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Cricket fans in the Caribbean are set for an early Christmas gift as the Republic Bank Caribbean Premier League (CPL) announced that the first batch of tickets for the 2026 Playoffs and Final will go on sale on December 22.

In a move branded as “Unwrap the Road to the Finals,” tournament organizers have confirmed that the entire knockout phase will be staged at the iconic Kensington Oval in Barbados.

The move marks a significant shift in the tournament’s landscape; Guyana has served as the exclusive host for the CPL finals for the past four years.

In 2026, the “Biggest Party in Sport” returns its grand finale to the historic Bridgetown venue.

Supporters who purchase a ticket for all four knockout fixtures—the Eliminator, both Qualifiers, and the Final—will be automatically entered into a draw for an exclusive coaching clinic.

Scheduled for Tuesday, September 15, 2026, the clinic offers aspiring cricketers the chance to train alongside the tournament’s biggest stars.

“We are delighted to offer supporters the chance to win a CPL coaching clinic with some of the world’s best players as a special reward for our loyal fans,” said CPL CEO Pete Russell.

The 2026 edition is shaping up to be the biggest in the league’s history. The tournament is expected to bowl off in early August, featuring an expanded roster of seven teams following the highly anticipated return of a Jamaica-based franchise.

While the destination of the finals is set, the full schedule remains a work in progress. Specifically, no period has yet been finalized for when the 2023 champions, Guyana Amazon Warriors, will host their home leg at Providence.

The Knockout Schedule: Four Nights under the Lights

The business end of the tournament will follow the established playoff format at Kensington Oval:

• Wednesday, Sept 16: The Eliminator (3rd vs 4th)
• Thursday, Sept 17: Qualifier 1 (1st vs 2nd)
• Friday, Sept 18: Qualifier 2 (Winner of Eliminator vs Loser of Qualifier 1)
• Sunday, Sept 20: The CPL 2026 Final

With the Caribbean economy always a consideration for regional tournaments, Russell highlighted the entry-level pricing for the Barbados leg.

“With ticket prices starting from just US$20, fans can witness cricket history unfold at one of the world’s great cricket grounds in an experience that is both affordable and unforgettable,” Russell added.

Tickets are scheduled to go live at 9:00 AM ECT on December 22, 2025, via the tournament’s official website – https://www.cplt20.com/home

 

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A 27-year-old man, who was wanted for the murder of a young miner, Samuel Marciano, was arrested on Friday night in New Amsterdam, Berbice.

According to a Police release, the man was nabbed during an intelligence-led operation. Following the arrest, a search was conducted on a motor vehicle being used by the suspect. During the search, ranks discovered one 9MM Taurus pistol along with 11 live 9MM rounds, which were found concealed in the driver’s side door.

The gun and ammunition recovered

The firearm and ammunition were processed and lodged. The suspect remains in police custody as investigations continue.

Marciano was shot multiple times at 14 Miles, Issano Landing, Middle Mazaruni during a social gathering. Police had reported that Marciano was shot by two known individuals.

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Guyana’s young chess masters have returned home as heroes after staging a remarkable comeback at the Central American and Caribbean (CAC) Youth Chess Festival in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

The contingent’s campaign began in disaster when a flight cancellation forced the entire team to miss the opening round.

However, the Golden Arrowhead was flown high as the squad refused to let the disadvantage define their tournament, producing a series of clinical upsets against the region’s highest-rated players.

Twelve-year-old Kataleya Sam was the standout performer, defying the odds to secure a top-five finish in the Under-12 Girls category. Sam, a former bronze medalist and Conditional Woman Candidate Master, finished with five points.

The highlight of her tournament came in Round 8 against the Dominican Republic’s top seed, Amelia Maia Perrone Bueno.

After a cagey opening, Sam pounced on a tactical slip-up to win a pawn before demonstrating “excellent positional control” to dismantle her opponent’s counterplay and convert the win systematically.

The narrative of the tournament was one of Guyanese players toppling tournament leaders:

The FM Takedown: In the U-18 Absolute section, Kyle Couchman produced one of the results of the week.

Facing FIDE Master Santiago Ruiz, the highest-rated player in the field, Couchman launched a relentless kingside assault. Despite being down an exchange, his pressure forced a critical blunder from the FM, securing a massive victory.

Ending the Streak: National Women’s Champion Aditi Joshi delivered a masterclass in the U-16 category. Using the Colle System, she handed tournament leader WCM Liana Pieter her only loss of the festival, dismantling the Curaçaoan’s defensive structure with precise play on the light squares.

The Undefeated Run: Despite missing the first round and being forced out of the eighth due to illness, Sachin Pitamber remained undefeated across seven matches in the U-16 Absolute category, finishing with an impressive five points.

The team’s depth was evident across all age groups. Vir Narine (U-10) showcased his potential by finishing 13th despite missing the first two rounds, while Abel Fernandez marked his international debut with a hard-fought 4.5 points in the U-12s.

In the U-14s, Nicholas Zhang proved a tough nut to crack, securing draws against top-rated opponents from Barbados and the Cayman Islands, while unrated debutant Emma John stunned the field by amassing 3.5 points against seasoned international opposition.

The Guyana Chess Federation (GCF) praised the “exceptional skill and character” shown by the athletes, who returned to Georgetown on Sunday.

With coaching from FM Anthony Drayton and CM Taffin Khan, the performance serves as a powerful statement of intent for Guyanese chess, proving that even a missed start cannot stop a team with the right tactical mindset. (Modified GCF Press Release)

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Desert Vipers batter Shimron Hetmyer has been ruled out of the remainder of the ongoing ILT20 season due to a hamstring injury.

Hetmyer got injured while playing against Abu Dhabi Knight Riders (ADKR) earlier this week, and has been replaced in Vipers’ squad by former England batter Jason Roy.

Hetmyer played in all seven games for Vipers so far this season, but had a quiet time with the bat.

He scored just 111 runs in six innings at an average of 18.50, although at an impactful strike rate of 160.86. Hetmyer’s highest score was the 48 off 25 balls he smashed against ADKR on December 5.

Roy, meanwhile, enters the ILT20 after three matches for Pokhara Avengers in the Nepal Premier League, where he scored 68 runs at an average of 34.

Before that, he was at the Abu Dhabi T10, where he was Royal Champs’ captain. Roy also has previous experience of playing in the ILT20. In 2024, he played two matches for ADKR, while next season, he played 12 games for Sharjah Warriorz, and got 298 runs at an average of 29.80.

“We are extremely disappointed to lose a player of Shimron’s quality and experience as he has played a positive role in our squad this season, but securing someone of Jason’s pedigree and experience certainly softens that blow,” Tom Moody, Vipers’ Director of Cricket, said.

“Jason ticks all the boxes for us. He knows the format inside-out, he is a versatile batter who can go through the gears, he provides us options up and down the order, he has been playing recently and he has experience in the ILT20.”

Vipers are currently at the top of the points table, with six wins in seven games. The one-run loss they suffered against ADKR this week was their first after six back-to-back victories to start the tournament. Vipers are next in action on Sunday evening, when they face Warriorz in Dubai, with their new recruit Roy having already arrived there.

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Cricket West Indies (CWI), in collaboration with the Caribbean Premier League (CPL), has completed a review of the proposed window for the Breakout T20 League in 2026.

Given the increasingly congested international and domestic cricket calendar, coupled with preparations for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, it has been determined that the tournament cannot be staged in its originally planned window in January.

Following the successful inaugural edition earlier this year, both CWI and CPL remain firmly committed to the Breakout T20 League, which is regarded as a key component of the region’s player development pathway and a critical bridge to regional, franchise, and international cricket.

CWI Chief Executive Officer Chris Dehring emphasized that the league’s primary purpose is player development, particularly the identification and nurturing of talent beyond traditional or highly visible pathways.

While we have not yet identified a suitable window for the Breakout League in 2026, it remains an important pillar of our domestic tournament strategy,” said Dehring.

“This pause, particularly during a stringent fiscal period, provides an opportunity to assess the league’s structure and to determine whether it is optimally positioned within the World Cup cycle to deliver the best possible developmental outcomes.

We must cast a wider net across the Caribbean to ensure we are identifying players with the skill, athleticism, and mindset required for the modern game, including those who may emerge later or who have not yet had sustained exposure to elite environments. That requires stronger scouting, improved data capture, and clearer alignment between the Breakout League and our high-performance systems, so that progression to the senior international level is intentional and measurable.

Dehring added that alignment across all levels of West Indies cricket is particularly critical during the current cycle, with multiple national squads active on the global stage.

With the Under-19 Men’s and Senior Men’s teams focused on upcoming World Cups, this is an especially demanding period for our players,” he said.

“While the Breakout League remains part of our forward planning, it will not be staged in the same window. Both CWI and CPL agree that the tournament must have sufficient space to make a meaningful developmental impact and to truly engage our fans. We will continue to look for a space for this event in 2026.

CPL Chief Executive Officer Pete Russell echoed this commitment, highlighting the importance of ensuring the competition’s long-term viability and developmental value.

The CPL fully supports the Breakout League and its role within Caribbean cricket,” Russell said. “Although we have not yet been able to secure a suitable window for 2026, our commitment to the competition remains unchanged.

This period will allow us to refine the format, timing, and supporting structures to ensure the league fulfils its intended role within the regional development system, both now and in the future.

Updates on the execution of the tournament will be communicated in due course. (CWI Press Release) 

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Public Works Minister Juan Edghill confirmed that a new bridge will be built to connect the Essequibo islands of Leguan and Wakenaam.

Edghill, while speaking at the commissioning of the MV Konawaruk 1899 ferry on Friday, said components of the old Demerara Harbour Bridge will be used to create the new link. A team of engineers is already working on project development.

“We will be removing components of the Demerara Harbour Bridge to link Leguan and Wakenaam so the ferry crossing will be much faster… (and) transit time will be quicker,” Edghill said.

The old Demerara Harbour Bridge has been replaced with the massive four-lane Bharrat Jagdeo Demerara River Bridge. However, government officials have confirmed that the old thoroughfare will be used elsewhere. Edghill, in October, announced that sections of the old bridge would be used to connect Timehri and Sand Hills.

While engaging reporters after the MV Konawaruk’s commissioning ceremony, Edghill said there will be budgetary provisions for the relocation and use of the old Demerara Bridge elsewhere.

And speaking on the new link between Leguan and Wakenaam, he said, “It’s not if, it’s just a matter of when.”

 

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Ben Stokes said he “absolutely” wants to remain England captain despite losing the Ashes series in Australia in just three Tests.

England were beaten on the fifth day of the third Test in Adelaide to go 3-0 down, extending a winless run in this country to 18 matches and leaving them without an away Ashes series victory in 14 years.

Stokes took over as captain in the aftermath of the 4-0 defeat here four years ago and this tour was billed as the culmination of the leadership of the all-rounder and head coach Brendon McCullum.

Asked whether this loss will cause him to question his commitment to the England job, Stokes said: “Nope.”

Prior to this series, the 34-year-old agreed a new England central contract that will run until the end of the next Ashes in the UK in 2027.

This series loss, completed in only 11 days of cricket across the first three Tests, is likely to put pressure on the positions of McCullum and director of cricket Rob Key.

Given Stokes’ influence and importance to the England team, the Durham man would probably be given the opportunity to continue as captain if he wants the role.

He has a chequered injury history – Stokes has been dogged by knee, hamstring and shoulder problems over the past two years.

And the captain has noticeably devoted a lot of emotional energy to this series. On being dismissed in the second innings of the second Test in Brisbane, then again in the first innings in Adelaide, he threw his bat in the air in frustration.

Asked if he still has the energy for the job, Stokes replied: “Absolutely.”

After making 83 in more than five hours at the crease in the first innings, Stokes did not bowl on the third day in Adelaide, before taking the ball at the beginning of day four.

“I just didn’t feel right,” he said. “I knew I still had a big role to play so I didn’t want to expose myself.

“I felt like I was going to snap every time I ran after a ball, so I just looked after myself.

“I had a good night’s kip, woke up next morning and I was good to go again, but I actually listened to the advice that was given to me for a change from a few of the senior boys.”

Before this series, Stokes called on his players to “create history” by joining the five England teams to have won the Ashes in Australia since World War II.

Instead, Stokes’ men have followed the previous three England teams sent down under in losing the first three Tests to surrender the Ashes at the earliest opportunity.

“Knowing now that we can’t achieve what we set out to do here is obviously very disappointing,” said Stokes.

“It’s a pretty emotional time for me in the dressing room and the guys, players, management, backroom stuff.

“We will take a lot out of this game about how we can maybe apply ourselves to give us a better chance of being a much more consistent cricket team.”

Mitchell Starc ended Ben Stokes’ superb innings•Dec 19, 2025•Darrian Traynor/Getty Images

England now move on to the fourth Test in Melbourne, looking to win a Test in this country for the first time since January 2011.

Even a draw would ensure they do not suffer the indignity of a clean sweep – England have been beaten 5-0 on three previous Ashes tours.

“It moves over into what else we have in front of us,” said Stokes. “We still have two games left in the series and a hell of a lot to play for, as individuals and a team.

“Walking out there and playing for England is a good enough thing in itself. We’re not going to turn around and kick the stumps over because we have so much more to play for in the series.” (BBC Sport) 

 

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It was a sense of deja vu as Devon Conway and Tom Latham seemingly batted West Indies out of the match for the second time in four days’ space.

But the visiting openers Brandon King and John Campbell once again put on a defiant stand, taking them to stumps without any damage done and 419 runs away from their target.

Conway and Latham, who added 323 runs for the first wicket in the first innings, racked up centuries again as they put on a 192-run opening stand in New Zealand’s second dig, helping them set West Indies 462 on a testing pitch with uneven bounce.

Conway and Latham scored their second centuries of the match, becoming the first pair of openers to score twin tons in the same game in all first-class cricket.

Their efforts, along with a 72-run partnership off just 37 balls between Kane Williamson and Rachin Ravindra helped New Zealand extend their dominance, after taking a 155-run first-inning lead earlier in the day by bowling out West Indies for 420.

Kavem Hodge, who finished unbeaten on his career-best 123, provided the only two breakthroughs in New Zealand’s second innings, removing the prolific openers thanks to some terrific catching by Jayden Seales in the deep.

Brandon King gave West Indies a positive start• Dec 21, 2025•Getty Images

The pitch had deceptive bounce. Where a shooter from Hodge kept so low to Latham that it nearly bounced twice before reaching him, a length ball from Jacob Duffy also reared up on Anderson Phillip to take the shoulder of his blade for the first wicket of the day.

The very next ball, a bouncer stayed much lower to crash into Shai Hope’s abdomen – not making matters any better for him after he missed the last two days’ play with food poisoning.

The day started off with Duffy removing Phillip and Hope in his first two overs. While Phillip was done in by extra bounce, Hope tried to pull away a proper short ball and top edged it to long leg. But like Phillip, Seales put in a solid rearguard effort to extend West Indies’ resistance.

However, Hodge chose to let the tailenders face a large chunk of the bowling. Of the 69 balls Hodge and Seales faced for their 29-run partnership, Seales faced 53.

When Ajaz Patel had Seales bowled with a slider, Hodge took a single off the first ball of the next over and Michael Rae had Kemar Roach nicking off next ball to end West Indies’ innings.

Roach had walked off injured on the first day and didn’t bowl on the second day. He didn’t bowl during New Zealand’s second innings either. (ESPNcricinfo) 

 

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A 39-year-old miner of Ann’s Grove, East Coast Demerara, was arrested in Parika, East Bank Essequibo, on Friday afternoon after Police found a quantity of cannabis on his person.

Enquiries revealed that ranks were on foot patrol duties in the area and, acting on information received, made contact with the suspect who was at a boat house.

A search was conducted on him and his belongings. During the search, a quantity of leaves, seeds, and stems suspected to be cannabis was discovered inside a bag belonging to him.

The suspect was arrested and escorted to the Parika Police Station along with the suspected cannabis, which was weighed in his presence and amounted to five kilogrammes.

The suspected cannabis was lodged, after which the suspect was placed into custody pending charges as investigations continue.

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