed in the final delivery of the third over, had already turned the game on its head with a devastating knock of 41 runs off only 14 balls, laced with five fours and three towering sixes.

After Sadaqat’s departure, Keacy Carty joined opener Kirk McKenzie at the crease, and the pair built a solid 48-run second-wicket partnership that kept Jamaica on track for victory. McKenzie fell for a quickfire 34 off 20 balls in the ninth over, leaving the Kingsmen at 90 runs for two wickets, setting the stage for captain Rovman Powell to take control.

Leading the expansion franchise in its debut season after leaving long-time side Barbados Tridents, Powell delivered a captain’s innings to remember, finishing unbeaten on 40 runs off just 17 deliveries, including two boundaries and four massive sixes. He guided the Kingsmen across the finish line in the final over, with the side reaching 207 for five to seal the win. The result left the huge crowd of Amazon Warriors supporters who packed Kensington Oval deeply disappointed. South African all-rounder Dwaine Pretorius was Jamaica’s standout bowler, finishing with figures of two wickets for 47 runs.

Earlier in the match, Kingsmen skipper Powell won the toss and elected to field, putting the Amazon Warriors into bat. The Guyana side stumbled early, slipping to 20 runs for the loss of two wickets inside the first five overs, putting their match total in doubt. However, a sensational late innings from Shimron Hetmyer dragged the side to a competitive total. Hetmyer notched his third century of the 2024 CPL, smashing an unbeaten 104 off 45 deliveries, with four fours and eight sixes, bringing up his ton off the final ball of the innings. He received crucial support from Shai Hope, who contributed 40 runs off 33 balls, and Quentin Sampson, who added a quick 29 off 17 to bolster the late innings total, finishing at 206 for four after 20 overs.

Speaking after his match-winning performance, Powell spoke of his pride in his side’s comeback journey to the final, after a rocky start to their debut campaign. “It started out with us losing three games early in the competition. In the middle of the competition, we found some form and confidence and realised that we can play cricket as a bunch,” he explained. “We just wanted to squeeze into the playoffs because, you know, once you get a Jamaica team into the playoffs, they’re dangerous.”

Looking ahead to the final against Antigua and Barbuda Falcons, Powell noted that the side would take time to prepare a focused game plan. “You know, we’ll take the next 24 hours to sit down, revise some plans and see if we can come up with some good plans against their match-winning players,” he added.

For the Amazon Warriors, who have now fallen at the semi-final stage after reaching the final in three of the previous four CPL editions, skipper Imran Tahir was gracious in defeat. “Yeah, look, I think that’s what we were expecting from our batting. They took the responsibility and put a very good score for us to defend. In the end this was a really good game. Obviously, it’s a tough one to swallow, but give credit to the other team. They played better cricket than us tonight,” Tahir said.

Barbados’ young football hopefuls are in the final stretch of intensive preparations, gearing up to make history as one of the competing nations at the first-ever FIFA U-15 World Cup and Festival kicking off later this month in Baku, Azerbaijan. The newly installed Technical Director of the Barbados Football Association, Philip Marin, officially confirmed the nation’s participation and ongoing training efforts during a media briefing this Thursday, noting that the country’s national U-15 side, nicknamed the Tridents, will take the pitch between October 24 and 30 for the landmark tournament.

In an interview with local outlet Barbados TODAY shortly after his formal introduction to press, Marin broke down key details of the groundbreaking competition. Unlike traditional 11-a-side youth football, this inaugural tournament will be played in an 8v8 format across more than 900 total matches, a scale made possible by the unprecedented level of global participation. FIFA extended invitations to all 211 of its member associations to join the event, and to date, 191 member nations have accepted the call to compete. Marin explained that the massive participating field has been organized into 32 groups: 31 groups made up of six teams each, and one final group of five to accommodate the 191-team total.

Barbados has been drawn into Group E, where it will face off against some of the most promising youth football programs in the world, headlined by global football powerhouse Spain, which currently holds the number one global ranking. Rounding out Group E alongside Barbados and Spain are Chile, Congo, Kuwait, and Tajikistan. While Marin acknowledged that the young Tridents enter the group stage as statistical underdogs, he emphasized that the match-up against top-ranked Spain offers an unparalleled opportunity for global exposure. With millions of viewers expected to tune into the tournament across global broadcasting platforms, the young Barbadian players will have a chance to showcase their skills to a massive international audience.

With roughly four weeks remaining until the tournament kicks off, Marin said the team is focusing on sharpening its tactical organization, refining offensive strategies, and solidifying defensive structures ahead of their first match. He also shared that the squad is led by head coach Stefan Stephan King, a highly capable leader who has been working closely with Marin to structure the team’s preparation plan.

FIFA’s Chief of Global Football Development, legendary football figure Arsène Wenger, also shared his perspective on the tournament in an official FIFA statement released Thursday, highlighting the event’s long-term transformative impact on youth football development. Wenger noted that raw football talent exists in every corner of the globe, but young athletes from smaller nations and less-resourced federations rarely get the same chance to test their skills against top international competition at an early age. This new U-15 tournament was created specifically to fill that gap, bringing together emerging young talents from every continent to compete against one another. Wenger explained that by gathering U-15 teams from across the world, the tournament gives young players access to high-stakes meaningful matches, exposes them to diverse playing styles and global football cultures, and creates valuable learning experiences that will support their growth as athletes throughout their careers.

In a stunning display of dominance at Bridgetown’s Kensington Oval on Thursday, the Antigua and Barbuda Falcons wrote their name into Caribbean Premier League (CPL) history, becoming the first side to punch their ticket to this year’s T20 tournament final with a comprehensive nine-wicket victory over the Guyana Amazon Warriors. A tournament breakout for the relatively new franchise, the win was anchored by two standout performances from Player-of-the-Match Shadab Khan, who tore through the Warriors’ batting lineup, and all-rounder Rahkeem Cornwall, who turned a modest run chase into a highlight-reel demolition with a blistering innings.

Sent in to bat first by the Falcons, the Guyana Amazon Warriors got off to a shaky start, posting 36 for one at the conclusion of the mandatory powerplay, with opener Mavendra Dindyal back in the pavilion for 11 runs. By the end of the seventh over, the Warriors had steadied the ship to reach 40 without further loss, and it looked as though they might build a competitive total. What followed instead was one of the most dramatic collapses in recent CPL history: the side lost eight wickets for just nine runs, crashing to 49 for nine in the 11th over before being bowled out all out for 76 in the 15th over. Only a late 27-run last-wicket stand between fast bowlers Romario Shepherd and Shamar Joseph saved the Warriors from an even more embarrassing low score. Glenn Phillips and Shai Hope topped the Warriors’ batting chart with just 16 runs apiece.

For the Falcons, the bowling attack was led by spin, with Shadab Khan claiming an incredible four wickets for only 16 runs, while Sufyan Moqim matched his wicket haul, finishing with four for 14 from his own allocation. The devastating spin attack left the Warriors’ batting lineup completely unable to cope with the pressure on a good batting wicket.

Chasing a tiny target of 77 to secure their place in the final, the Falcons did not waste any time. Opening batter Rahkeem Cornwall put on a six-hitting clinic, blasting an unbeaten 49 from only 16 deliveries, including six maximums and three boundaries. Fellow opener Evin Lewis chipped in with an unbeaten 23 from 13 balls, and the Falcons reached their required total in just the sixth over of their reply, finishing at 77 for one to seal the lopsided win.

Speaking after the match, Falcons captain Moeen Ali admitted he had harbored quiet doubts heading into the qualifier, after his side had almost a week off from competitive play. “I’m very happy that we’ve made it to the final with that sort of performance,” Ali said. “It would’ve been amazing if it was in the final. But I was a bit apprehensive, obviously. We haven’t played for seven, eight days and you’re not sure exactly what you’re going to get from the guys, but we were amazing.”

Shadab Khan echoed his captain’s praise for the bowling unit, noting: “I thought the bowlers did an amazing job on a good wicket actually. Then the spinners in the middle just ripped through them.”

Sunday’s final will mark the first time the Antigua and Barbuda Falcons franchise has reached the title decider, and Ali says the side is motivated to bring the trophy home for their passionate fanbase back in the twin islands. “A big part of it is to make them happy and proud of us. If we can have one more big push, because the support we got in Antigua was actually amazing for us. They have an amazing passion for the game and they really want us to do well. We feel like part of the family and it’s amazing to have that feeling.”

For the Guyana Amazon Warriors, the campaign is not over yet. They will get a second chance at qualification when they face the Jamaica Kingsmen in the second qualifier on Friday, with the winner earning the second spot in Sunday’s final. Warriors captain Imran Tahir says his side is focused on redeeming themselves for their supporters, who traveled in large numbers from Guyana and the United States to watch the match. “I think only the promise is that we’re going to come back and we won’t let them down,” Tahir said. “I’m just really sorry, you know, they come in massive numbers from the USA and Guyana. So you know, we have to put in a very big performance for them.”