Republic Bank CPL: Jamaica Kingsmen send Barbados Tridents packing enroute to Qualifier 2

By Jemima Holmes in Barbados

After losing to the same opponent twice this season, the Jamaica Kingsmen put on their most comprehensive performance when it mattered most in Eliminator 1 of the 2026 Republic Bank Caribbean Premier League (CPL), to oust the home side, Barbados Tridents, from the competition.

Kingsmen Captain Rovman Powell won the toss and opted to bowl first; his team going on to knock down the Tridents’ top order cheaply and in no time. Though a solid partnership from Quinton de Kock and Captain Chris Green got the hosts to a respectable total, it mattered little as Maaz Sadaqat put on a show.

30-5 in no time
The Jamaica Kingsmen promised to turn the tides on the Barbados Tridents in this face- off and that they did, reducing the Tridents to 30-5 by the 7th over.
Brandon King went first, trying to find the boundary after being cramped by Hassan Khan for the first 4 balls of the innings. However, Kingsmen Captain, Powell, diving to his right in the cover region took a brilliant catch to dismiss his countryman for a duck.
Kevlon Anderson skipped out to the crease confidently but his innings too was short- lived, edging Andre Russell’s delivery back to the debutant Romaine Morrison who bobbled the ball at first, but eventually took it on the second try.
Zachary Carter, who’d been uncharacteristically quiet up until that point, was also looking for the release shot. Whipping the ball over his head, Morrison did not trouble the nerves this time around, taking a clean catch on the first try or Barbados’ third.
Saim Ayub’s bowling was roughed up by Quinton de Kock in the following over, presenting the possibility that Barbados had finally found some stability. But Hunain Shah’s introduction into the bowling attack saw the back of the home- leg hero Shadrack Descarte. The LBW was fervently appealed by the Jamaican side but umpire Zahid Bassarath was not convinced. The review eventually showed that the ball would crash into leg stump, handing Descarte his marching orders.
Sherfane Rutherford sent a convincing boundary into the on- side but played the following ball a bit too early, as the ball straightened up on him and crash into the stumps.
The Kingsmen would have been rueing the missed opportunity to send de Kock back to the dugout.
Keemo Paul, who had been a bit on the expensive side, finally served up the wicket- taking delivery to the South African international but Vitel Lawes, running back from slip could only get finger tips on it, dropping de Kock on 33.
His partnership with Captain Chris Green flourished, finally giving the fans at Kensington Oval something to cheer about.
Keemo’s forgettable night continued, as he misjudged a shot from Green, squandering the opportunity to break the thriving 6th- wicket partnership.
The hundred-run partnership between the two eventually came up in the 19th over as both went on to complete half- centuries in valiant effort.
Run out on the last ball of the innings, de Kock ended on 71 from 49 balls, having smashed 5 sixes and 2 fours. Green, however, remained unbeaten n57 from 44 deliveries with 5 fours and 1 six.
The Barbados Tridents may have been proud of their recovery, getting to 144-6 in their 20 overs but Maaz Sadaqat soon showed that the total may have been inadequate.
Sadaqat brought up his half- century in just 22 balls, sending AM Ghazanfar over deep extra cover for a maximum to bring up the milestone. That over was littered with 2 more maximums- the intention was clear, the Kingsmen were dead- set of playing Friday’s Qualifier 2.
The Kingsmen continued to motor along in the chase when the Tridents saw a flicker of hope in Gudakesh Motie’s second over. Sadaqat holed out to long off where Green was set but even with a forward dive, the ball dropped just short of the Tridents Captain as Sadaqat received a second life on 77.
The Pakistan International made the most of the lifeline, going on to bring up his century in 44 balls.
It was just a matter of formalities from that point on. The Kingsmen brought up their 9- wicket victory in 14.1 overs with Kirk McKenzie remaining unbeaten on 22 from34.
Sadaqat ended with 112 from just 49 deliveries in what was considered a match- winning knock.