WCPL
Knight Riders Beat Defending Champions Tridents in WCPL Opener
Laura Harris smashed 38 from 19 balls in a 71-run Powerplay, and the Knight Riders bowlers finished the job at Kensington Oval.
In brief
Knight Riders strike first in the WCPL title race
- Trinbago Knight Riders were bowled out for 155 after racing to 71 without loss inside the Powerplay.
- Laura Harris hit 38 from 19 balls and Bhatia made 35 in the opening stand for the Knight Riders.
- Barbados Tridents, champions for the last three seasons, were held to 134 and lost the WCPL 2026 opener by 21 runs.
Harris and Bhatia tear into the Powerplay
Trinbago Knight Riders opened the Limacol WCPL 2026 season with a 21-run win over defending champions Barbados Tridents at Kensington Oval. Sent in after losing the toss, the Knight Riders posted 155 and then kept the Tridents to 134, beating the holders in the first match of the tournament. The Tridents came in as three-time defending champions, which made the result a marker for the rest of the short tournament.
The innings nearly started with a wicket. Shawnisha Hector thought she had Bhatia caught and bowled, but the delivery was called a no-ball and the opener survived. Bhatia made 35 with that second chance, while Laura Harris did the damage at the other end, smashing 38 from 19 balls.
Bates and Joseph drag Barbados back into it
The opening pair took the Knight Riders to 71 without loss before they were separated in the final over of the Powerplay, Barbados having already used four bowlers without slowing the scoring. Suzie Bates and Quiana Joseph then changed the innings, sharing five wickets as the Knight Riders lost their way and were bowled out for 155.
It was still a stiff target, and the Tridents' top four all got starts in reply. Debutant Kiran Navgire showed some power in her 28, and Joseph backed up her bowling with 25 from 21 balls, but no Barbados batter matched the start Harris had given the Knight Riders.
Dottin and Pandey close out the WCPL opener
Deandra Dottin and Shikha Pandey did the decisive work with the ball, taking five wickets between them as the Knight Riders' pace attack kept breaking partnerships just as Barbados tried to build one. With the required rate climbing, the spinners then worked through the lower order to finish the job. It was a complete team performance from the Knight Riders, with runs at the top of the order and wickets shared across the attack.
Barbados, champions in each of the last three seasons, start their defence with a defeat and need a quick response in a four-team competition where every match counts. The full fixture list is on the CPL and WCPL schedule, and the overseas groups for this season are covered in the WCPL overseas players guide.