August 10 – 19, 2026 will now undisputedly rank very highly as the most enjoyable, informational, and educational nine days I’ve ever experienced in my entire life to date. Such were the impressions received during my recently concluded time spent in Kingston, Jamaica, to celebrate the Caribbean Premier League’s (CPL) most welcomed return to the island. After its 2019-2026, seven-year hiatus. Impressions that have left me now wanting to encourage anyone and everyone to visit Jamaica, its ever-evolving New Kingston capital, and particularly for cricket lovers, the Kingsmen’s Sabina Park CPL home matches as a “must-do” part of their future bucket list travel plans.
Topping the list of such impressions was the cricket played by the Kingsmen as Jamaica’s renamed CPL franchise. After disheartening losses in their first two matches, to the Barbados Royals and then subsequently to the Guyana Amazon Warriors, the Kingsmen rebounded with emphatic victories against defending CPL champions Trinbago Knightriders (TKR) and the St Kitts and Nevis Patriots.
The Kingsmen’s win against the seemingly self-assured Trinbago Knightriders was piloted by local boy opening batter Kirk McKenzie. His belligerent 69 off just 25 balls with six sumptuous sixes and as many fours made a mockery of TKR’s posted 182/6-20. In a manner that had the impressively packed Sabina Park spectators jumping in joy and expressing their delight in noise levels that were at times almost deafening!
The Kingsmen’s last home match for this CPL 2026 Season was against the Jason Holder-led St Kitts & Nevis Patriots. The very same former West Indies Test and ODI captain, who in an audio interview with yours truly just a few days prior, had expressed 100% confidence in the Patriots’ capabilities to go all the way to capturing its second-ever CPL championship title this year. As much as I have always been a huge admirer and fan of Holder’s cricketing abilities, exploits and achievements, I was, nevertheless, unashamedly overjoyed by the Kingsmen’s thwarting of his expressed belief during their August 18 Sabina Park encounter.
My delight was even further compounded by the actuality that it was my fellow Guyanese countryman Kemo Paul who proved to be the main architect of the Kingsmen’s triumph. Having expressed a need to get some runs during his own audio interview with me that was conducted at the Bob Marley-created Tuff Gong studios roughly a week prior, Kemo finally came good.
Kemo’s classy 36 ball 65, which included five towering sixes and as many majestically stroked fours, helped the Kingsmen to reach 181/6 off their allocated 20 overs. A formidable total which subsequently proved to be Blue Mountainous too high for the Patriots’ batting. With its aged top-order batting.
Andre Fletcher (7), Johnson Charles (11) and Kyle Mayers (8) proved to be no match for the Kingsmen’s Power Play bowling. 31/3-6 was a most inauspicious start to the Patriots’ reply. An undeniably shaky position from which they could never quite recover. Eventually capitulating for 130 all out, some 51 runs short of the required victory target. To the absolute delight of the relatively small, but again deafeningly loud Sabina Park Jamaica home crowd!
Sabina Park’s Jamaica CPL crowds may not ever be as large as those experienced in either Trinidad or Guyana for TKR and/or the Warriors’ comparative home matches. I’d venture to bet my very last dollar, though, that the Kingsmen’s fans are unmatched by any others in their demonstrated loyalty for their home franchise. Equally so in victory or defeat.
The enjoyment I experienced watching all four of this year’s Kingsmen’s CPL’26 home matches was by far the most enjoyable I have ever experienced to date. Infused as it was by the delightful, readily available beverages and tasty finger foods served within the comforts of the Jamaica Tourist Board’s Sabina Park fifth floor hospitality suite. Which most gratefully functioned as my home base for all four matches.
The JTB’s complete understanding of the existing potential for media-influenced promotion of cricket tourism was also outstandingly expressed in the off-field interviews that were arranged during my all too brief nine-day stay. Thanks to the superb organizational competences of our JTB Tour Coordinator, Candace Thomas, in association with CPL’s equally impressive Media Manager John Ramsingh, I was afforded the delightful opportunity to conduct audio interviews with Kemo Paul, Jason Holder, Ian Bishop, Shai Hope and lastly Shimron Hetmyer.
My only regret over each and every one of those interviews was that they were understandably limited to half an hour. Which proved in every respect to be regrettably restrictive. Such was the level of enjoyment and utter admiration, punctuated by amazement, I experienced from some, if not all, of the insights provided by each of those interviewed.
My discussions with both Kemo Paul and Jason Holder have already been covered in previously published Wickets Hitting columns. Ian Bishop, however, used his time to express his growing admiration for the West Indies Women’s cricket team. He also expressed his fervent belief that our female cricketers are now totally deserving of much higher levels of support than they have been receiving thus far towards their ongoing development.
My final question to Bishop was as to whether he’s seen a rekindling of the type of passion for and participation in cricket that were cornerstones of the West Indies’ domination of world cricket during the heyday sixties, late seventies, entire eighties and up to the mid-nineties. His response was yes, encouragingly so, albeit predominantly among Caribbean preteen and young adult females.
The most poignant aspect of my equally delightful chat with the overly articulate Shai Hope revolved around his newfound understanding of his own cricketing strengths and weaknesses. A profound, ever-evolving understanding that has allowed him to consistently perform to the very best of his God-given abilities. With demonstrated world-class effect as evidenced by his continuous outstanding performances in all three of cricket’s current formats. T20Is, ODI’s and, most welcomed, Tests as well.
Shimron Hetmyer was, for his part, refreshingly open in admitting that his cricket career to date has had more than its fair share of ups and downs. Rather than dwell on the past, however, his expressed intention is to now focus instead on performing to the very best of his abilities with much greater consistency.
Hetmyer is also still very much interested in representing the West Indies in all three formats and will always be willing to do so. The flipside of that coin, however, is his appreciation that a professional cricketer’s lifespan is limited, during which he also has a financial responsibility to family to maximize his earnings as much as possible.
In addition to the cricket-related activities, both match attendances and conducted interviews, there was also a full slate of Jamaica tourism attractions and activities. Those included a tour of the Worthy Park Rum Distillery, as well as an evening spent at the luxurious Ocho Rios-based Jamaica Inn. The Beach Bar evening dinner and seaside patio breakfast settings were delightfully enjoyable.
A visit for a compulsory dip in the iconic Dunn’s River Falls, followed by lunch at the equally popular, among Jamaican’s at least, Miss T’s restaurant, brought an end to the all-too-brief Ocho Rios leg of our tour. Miss T’s sheet pan Curry Goat and Oxtail combo, served over Rice & Peas and Veggies, was every bit as delicious as had been reported.
Back in Kingston for the final day of my nine-day stay, fellow participating journalists and I were treated to a walking tour of Kingston’s captivating Artwalk murals. Each was expertly explained by the very competent tour guide.
Sampling stops for Jucci and Devon House patties then punctuated our final activity, which was a most memorable, now lifetime unforgettable, learn-to-cook Escovitch Fish and Fried Bammie experience at the Food & Drink experience. An unbelievably delightful cooking experience that I will now be seeking to replicate as often as possible back home in Canada. To which end, I hastened to purchase packages of frozen bammies from the S Hotel neighboring grocery prior to my departure.
Nothing Good Lasts Forever, so it has often been said. But as everyone who has ever visited Jamaica would know, to do so is to invariably wish that all the experienced delights could indeed last forever. The list of which, from the captivating Blue Mountains, vibrantly lush green countryside and turquoise sea laced sandy beaches, through to its countless available attractions and activities, amazingly delicious cuisines and most of all its warm, friendly, outstandingly hospitable people is as long and wide as the island itself! If friendly smiles could ever be converted into a commercial commodity, Jamaica would instantly and automatically become the world’s richest country. Bar None! Once You Go, You Know!
My sincerest thanks again to each and every one at the Jamaica Tourist Board for their unprecedented, outstanding hospitality. Including Director of Tourism Donovan White, Deputy Director of Tourism Marketing Peter Mullings, Public Relations & Communications Manager Fiona Fennell, Events & Promotions Manager Lorna Robinson, our assigned impressively skilled Drivers Ziggy and his son Joshua, and of course last, but certainly not least, our Chief Cook & Bottle Washer, Supremely Competent Tour Coordinator Candace Thomas. My sincerest heartfelt gratitude as well to the Canadian-based organizers of my CPL’26 Jamaica Kingsmen home matches participation, JTB’s ever-supportive, incomparable Canadian Director Angella Bennett, as well as Media Manager Marley Burnes.
Nuff, Nuff Respect To You All. One Love!