Barbados Tridents 206 for 3 (King 73, Rutherford 50*, de Kock 42, Hassan 1-19) beat Jamaica
Kingsmen 201 for 9 (Russell 68, Carty 45, Powell 38, Sams 4-20, Green 2-27) by five runs
Barbados Tridents did almost everything right in their CPL 2026 opener, which included surviving a spectacular Andre Russell blitz. But Ramon Simmonds sent Russell back in the last over and conceded just nine runs when Jamaica Kingsmen needed 15, giving Tridents a winning start to the competition.
Chasing 207 in what was their second game of the season after losing the first, Kingsmen were nowhere in the picture at 60 for 5 in the ninth over, with Daniel Sams, later named the Player of the Match, and Chris Green doing the major damage with two wickets each, and Gudakesh Motie chipping in with Rovman Powell‘s wicket.
Things started turning after that with Russell joining Keacy Carty and the two putting together a frenetic 72-run stand in just 30 balls, Carty contributing 28 in ten balls and Russell 39 in 20.
There was another blip in the chase when Sams sent Carty (45 in 27 balls) and Keemo Paul off back-to-back balls in the 14th over, but then Russell took over smashing 29 runs in the next 17 balls he faced. The support came from Vitel Lawes, who scored an enterprising 32 in 20 balls, matching Russell shot for shot as the two added 69 in 38 balls for the eighth wicket. Russell had smashed eight sixes by then, which took his tally to 800 in T20s, making him the third batter to get there after Chris Gayle (1056) and Kieron Pollard (1001).
Both of them were at the crease when the last over started. But a six from Russell off the third legal delivery was followed by an attempted biggie off a low full toss skewing off the bat for a catch inside the ring, and Lawes was run out next ball trying to take back the strike from Hunain Shah, who refused to run a tight single. Six was needed off the last ball, and Hunain’s swing met with thin air as Tridents sneaked home.
Russell finished with nine sixes in the game and it was the first time he had hit those many sixes without a single four in a T20 game. The overall record for such a knock is held by Shimron Hetmyer for smashing 11 sixes without a four, for Guyana Amazon Warriors in CPL 2024.
It shouldn’t have gotten so tight for Tridents after they were asked to bat by Kingsmen at Sabina Park, with all the batters on show coming up with the goods.
Brandon King and Zachary Carter – on CPL debut – added 40 for the opening stand in just three-and-a-half overs before Carter fell for a 15-ball 27. King then collaborated with Quinton de Kock for 72 runs in 45 balls, de Kock the quicker of the two with 42 runs in 25 balls to King’s 25 in 20, but Tridents were well placed at 112 for 2 at the end of the 11th over when de Kock fell.
Then came another partnership, the biggest of the lot, with Sherfane Rutherford slamming 50 in 28 balls and King scoring 41 in 25 as the two added 93 in 53 balls for the third wicket.
King fell off the penultimate ball of the innings for 73 in 51, while Rutherford remained unbeaten on 50, and the highest total of the competition this season looked good for the result. It almost didn’t but Tridents will take it, and Kingsmen will now need to find a road back after two losses in two games.
ESPNCricinfo
