The 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Sub-regional Americas Qualifier Group B is currently underway at the Jimmy Powell Oval in West Bay.
Running from 8-15 March, the international tournament features four nations – Argentina, Mexico, Suriname, and the host nation, Cayman – and serves as a critical phase in the qualification pathway for the 2028 Men’s T20 World Cup.
Cayman’s dominant start
Tournament results from the opening days show Cayman occupying a strong position in the standings.
On 8 March, Cayman opened the competition with a 10-wicket victory over Argentina, concluding the match with 66 balls remaining. In the second match of the opening day, Mexico defeated Suriname by 9 runs.
Competition continued on 9 March with Argentina securing a 15-run win over Suriname, followed by Cayman earning their second victory of the tournament by defeating Mexico by 9 wickets with 39 balls to spare.
On 11 March, the first match of the day saw Cayman overcome Suriname by 9 wickets with 43 balls remaining followed by Argentina defeating Mexico by 62 runs in the following match.
With a double round-robin format, a total of 12 matches are scheduled throughout the week to determine which team will advance to the Americas Regional Final.
The stakes for the participating teams are high, as the winner of Group B secures a position in the Regional Final against Canada, the United States, and the winner of the Sub-regional Qualifier A.
While the Group B matches proceed in West Bay, 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.
Cayman Cricket: President, coach and captain
Cayman’s captain, Ramon Sealy, said that the team is focusing on a ball-by-ball process despite their early success and being the number one seed of the group.
“Being on top changes nothing for us. We will take each game one by one and look to build on the performance of the first game and hopefully carry it throughout the tournament. I think the team are relishing being the favourites and want to justify that tag,” Sealy said.
“We want to achieve our ultimate goal for this tournament, which is to win it and to qualify for the next round and to do that we know we have to come out and put in the performance each day regardless of what happened the game before because all these teams have quality. So, it’s about showing up each and every day with the right mindset,” he added.
With a long-term vision approach, he views the tournament as a “huge opportunity”, noting that success in the qualification pathway could provide a professional avenue for current Cayman players and future generations.
“It’s a pathway to the World Cup [and] if we get there, that could change lives. People that work now can actually play cricket for a living and do what we love. It then transcends to the kids [also] and shows them that they can have an avenue through cricket to make a career as well.”
Reflecting on the preparation for the tournament, Cayman head coach David Bernard said, “Preparations have gone well. We started as early as November 2025 [and] we took a break back in December for the holidays, but we have been on it since.”
Alessandro Morris, Cayman Cricket president, described the tournament as having “an excellent start”, adding that “the atmosphere at Jimmy Powell Oval was insane and electrifying”.
“A lot of people – including kids – turned up to see the opening performance and it is very inspiring to watch Cayman in such a dominant form [on the pitch]. This is the sort of thing we want the public to see, to inspire the next generation of cricketers and to show the potential that Cayman has,” Morris added.
“Admission is free, so especially on the weekend, when we have those double headers, we want you to come down and enjoy the spirit of cricket,” he added.
While acknowledging the hospitality extended to the visiting teams, Morris said the competitive objective is for Cayman to win the tournament.
“We of course are going to invite the [visiting] teams to enjoy the Cayman hospitality, but we’re here on business, and we’re here to win. I think as being the number one seed in this group, we’re expected to perform and use our home condition,” Morris said.
The tournament schedule now moves toward the final matches with three more days of competition remaining. On 12 March, the morning session features Cayman against Mexico at 9:30am, followed by Suriname against Argentina at 2:30pm.
Matches will resume on 14 March, with Mexico facing Argentina at 9:30am, followed by Cayman against Suriname at 2:30pm.
The competition concludes on 15 March with Mexico facing Suriname at 9:30am and a final matchup between Cayman and Argentina at 2:30pm.
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