Kings win title with minimal help from Windies stars

All-rounder Rayad Emrit … was part of the Kerala Kings side.
All-rounder Rayad Emrit … was part of the Kerala Kings side.

SHARJAH, United Arab Emirates, CMC – The West Indies trio of Kieron Pollard, Nicholas Pooran and Rayad Emrit had precious little to do as their Kerala Kings trounced Punjabi Legends by eight wickets, to win the inaugural T10 League on Sunday.

Playing at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium in the final, Legends racked up 120 for three off their 10 overs with New Zealander Luke Ronchi smashing an unbeaten 70 from 34 balls.

He punched five fours and sixes, adding 83 for the second wicket with Pakistan star Shoaib Malik who gathered 26 from 14 deliveries with a four and a pair of sixes.

West Indies Twenty20 captain, all-rounder Carlos Brathwaite, finished unbeaten on three from the three balls he faced.

Medium pacer Emrit conceded 28 runs from his two overs while accounting for Shoaib in the ninth over.

In reply, Kings raced to their target with two overs left as England star Eoin Morgan blasted 63 from 21 deliveries and Irishman Paul Stirling supporting with an unbeaten 52 from 23 balls.

Kings lost West Indies batsman Chadwick Walton to the first ball of the innings but Morgan counted five fours and half dozen sixes while Stirling struck three fours and five sixes, in a 113-run stand which laid the foundation for victory.

Pollard finished on two not out while Barbados-born England all-rounder, Chris Jordan, went wicket-less in two overs which leaked 16 runs.