Inaugural T10 League
Charles, Fletcher shine but Tigers still lose
SHARJAH, United Arab Emirates, CMC – West Indies Twenty20 stars, Johnson Charles and Andre Fletcher, anchored a halfcentury stand but it was not enough to save Bengal Tigers from a comprehensive eight-wicket defeat to Kerala Kings on the opening day of the inaugural T10 League on Thursday.
Sent in at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium in the 10overs per side tournament, Tigers rattled up 86 for one off their allotted overs, with Charles stroking 33 and Fletcher an unbeaten 32.
Charles faced 27 balls and counted four fours and a six while Fletcher struck three fours and a six in 24ball knock, in a 56-run opening stand.
Trinidadian all-rounder Rayad Emrit, preparing to join the West Indies for their T20 series in New Zealand, went wicket-less from two overs which cost 18 runs.
In reply, Kings motored to their target with two overs remaining, with Ireland’s Paul Stirling smashing an unbeaten 66 off 27 balls with 10 fours and three sixes.
West Indies opener Chadwick Walton fell to the third ball of the innings without a run on the board and England T20 captain, Eoin Morgan followed 11 in the fourth over at 37 for two. But Stirling dominated an unbroken 53-run, third wicket stand with Kieron Pollard, who made 11 not out, to take Kerala to victory.
In the other match, former West Indies batting star, Dwayne Smith, suffered the ignominy of a first-ball ‘duck’ but Pakhtoons still rallied to beat a Maratha Arabians side, including Lendl Simmons and Dwayne Bravo, by 25 runs.
Smith was bowled by left-arm spinner Imad Wasim off the first ball of the match but Fakhar Zaman stroked 45 and Engand’s Liam Dawson, 44, to push Pakhtoons up to 121 for four.
Bravo finished wicketless from his two overs which leaked 23 runs.
In reply, Arabians were held to 96 for seven, despite Englishman Alex Hales’s unbeaten 57 off 26 deliveries.
Simmons managed only four while Bravo also got a first-ball ‘duck’.