ST. JOHN’S, Antigua — The 2026 West Indies Championship final is set. The teams have earned their spots but only one will lift the trophy.
The Guyana Harpy Eagles, who secured their place in the final by finishing top of the standings, used their four-day clash against the West Indies Academy to send a message to their prospective opponents with an innings-and-21-runs victory.
Meanwhile, Trinidad & Tobago Red Force did things the hard way with a hard-fought 140-run playoff victory over Barbados Pride to claim the second spot in the final, which gets underway from Sunday, May 17 at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in North Sound.
The Guyana Harpy Eagles arrived at the Antigua Recreation Ground (ARG) for their warm-up fixture with Academy, which was granted first-class status, and made an emphatic statement to put their potential final rivals on notice as they did battle a few kilometres away at the Coolidge Cricket Ground.
The match at the ARG was defined by individual brilliance from the outset. On Day 1, West Indies Academy captain Rivaldo Clarke and allrounder Amari Goodridge combined for an unbroken 280-run seventh-wicket partnership to rescue their side from 169-6, to end on 423-6.
Clarke went on to make 180 off 228 balls and Goodridge compiled 123 off 185, as the Academy posted 485 all out. Despite their healthy first innings score, the Harpy Eagles used the ground’s famous featherbed to bat Academy out of the game.
Matthew Nandu was the cornerstone of Guyana’s reply with a career-best 237 in an innings that ended 13 minutes before the ten-hour mark. He shared a colossal 255-run fifth-wicket partnership with 19-year-old debutant Jonathan Van Lange, who announced himself on the regional first-class stage with a fluent 133 inclusive of 20 fours and a single six.
Richie Looknauth crafted an assured 77 while Gudakesh Motie stroked an even 48, as the Harpy Eagles were eventually bowled out for 663 with a commanding lead of 178 runs. Zishan Motara was the pick of Academy’s bowlers with six wickets at the cost of 202 runs.
With the Academy needing to bat well to stay out of trouble in their second innings, Looknauth’s off-spin proved unplayable despite ARG’s historic reputation for being favourable for batters.
He ripped through Academy’s batting lineup to finish with 6-36 from 12 overs, supported by Gudakesh Motie (2-27) and Thaddeus Lovell (2-56), as Academy folded for 157 in 42 overs.
Across town at the Coolidge Cricket Ground, the contest was a tense affair from the opening day.
Red Force’s fast bowlers Anderson Phillip, Terrance Hinds and Jayden Seales dismantled the Pride’s top order, reducing them to 47-6 in their reply to T&T’s first innings total of 333, before lower-order resistance from Leniko Boucher (80), Shamar Springer (51) and Joshua Bishop (99*) dragged Barbados to 296 all out. Bishop was left stranded one run short of his third first-class century after adding 47 for the last wicket with Jomel Warrican.
Bishop then turned to the ball, snaring 6-87 alongside Roston Chase’s 3-67 as Red Force were 280 all out in their second innings. Cephas Cooper batted through for a century after being dismissed in the 90s in the first innings while Khary Pierre struck a crucial 64 to help set the Pride a target of 318 to win.
Pierre and Bryan Charles then combined to demolish the Pride’s second innings with a masterclass in spin bowling. Pierre was the chief destroyer, finishing with 5-54, while Charles chipped in with 4-62. The Pride were dismissed for 177 all out, handing the Red Force a 140-run victory.
The West Indies Championship final promises to be a fascinating contest between two sides who have peaked at exactly the right moment. Guyana’s batting order, anchored by the in-form Nandu and the reliable Tagenarine Chanderpaul looks formidable, while their spin attack, led by Motie and Permaul has been reinforced by Looknauth’s recent displays.
However, Trinidad & Tobago have their own set of match-winners. Pierre is a proven force with both bat and ball while their pace attack gives them an aggressive edge in the first innings of a final that could well go deep into Day 4. With four days of cricket ahead, all signs point to a fitting finale to a thrilling regional season.
