WEST INDIES CHAMPIONSHIP PREVIEW: LEEWARD ISLANDS HURRICANES VS TRINIDAD & TOBAGO RED FORCE.
ST JOHN’S, Antigua- Three fiercely contested matches are expected as the Leeward Islands Hurricanes take on the Trinidad and Tobago Red Force in their bilateral series in Antigua when the 2026 West Indies Championship gets underway on Sunday.
The Coolidge Cricket Ground will host the opening match, where the Hurricanes will take the field under new leadership, with Barbadian all-rounder Justin Greaves captaining the side for the first time.
The 32-year-old Greaves views the responsibility bestowed upon him as a great honour, having made the switch to represent the franchise three years ago.
“Obviously it is an honour to be entrusted by the people of the Leeward Islands to lead the team this season. I’m looking forward to it and I’m sure I will get help from the senior guys around me.” Greaves said. “Coming through the ranks I always viewed myself as a leader, and now being given the responsibility of captain, I will look to lead from the front.”
Last season’s encounter between the two teams ended in a high-scoring draw, with over 1,100 runs scored. Joshua Da Silva notched centuries in both innings, supporting a double century from veteran Jason Mohammed.
The Hurricanes responded with a double-century opening partnership between Mikyle Louis and Kadeem Henry, who both registered centuries. Both players return to the 13-man squad, which also includes Jewel Andrew, who cracked a double century in one of the trial matches, as well as Karima Gore, who found himself among the runs with a century in the preparation matches.
The composition of the squad gives Greaves confidence that the team is equipped to be competitive and play quality cricket for extended periods throughout the bilateral series.
“Across the bilateral series, you want to improve in every single game, so this is a case of being disciplined throughout, overcoming individual matchups and getting better as the series goes on.”
The Red Force have nine players in their squad with international experience and that is enough evidence for the hosts to be wary of their prowess according to the newly minted captain.
“They have several senior guys, including senior West Indies fast bowlers, so this is a good chance for us as well to express ourselves. We see ourselves as one of the better teams in the Caribbean, so we need to just have that belief and execute.”
It has been 20 years since Trinidad & Tobago Red Force last found themselves at the top of the table in the Regional Four-Day Championship, and they will be hoping that 2026 presents the perfect opportunity to return to the summit. They came within touching distance last season but suffered a setback in the penultimate round, losing to the Jamaica Scorpions, a result that dented their title hopes.
This serves as a stark reminder to captain Joshua Da Silva that every session is crucial.
“Coming into this year is about starting over and starting on a good note because there are only three games and we don’t want to fall behind at any time at all.” Da Silva explained. “We have a very well-balanced team, we are covered in all areas, experienced in the batting to go with our senior West Indies fast bowlers and our spinners who have been doing well for us.”
The Red Force have drawn on the services of experienced Evin Lewis who will be playing first class cricket for the first time in close to ten years. For Da Silva, this is an asset for his team.
“We have seen a very different attitude in Evin, which I’m very happy to see. He’s batting well, training hard, doing the right things and we are all excited to see what he will do in first class cricket and how the team with be bolstered by his experience in the dressing room because he really brings us together.”
The Hurricanes hold a favourable matchup in the recent meetings with two wins in the last four meetings which include two drawn results. However, the upcoming series is a chance for the Red Force to start a strong run of performances against their opponents.
“At the end of the day we are preparing to play the cricket that we can play. The game isn’t played by lingering on what happened in the past because we must go out there and do the right things for long periods while doing the basics continuously”
As the tournament edges closer to the start date and with everything on the line, both teams enter a fiercely contested battle for championship honours.
Leeward Islands Hurricanes Squad
Justin Greaves (Captain)
Jewel Andrew
Keacy Carty
Rahkeem Cornwall
Daniel Doram
Nathan Edward
Karima Gore
Jahmar Hamilton
Kadeem Henry
Jeremiah Louis
Mikyle Louis
Kelvin Pitman
Oshane Thomas
Trinidad & Tobago Red Force Squad
Joshua Da Silva (Captain)
Yannic Cariah
Bryan Charles
Cephas Cooper
Jyd Goolie
Terrence Hinds
Joshua James
Amir Jangoo
Evin Lewis
Jason Mohammed
Anderson Phillip
Khary Pierre
Jayden Seales
West Indies Championship Bilateral Fixtures Leeward Islands Hurricanes vs Trinidad & Tobago Red Force
Match 1: April 12-15, 2026- Leeward Islands Hurricanes vs Trinidad & Tobago Red Force @ Coolidge Cricket Ground, Antigua
Match 2: April 19- 22, 2026- Leeward Islands Hurricanes vs Trinidad & Tobago Red Force @ Sir Vivian Richards Stadium, Antigua
Match 3: April 26-29, 2026- Leeward Islands Hurricanes vs Trinidad & Tobago Red Force @ Antigua Recreation Ground, Antigua