Lake Charles Kings win T-20 Louisiana Cricket Association Championship

LAKE CHARLES, La. (KPLC) - We often talk about baseball, track, basketball, and football, but there are many sports across Southwest Louisiana that you may not be aware of, like cricket.

Over the weekend, the Louisiana T-20 Cricket Championship got underway at the Enos Derbonne Sports Complex. It was a beautiful day for an intense rematch between the Lake Charles Kings and the KPK Cricket Club.

Many say cricket is like baseball, but there are some key differences, aside from the obvious ones like pitching style and field shape.

In a T-20 cricket match, there are typically two innings, and each consists of 20 overs, or at-bats, where the 11-man teams try to score as many runs as possible.

Lake Charles went into the match with something to prove, as they were not able to take home the gold last year.

KPK’s bats were hot as they scored 193 runs in the first inning, but the Kings started the second inning confident.

After 18 overs, Lake Charles would take the win in walk-off fashion.

“We are all excited and very happy about the event. We have been trying to chase this. Last year we came very close, but this year we made it through, and it’s a wonderful feeling now,” said Khaja Moinuddin, captain of the Kings.

“I mean, it was an amazing final—a tough game—but I think our players showed that they are the best players in the league. Everybody is scared of us, so they can stay scared of us,” said Avan Waqar, Louisiana Cricket Association president and Kings member.

The Louisiana Cricket Association consists of 10 teams, stretching from Lake Charles to Mississippi. The Kings have competed for over a decade, and their hope is to expand to an even wider audience. Winning games like this one puts them closer to that goal.

“We want to work with local schools, bring the local kids, and try to explain to them how the game works. It is very similar to baseball, but they are a bit different,” Waqar said.

Another hope is that their children will follow in their footsteps.

“We hope! We hope. That’s what we talk about,” Waqar said.

“We hope and we wish, but as there is no schooling with cricket here, it is very hard. But we will even be happy if they become baseball or any kind of athlete,” said longtime Kings member Ahmed Nawaz.

Click here for more about the Kings, and here for more about the Louisiana Cricket Association.