As both host and competitor, Cayman emerged victorious and undefeated in the 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Sub-regional Americas Qualifier Group B.
The event, hosted at the Jimmy Powell Oval in West Bay from 8-15 March, saw Cayman secure a flawless record after competing in the international tournament featuring Argentina, Mexico and Suriname.
By winning every match in the round-robin format, Cayman has secured its position in the Regional Final, where they will face Canada, the United States, and the eventual winner of the Sub-regional Qualifier A.
The Group A qualifier is scheduled to take place later this year in Bermuda from 19-28 June, featuring the Bahamas, Belize, Bermuda, Brazil and Panama.
This achievement pushes Cayman one step closer to competing for a critical advancement in the qualification pathway for the 2028 Men’s T20 World Cup.
Tournament results
Cayman’s dominant run began on 8 March with a 10-wicket victory over Argentina, concluding the match with 66 balls remaining. On the same day, Mexico opened their campaign with a narrow 9-run win over Suriname.
As the competition progressed on 9 March, Argentina bounced back with a 15-run victory over Suriname, while Cayman maintained their momentum by defeating Mexico by 9 wickets with 39 balls to spare.
On 11 March, Cayman continued their winning streak with a 9-wicket win over Suriname with 43 balls remaining, followed by Argentina’s 62-run victory over Mexico.
The tournament entered its latter stages on 12 March, with Cayman recording a 93-run victory over Mexico and Argentina defeating Suriname by 7 wickets with 18 balls remaining.
On 14 March, Argentina secured a 92-run win over Mexico, while Cayman once again proved efficient with a 9-wicket win over Suriname, ending the match with 65 balls remaining.
On the final day of competition, 15 March, Suriname earned their first victory of the qualifier with a 4-wicket win over Mexico on the final ball of the match.
The tournament concluded with Cayman securing their undefeated Group B record after facing Argentina and winning by 6 wickets with 18 balls remaining.
A proud Ramon Sealy
Cayman’s captain, Ramon Sealy, proudly described what this qualification means stating, “[It] means a lot to not only the members of the team but also to the members of the cricket community.
“It always brings me a sense of pride and joy when I get to pull on my national colours to represent our islands. So qualifying is the reward for all the training and sacrifices the team has made,” he added.
With the Regional Finals now a reality for the Cayman squad, Sealy acknowledges areas of the game he wants for him and the team to improve during this preparation period.
“I do believe that as a team we can be fitter and stronger as a whole so that we can implement our gameplay more efficiently and reduce fatigue,” he shared.
“We know that the next level will be difficult, but we know that we have the talent to compete at that level. But we will have to put in the work from now to ensure that we fine tune our skills in order to minimise the mistakes we make and hopefully put in the performances that can upset the ‘bigger’ nations and put Cayman on the map in the cricket world,” Sealey said.
Argentina and Mexico’s team captains
Reflecting on the tournament, Argentina’s captain, Pedro Baron, noted that his squad remained focused on growth.
“We tried to keep ourselves always positive, learn from our mistakes, and also take the positives we’ve done and keep building from them,” Baron said.
Regarding the playing conditions at the Jimmy Powell Oval, he added, “The surface was as we expected – hard, not much turn, so really similar to what we prepare from back home. Getting used to the breeze and the heat was not easy, but we were mentally prepared for the challenge.”
Mexico’s team captain, Shantanu Kaveri, highlighted the mental discipline required for such a high-intensity schedule, explaining that his team focused on staying present rather than letting results drain their collective energy.
“We are incredibly grateful for the opportunity to compete at this level, so we [focused] on staying present in every moment rather than looking too far ahead. We emphasise a culture of supporting one another through the highs and lows, ensuring that no single result – win or loss – defines our spirit or drains our collective energy before the next ball is bowled,” Kaveri said.
Kaveri praised the ground staff for doing a “wonderful job”, adding, “The surface offers a very fair contest between bat and ball that we don’t always get to experience. While we’ve worked hard on our fundamentals back home, we [quickly learned] to respect the unique pace of this deck and [adjusted] our batting styles specially to match the bounce it provides and lengths to bowl.”
Also addressing the Cayman climate, Kaveri said, “The Cayman climate is a beautiful but little challenging environment that [required] us to be very disciplined.”
“The humidity has certainly helped our seamers find a bit more movement, but it also means our batters [had] to be more selective with their shots, as the heavy air and coastal breeze can often hold the ball up more than we initially expect,” he added.
Comparing the existing recognition levels between football and cricket back home, Kaveri said, “We recognise that we are ambassadors for a sport that is still finding its feet alongside giants like football in Mexico.
“Every boundary we hit and every game we win here is a step toward proving that cricket has a vibrant future in our country, and we hope a strong performance here will inspire the next generation and encourage more support for us back home.”
Related Videos
Is this a full caymanian team or a mix of expats? Cayman soccer needs to include expats and they will win a lot of games.