ST JOHN’S, Antigua – The 2026 West Indies Championship is set to deliver another season of exciting, high-quality cricket when it bowls off on Sunday, April 12 with a new format featuring the first of three rounds of bilateral matches among the six franchises.
Serving as a prelude to a packed summer of cricket across the region, the tournament will see players competing fiercely for international selection while upholding the intensity and standards expected of the Caribbean’s premier first-class competition.
Reigning champions Guyana Harpy Eagles, who have dominated the championship over the past decade with eight titles, including three consecutive wins, will open their campaign against the Windward Islands Volcanoes in Antigua.
They have a favoured matchup against the Windwards, going unbeaten in the last five meetings inclusive of three wins and a draw.
The last two matches have seen thumping wins for the Guyanese franchise, with captain Tevin Imlach playing a starring role with centuries in both matches to enable his team’s title pursuit.
There is no secret that the Harpy Eagles are keen to continue their trend of reigning supreme in the region’s premiere first-class tournament and captain Imlach is ready to lead with purpose.
“The Windward Islands Volcanoes have a competitive bunch of players, with some young talent who are eager to showcase their skills, but I believe we have the team capable of coming out on top against them when the tournament gets going.”
On the other side, the Windward Islands Volcanoes are on the hunt for improved performances after finishing at the foot of the standings in the previous season. Along with West Indies representatives Alick Athanaze and Kavem Hodge from, they have drawn on the services of Academy graduates Ackeem Auguste who made his international debut in 2025, as well as Teddy Bishop who captained the West Indies Academy team.
These inclusions will bolster the batting line-up which features former West Indies under-19 captain Stephan Pascal and the experienced Sunil Ambris, who has represented the region in 22 matches across formats.
It is against this backdrop that the title holders will not take their opponents for granted.
“It is important to remind the players that what happened before in the past years are gone, it is time to focus on what is now while creating our own legacy and playing a brand of cricket that is enjoyable.”, said Imlach.
Athanaze, who will once again captain the Volcanoes, foresees a more positive outlook for this year’s Championship and is eager to lead what he describes as a hungry and exciting bunch of cricketers.
“I’ve been captaining this unit for a while and there is a level of familiarity with the group. I believe we have a team not just to challenge the reigning champions but to compete and win against them. We are not going into this viewing the opposition as impossible to defeat, because we are confident that we will be able to give them a challenge throughout the course of the series.”
Athanaze was pleased with the performance of several players in the final trial match before the squad was selected, particularly those younger players in the setup.
“Players such as Ackeem Auguste and Teddy Biship provide a good cushion to our batting line-up. Coming over from the Academy they have shown good maturity which I think will enable us to be a stronger team in this year’s tournament.”
When the first ball is bowled at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium on April 12, it will be an exciting clash of confident champions against hungry challengers, which each chasing a very different destiny.
Guyana Harpy Eagles Squad
Tevin Imlach (Captain)
Kevlon Anderson
Tagenarine Chanderpaul
Richie Looknauth
Gudakesh Motie
Matthew Nandu
Keemo Paul
Raymond Perez
Veerasammy Permaul
Zeynul Ramsammy
Kemol Savory
Nial Smith
Isai Thorne
Windward Islands Volcanoes Squad
Alick Athanaze (Captain)
Sunil Ambris
Ackeem Auguste
Teddy Bishop
Darel Cyrus
Kenneth Dember
Shadrack Descarte
Kavem Hodge
Ryan John
Noel Leo
Darron Nedd
Stephan Pascal
Gilson Tyson
West Indies Championship Bilateral Fixtures Windward Islands Volcanoes vs Guyana Harpy Eagles
Round 1: April 12-15, 2026- Windward Islands Volcanoes vs Guyana Harpy Eagles @ Sir Vivian Richards Stadium, Antigua
Round 2: April 19- 22, 2026- Windward Islands Volcanoes vs Guyana Harpy Eagles
@ Antigua Recreation Ground, Antigua
Round 3: April 26-29, 2026- Windward Islands Volcanoes vs Guyana Harpy Eagles @ Coolidge Cricket Ground, Antigua
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