Seales’ unbeaten 63 leads T&T’s fightback from Smith’s and Paul’s early spells
Red Force 240 for 9 (Seales 63*, Pierre 40; Smith 3-51) vs Harpy Eagles Yet To Bat
The 2026 Cricket West Indies Championship decider delivered a gripping opening day of action on Sunday, leaving Guyana Harpy Eagles and Trinidad and Tobago on somewhat equal footing at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in Antigua and Barbuda.
Jayden Seales smashed 63 off 71 balls in an unbroken 78-run last-wicket stand with Anderson Phillip (15), rescuing T&T from 162 for nine and leaving them with 240 first-innings runs on the board at the end of play.
The stand between Seales and Phillip was one of high-risk, high-reward, with the pair hitting seven 4s and two 6s between them, including five boundaries from a Shamar Joseph over.
After losing the first session, minus four balls, due to excess moisture in the pitch, the defending champions quickly restricted the Red Force to 124 for seven with seamers Nial Smith (3/51) and Keemo Paul (2/16) running through the top-order.
A 46-run second-wicket stand between Jyde Goolie (26) and opener Cephas Cooper (18) had provided the first sign of rebuff from T&T, who were then rolled over until a counter-attacking 40 from Khary Pierre revived the innings. Gudakesh Motie grabbed figures of 2 for 45.
Only 62 overs were bowled on the day, as pre-match showers delayed the removal of the covers, resulting in a slightly damp wicket and a subsequent 2-hour and 40-minute suspension.
