T10 League: Schedule and preview for Sunday's semi-finals and final in Sharjah

It is the final day of action in the inaugural event in Sharjah, with Kerala Kings up against Maratha Arabians in the semi-finals, while Pakhtoons face Punjabi Legends, before the winners face off in the final.

SHARJAH, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES - DECEMBER 14: Liam Dawson of Pakhtoons bats during the T10 League match between Maratha Arabians and Pakhtoons at Sharjah Cricket Stadium on December 14, 2017 in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates. (Photo by Francois Nel/Getty Images)

Liam Dawson has been one of the stars for the Pakhtoons in their run to the semi-finals of the inaugural T10 League. Francois Nel / Getty Images

Paul Radley

Dec 17, 2017

The first champions in the maiden 10-over tournament will be crowned a little after midnight tonight, when the T10 League reaches its climax at Sharjah Cricket Stadium.

The six-team competition has been whittled down to four, with Bengal Tigers and Team Sri Lanka Cricket missing out on finals day.

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[ Mohammed Naveed loving life with Bengal Tigers ]

[ The Great Khali, sponsored dot balls ... oh and a game of cricket ]

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5.30pm, semi-final 1 – Kerala Kings v Maratha Arabians

Kerala Kings survived the dismissal of Paul Stirling for the first time in the tournament on Day 3, as they comfortably swatted aside Team Sri Lanka Cricket to reach the semifinal.

The fact they did so by hitting 92 in just 6.2 overs was down to the brutal hitting of their West Indian pair Kieron Pollard and Chadwick Walton.

Quieting those two, plus the rest of the firepower in the Kerala batting line-up, will be a task led by the canny limited-overs practitioners Mohammed Amir and Dwayne Bravo for the Maratha Arabians.

Who doesn't get mesmerized after seeing The Great Khali 😁 #BusAbDus pic.twitter.com/7Rh4WwMm9g
— T10 League (@T10League) December 16, 2017

7.30pm, semi-final 2 – Pakhtoons v Punjabi Legends

The serene progress of the unbeaten Pakhtoons to this point has been based largely on an unheralded star. OK, so captain Shahid Afridi has led the way with some fine bowling.

Liam Dawson has taken three wickets, and has an economy rate of six – which is 1.66 runs better than the next best – so far in the tournament.

He has also been in princely form with the bat, most recently when he hit the first two balls of the final over against Bengal Tigers on Day 3 for six to make easy work of the 17 they needed off that over to win.

Punjabi Legends were well beaten by Maratha Arabians yesterday – but at least they secured the five runs they needed off the final ball to sneak through to this semifinal, thanks to a six by Carlos Brathwaite.

9.30pm, final.

Winners of semi-final 1 v Winners of semi-final 2