Kirk McKenzie hit 69 off 25 balls to secure the first  win from four starts

Durrant Pate/Contributor

The Jamaica Kingsmen are today celebrating their first victory of the 2026 Caribbean Premier League (CPL) at the home of cricket in Jamaica, Sabina Park, last evening against defending champions, Trinbago Knight Riders

This is their first win from four starts, having lost their last three games, with two of them being narrow defeats. The victory was set up by opener Kirk McKenzie, who blasted 69 off 25 balls, scoring six maximums with an equal amount of boundaries at a strike rate of 276.

He reached his half-century off 19 balls with the Jamaica Kingsmen being 82 without loss at the end of the powerplay, chasing 183 to win against Trinbago Knight Riders. The Kingmen ended the game at 18.4 overs with five wickets standing.

Trinbago sent in to bat first

Kingsmen captain, Rovman Powell, put Trinbago in with Colin Munro labouring to 16 off 26 and Alex Hales making 29, and at 70 for 2 in the 11th over the innings needed something. Nicholas Pooran and Kieron Pollard added 50 in 25 balls. 

Pooran finished with 44 off 32 with four sixes, Pollard 44 off 22 with four of his own. Pooran went at the end of the 16th over and Pollard four balls later. 

Sunil Narine came in at the death and hit a fast 19 not out off eight balls, which took the defending champions to 182 for 6. Andre Russell took 2 for 34 and Hunain Shah 2 for 31. 

Vitel Lawes went for 51 in his four overs, and on most nights that is the number people talk about afterwards. McKenzie hit six fours and six sixes in 25 balls.

His 69 came out of an opening stand of 93 that lasted 6.6 overs, with Reeza Hendricks watching most of it from the other end before making a useful 37 off 29 himself. Usman Tariq bowled McKenzie in the over after the powerplay and then took two more, finishing with 3 for 21 from four. 

Narine conceded 21 from his four. Between them, the two spinners bowled eight overs for 42 runs and three wickets, which in a chase of 183 should have been enough to drag Trinbago back into it.

Shayan Jahangir made 2 and Keacy Carty 11, and neither cost Jamaica anything because McKenzie had already taken the target down to a size where wickets stopped mattering. 

Russell hit 27 off 15 before holing out to Narine at 174. Powell finished it unbeaten on 29. The Kingsmen play the St Kitts and Nevis Patriots this week.