West Indies Champions won the World Championship of Legends title on Sunday, beating England Champions by nine wickets in the final at Sharjah Cricket Stadium. Chasing 160, they reached 165 for one in 17 overs, with Lendl Simmons unbeaten on 77 and Chadwick Walton on 58.
The West Indies Champions WCL final win gives the Caribbean side its first title at this event. It came in the third edition of the tournament, and it came after a group-stage defeat that had left their campaign looking uneven.
What happened in the West Indies Champions WCL final
West Indies won the toss and chose to bowl first. England Champions made 159 for seven, and the chase was over with three overs left.
Dwayne Bravo was the difference with the ball. He took three for 21 and was named Player of the Match. Moeen Ali gave England something to bowl at, but the batters around him could not stay in.
In reply, Chris Gayle went early, then Simmons and Walton batted the game away. Neither was dismissed.
- England Champions: 159 for seven in 20 overs (Moeen Ali 60, Owais Shah 38 not out; Bravo 3 for 21)
- West Indies Champions: 165 for one in 17 overs (Simmons 77 not out, Walton 58 not out)
- Result: West Indies Champions won by nine wickets
Bravo’s spell and Moeen Ali’s fifty
England lost two wickets in the powerplay and finished it on 47 for two. Jason Roy fell at 9 in the second over, and Dawid Malan went at 11, which left the middle order with early repair work.
Bravo then took over. According to the scorecard, he removed Ravi Bopara, Joe Denly and Samit Patel. Denly was out first ball, caught by Gayle. England were 61 for five in the tenth over.
Moeen Ali held the innings together from there. He scored 60 off 39 balls with four fours and four sixes before Raymon Reifer had him caught by Jermaine Blackwood in the 15th over. England had reached 115 for six by then.
Owais Shah added late runs. He made an unbeaten 38 off 28 balls and lifted England past 150. Shelton Cottrell, Fidel Edwards, Reifer and Carlos Brathwaite each took a wicket to back up Bravo.
Bravo’s figures of 3 for 21 came from his full four overs, so he gave up barely over five an over on a night when England needed a big finish. They did not get one.
How Simmons and Walton chased down 160
West Indies lost Gayle early in the chase. The captain made 21 off 14 balls, with a boundary and two big sixes, before falling in the last over of the powerplay. At that point, 160 was still some way off.
Simmons and Walton did not let the pressure build. Simmons made an unbeaten 77 off 53 balls with eight fours and three sixes. Walton hit 58 off 35 balls with three fours and four sixes. Between them they took the required rate down quickly.
Reports differ slightly on the size of their stand. Crex put the unbroken second-wicket partnership at 119, while another match report gave it as 123. Either way it was a century stand that finished the match with overs in hand.
It was a familiar pattern for Simmons. Earlier in the tournament he made an unbeaten 55 off 33 balls against the same opponents. The final was a bigger version of that innings.
Background: a first title after an uneven group stage
The route to the trophy was not smooth. West Indies Champions were bowled out for 83 in 18.1 overs by Australia Champions, who won by 36 runs. That result showed how fragile the batting could look when the top order failed.
The side had also met England earlier. On 7 October they won by seven wickets in Sharjah after England were dismissed for 154. Bravo, Reifer and Edwards took two wickets each that day.
Simmons made 55 not out and Walton 46 in that chase, and West Indies reached 156 for three. The pair added 86 for the second wicket in nine overs. The final followed the same script with a bigger total and a bigger stand.
That group win left the two sides in the same area of the table. The final settled it, and West Indies won it more clearly than the first game.
Awards and reaction from the night
The individual honours went to the two men who won the match, plus a batter who had been consistent all tournament. Bravo took Player of the Match, and Walton was named Player of the Series after finishing with 342 runs.
Moeen Ali also had a strong tournament. Before the final he was England’s leading run-scorer with 242. His 60 in the final took his total past 300 for the event, by simple addition of the two reported figures.
The Caribbean Broadcasting Corporation described the result as a commanding nine-wicket victory for the new champions. Local coverage in Trinidad also treated it as the first World Championship of Legends title for the region.
No post-match quotes from players or officials were available in the reports checked for this article, so none are included here.
What the title means for the winners
For a side made up of retired internationals, the win carries weight with supporters at home. Gayle, Bravo, Simmons and Brathwaite were all part of West Indies teams that won global limited-overs titles, and the final put several of them on the field together again.
The title also shows how much the format leans on batting depth. England Champions had Moeen Ali in good form but lost five wickets before the 10th over. West Indies lost one batter in total.
The tournament itself is still a young one. It was first held in 2024. Each team carries the name of a country and is made up of former players, so wins tend to be judged on how many familiar names turn up and perform.
West Indies did that in the final. Bravo bowled four tight overs, Simmons and Walton batted through, and the middle of the order was never needed.
What comes next
Organisers have not confirmed a date or host for the next edition in the reports reviewed here. Teams and squads are usually settled closer to the event, so changes to the West Indies and England line-ups are likely to be announced later.
Bravo, Simmons and Walton have all been named in match reports as central to the win. Whether they return will depend on selection for the next tournament, which has not been announced.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who won the WCL 2026 final?
West Indies Champions won by nine wickets against England Champions in Sharjah. They chased 160 and reached 165 for one in 17 overs.
Who was Player of the Match in the West Indies Champions WCL final?
Dwayne Bravo was named Player of the Match for his figures of three for 21. Chadwick Walton was named Player of the Series after scoring 342 runs in the tournament.
How many did Lendl Simmons score in the final?
Lendl Simmons made an unbeaten 77 off 53 balls, including eight fours and three sixes. Chadwick Walton was not out on 58 off 35 balls at the other end.
Watch for the organisers’ announcement on the next edition, including the host and dates. Selection news for the West Indies and England Champions squads is the other thing to follow.
Sources:Caribbean Broadcasting Corporation, Crex, Cricket World scorecard, Trinidad Guardian
