Despite not qualifying for the 2026 International Cricket Council Men’s T20 World Cup, the Cayman team walked away with three wins and multiple notable performances at their recent qualifier tournament.
The Cayman cricket squad recently participated in the 2025 Men’s T20 World Cup Americas Regional Final, a crucial qualifying tournament held in King City, Ontario, Canada.
From 15-21 June, each of the four participating teams – Canada, Bermuda, the Bahamas and the Cayman Islands – vied for a coveted spot in the 2026 World Cup, set to take place in India and Sri Lanka.
The tournament featured a double round-robin format – each team played every other team twice – with four teams competing in a total of 12 matches at the Maple Leaf North-West Ground.
Ultimately, Canada emerged as the region’s qualifier, securing their World Cup berth with an unblemished record of six wins. Bermuda finished as the second-placed team.
The United States and West Indies had already secured automatic qualification for next year’s World Cup due to their co-hosting duties of the previous edition, with Canada now joining them as the third team from the Americas.
For the Cayman Islands, the competition offered valuable experience and several notable individual achievements.
Their tournament began positively on 15 June with a 38-run victory over the Bahamas, a match in which Jermaine Baker was recognised as the Player of the Match.
The subsequent fixtures presented tougher challenges, with the Cayman Islands experiencing defeats against Canada by 59 runs on 16 June and Bermuda by 7 wickets on 18 June.
Canada again beat the Cayman Islands by 42 runs in a shortened game on 19 June, which was reduced to five overs per side due to rain.
Despite these outcomes, the Caymanian side demonstrated resilience.
On 21 June, they delivered a strong performance against Bermuda, securing a 9-wicket victory in a rain-reduced 14-over-per-side match, with Ramon Sealy earning Player of the Match honours.
Their campaign concluded on a winning note on 22 June, as they defeated the Bahamas by 49 runs, with Jermaine Baker once again being named Player of the Match.
Baker’s individual performance throughout the tournament was exceptional.
He finished as the leading run-scorer with an impressive 311 runs, earning him both the Player of the Series and Batsman of the Series awards.
