Pride Snatch Playoff Spot as Scorpions Stung at Sabina Park
ST JOHN’S, Antigua – The final round of the 2026 West Indies Championship delivered high drama, crushing bowling displays, and a stunning reversal of fortune as Barbados Pride stormed into the playoffs at the expense of Jamaica Scorpions, while Guyana Harpy Eagles marched confidently into the final.
Barbados’ emphatic innings-and-11-run victory inside three days at Sabina Park proved the headline act. The result flipped the standings between the two rivals: Pride advanced to 42.2 points, while Scorpions tumbled to 34 after holding a slender 9.8-point advantage entering the round.
Asked to bat first, Barbados amassed an imposing 439, powered by Jonathan Drakes’ 94 and an aggressive 84 from Roston Chase. It marked the Pride’s fourth consecutive innings above 300, continuing their rich vein of batting form.
But the real damage came with the ball. Spinners Chase and Joshua Bishop combined to skittle Jamaica for just 142, handing Barbados a colossal 297-run lead. After enforcing the follow-on, the Scorpions showed improvement with 286 in their second dig, but the outcome was never in doubt.
Bishop was the architect of destruction, claiming five wickets in the second innings to finish with match figures of 9 for 103. Captain Kraigg Brathwaite revealed the 25-year-old’s selection was no gamble.
“I remember Joshua playing against them two years ago, and he got nine wickets,” Brathwaite said. “After looking at the pitch, it was drier than the previous game, so that was the decision for him to come in. It paid off because he has been working hard, and it’s good to see it paying off.”
Brathwaite also praised his side’s mental resilience after dropping the opening match of the bilateral series.
“After losing that first game, we knew we had to bounce back,” he said. “Jamaica scored over 400 runs in the second game, and for us to respond by gaining first innings was very important. That gave us confidence and belief, even though that game ended in a draw.”
At Coolidge Cricket Ground, defending champions Guyana Harpy Eagles finished top of the table with 63.8 points after a 93-run victory over Windwards Volcanoes, completing a 3-0 bilateral sweep.
Tagenarine Chanderpaul anchored the batting with a patient 69 in the first innings and an unbeaten 117 off 297 balls in the second, lifting Guyana from a precarious 129 for six to 299 all out. Set 318 to win, the Volcanoes managed just 225 despite Alick Athanaze’s 64 and a 74-run stand with Johann Jeremiah.
Left-arm spinner Gudakesh Motie was the pick of the bowlers with four wickets in each innings, while Veerasammy Permaul chipped in with three.
Captain Tevin Imlach acknowledged room for improvement despite victory: “The bowlers have been brilliant. To win four-day games, you need 20 wickets. They did that. A concern would be our batting. We have some stuff to iron out, and once we get that right, hopefully we can have a complete performance in both games to come.”
At the Antigua Recreation Ground, Trinidad and Tobago Red Force appeared headed for victory before a remarkable rearguard from Leeward Islands Hurricanes forced a draw.
Captain Joshua Da Silva smashed a career-best 220 off 304 balls (20 fours, two sixes) to propel Red Force to 522 for nine declared. Anderson Phillip was relentless with eight wickets across the match. Forced to follow on after being dismissed for 345, the Hurricanes mounted a stirring rescue.
Resuming the final day at 160 for four, Keacy Carty crafted a composed 147 off 212 balls, while skipper Justin Greaves struck 122 off 178, sharing a 174-run fifth-wicket stand. An unbroken 112-run partnership between Rahkeem Cornwall (66 not out) and Jahmar Hamilton (50) slammed the door shut.
Da Silva remained upbeat: “This was a great game for me with my first double hundred. Anderson getting eight wickets on that pitch was a tremendous effort. It shows the quality he has and why he’s playing at the top level. We’re looking forward to the next step.”
