Barbados Pelicans held their nerve in a last-ball thriller to clinch their first win of the West Indies T20 Breakout League, as they edged the Windward Islands Infernos by just one run in a high-octane contest at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy on Tuesday night.

Much like the earlier drama between the Jamaica Titans and Guyana Rainforest Rangers, this nightcap clash provided heart-stopping action to the final delivery, with Shian Brathwaite’s commanding 85 not out and Kevin Wickham’s classy 64 setting the tone for a competitive Pelicans total of 199-5. Despite a gutsy counterattack led by Teddy Bishop’s 61, the Infernos were left heartbroken at 198-9, falling just shy in a chaotic final over.

The Pelicans' innings got off to a rocky start as they slumped to 33-3 inside the fourth over, with Kadeem Alleyne (22), Leniko Boucher (one), and Shaqkere Parris (one) all falling cheaply. Keon Gaston and Ryan John made the early inroads, which threatened to derail the Pelicans' innings before it even took flight.

Shian Brathwaite plays a shot during his unbeaten knock.

But Brathwaite and Wickham had other ideas. The duo batted with poise and power, combining for a crucial 99-run stand for the fourth wicket. Wickham, the more aggressive of the two early on, struck six boundaries and three towering sixes in his 46-ball 64 before he was bowled by Avinash Mahabirsingh.

Mahabirsingh struck again shortly after to remove Joshua Bishop for one, but Brathwaite anchored the innings beautifully. He accelerated expertly in the death overs, smashing nine fours and four sixes in his unbeaten knock that used just 50 deliveries to guide the Pelicans to a strong finish alongside captain Nyeem Young, who added 11 not out in the unbroken 65-run sixth-wicket stand.

The Infernos’ chase began on uncertain footing, as wickets tumbled in clusters. They stumbled to 84-5 by the halfway mark, with key batsmen Johann Jeremiah (eight), Alick Athanaze (11), Ackeem Auguste (four), and Dillon Douglas (six) all back in the pavilion. Captain Athanaze and Douglas both fell to Nyeem Young, who emerged as the Pelicans’ bowling talisman.

Teddy Bishop drives a ball during his knock.

Still, Teddy Bishop refused to go quietly. Calm under pressure, Bishop batted with a mix of flair and maturity, hitting three fours and three sixes in his 42-ball 61. He and Shadrack Descarte revived the chase with a 51-run sixth-wicket stand, and despite Descarte’s dismissal for 26, the Infernos still seemed within striking distance.

Even after Bishop was cruelly run out for 61 in the 18th over with the score at 163-8, the momentum remained in the balance thanks to Keon Gaston’s explosive cameo. With three fours and two sixes in a 12-ball 30, Gaston turned the game on its head and dragged the Infernos to within one run of victory.

But in a dramatic twist, needing a single off the last ball to force a super over, Gaston was run out going for the run, as the Pelicans held on for an unforgettable victory.

Young led from the front with the ball, finishing with 3-29. Alleyne and Junior Sinclair chipped in with one wicket apiece, but it was the fielding unit, which effected four run-outs, that ultimately made the difference in a razor-close match.