Brandon King had just smashed 66 from 28 balls, Tom Moores had made an unbeaten 40 in a losing cause, and the two batters found themselves agreeing on one thing: the pitch at the Zayed Cricket Stadium was not especially easy to play on.

Their routes to that conclusion could hardly have been more different.

King’s innings powered Royal Desert Champions to 136 for four and a 39-run victory over Yas Lions in the Abu Dhabi T10 on Friday. Moores, left stranded on 40 from 21 deliveries, watched his side stumble to 97 for six after losing three wickets inside the first two overs.

For the Champions, it was a second consecutive win after a difficult start to the competition. The Lions, who arrived on the back of three straight victories, were brought down to earth.

King’s 28-ball innings featured six fours and five sixes, but the West Indies batter was keen to explain that power was only part of the story.

“The pitch was a little bit slow,” he said afterwards. “I just tried to wait on the ball as long as possible. That’s what I tried to do and fortunately it worked out for me today.”

Moores offered the same assessment of the surface from the opposite dressing room. His explanation for the result, however, was refreshingly straightforward.

“Tonight was just classic T10,” the Yas Lions batter said. “They bowled probably better than we did and they batted better than we did. Sometimes you just have to tip your hat and say it’s player versus player and someone’s got to win. And they did.”

King keeps his head in a format built for aggression

King’s approach was particularly striking given the demands of a format that rarely rewards hesitation. He and Phil Salt gave the Champions a brisk start, adding 46 in three and a half overs before King took charge of the innings.

The opener was also quick to credit his partner, with whom he was playing for the first time.

“It’s my first time playing with him. I’ve played against him in international cricket and we all know how good he is,” King said. “If you’re playing with somebody like that, you look to take as much as possible from him.”

King arrived in Abu Dhabi having played a Test for West Indies in Sylhet earlier this month. Moving from the longest format to a 10-over contest, he suggested, was largely a matter of changing one’s mindset.

“It’s more a mental thing, just adjusting your mindset,” he said. “You don’t have to do much adjusting and much thinking. It has to be all the way positive. I would say it’s probably more difficult the other way around.”

There was no hesitation, though, when he was asked which format he preferred.

“At the moment right now, Test is probably my favourite format.”

The Champions’ early-season struggles have not derailed their campaign, with the team now sitting third in the standings. King is keeping expectations measured.

“We’re just hoping it can continue and we take it game by game,” he said.

Asked whether he might be the side’s lucky charm, he offered a cautious smile in words: “I would hope I am. We’ll see how it goes in the remaining games.”

Holder sets the tone with a song and a steady hand

Moores had little interest in dressing up the Lions’ defeat. Naseem Shah’s three-wicket haul had helped leave the chase in trouble almost immediately, and the batter accepted that the opposition had simply performed better.

“They’re also professional cricketers,” he said. “They’re allowed to have a good day.”

What he did not see was a reason for the Lions to panic. Much of that confidence comes from the influence of captain Jason Holder, whose leadership style, according to Moores, keeps the dressing room on an even keel.

Holder has a relaxed side, and apparently a musical one.

“He has a real nice, chill flavour to the way he is,” Moores said. “Loves his singing. Any time he’s got a little break or something, he’s always singing. He’s got a good voice, to be fair to him.”

That easygoing manner does not mean a lack of authority. Moores said Holder knows when to be serious and leads through his performances, while encouraging the squad to trust its approach rather than overreact to a defeat.

After a loss like Friday’s, the message is to stick to the process and let the results follow.

Moores was less diplomatic when asked what rule he would change to make life easier for T10 bowlers.

“Good question. Nothing, because I’m a batter.”

He did concede that moving the leg-side wide line out slightly could help, acknowledging the challenge facing bowlers when every batter is looking to clear the boundary. Asked whether experienced fast bowlers James Anderson and Jasprit Bumrah would cope with the format, he had no doubts.

“Two GOATs in the game. They’d probably do all right.”

A famous surname, a father’s advice and one family rule

The conversation eventually moved from the T10 dressing room to the Moores family home.

Tom’s father, Peter Moores, the former England head coach, is also in Abu Dhabi, working as assistant coach of UAE Bulls. Having a father with such a prominent cricket background has brought opportunities, but also expectations.

Tom said he is regularly asked whether his surname has helped his career. His answer was not a simple yes or no.

“The answer is both,” he said. “There’s definitely added pressure. People think you’ve had a leg up, they think it’s been easier for you, and actually it’s quite the opposite at times. You’ve got to prove yourself more.”

But the relationship has evolved over the years. His father is now as much a trusted confidant as a coach.

“I’m lucky enough to have a coach who knows me better than I know myself. Now we’re more like mates. I trust him with my life, he’s my dad, so I trust him with my cricket.”

There is, however, one household boundary when the two men find themselves working for rival teams.

“My mum manages that one,” Moores said.

At Sunday lunches, cricket is off the menu. If father and son are on opposing sides, the family rule is simple: no discussing the game.

“Over Sunday lunches and stuff like that, she bans cricket talk. If we’re not on the same team, we don’t talk cricket. It’s family time.”

With the Lions due back on Saturday to face UAE Bulls, the rule may soon be put to the test. For now, Moores has a match to recover from, King has another reason to enjoy his Abu Dhabi stay, and the Moores family can at least count on one subject being left outside the lunch conversation.

Haik Martirosyan produced one of the biggest results of the Total Chess World Championship Tour Pilot in Budapest, defeating Magnus Carlsen to move into the outright lead in Group C after the third day of the Fast Classic group stage.

Martirosyan’s victory handed Carlsen his first defeat of the event, ending a run of four consecutive draws. The Armenian grandmaster added a draw in their return game to collect four points from the two encounters and reach 10 overall.

There was another major upset in Group A, where Andrew Hong beat leader Alireza Firouzja to claim his first victory of the tournament. Firouzja recovered in the return game, however, winning with White to remain at the top of the group.

Friday’s fifth and sixth rounds produced 10 decisive games from 24 encounters. With players facing the same opponents twice, switching colours for the return match, the scoring system awarded three points for a win and one for a draw.

After six games per player, all four groups have established outright leaders. Fabiano Caruana holds the biggest advantage, leading Group B by four points, while Firouzja, Martirosyan and Maxime Vachier-Lagrave top the other groups.

Hong hands Firouzja first defeat, but leader responds

Hong made his breakthrough against Firouzja in a complicated first encounter, securing his maiden Fast Classic win of the event. The French-Iranian grandmaster responded emphatically in the return, using the advantage of the White pieces to force favourable exchanges and convert the game.

The split results leave Firouzja on 11 points, with Hong on six. Jorden van Foreest also enjoyed a productive day, taking four points from his two games against Nodirbek Abdusattorov. Van Foreest won the opening encounter before the pair drew the return, moving him to eight points while Abdusattorov remains on five.

Jan-Krzysztof Duda and Levon Aronian shared the points in both games. Duda sits second in the group on nine points, two behind Firouzja, while Aronian has seven.

Caruana builds commanding Group B advantage

Caruana strengthened his position at the top of Group B with a win and a draw against Vincent Keymer. Playing Black in the first game, the American took control in the endgame and converted his advantage before settling for a draw in the return.

The unbeaten Caruana now has 14 points from four wins and two draws, opening a four-point gap over the chasing field. Keymer ended the day on four points.

Liem Le collected two draws against Richard Rapport to reach 10 points, while Rapport has five. There were also two drawn games between Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa and Vladislav Artemiev, with their opening encounter stretching to 89 moves. Artemiev has five points and Praggnanandhaa four.

Martirosyan ends Carlsen’s unbeaten run

The day’s headline result came in Group C, where Martirosyan found a way through Carlsen’s defences. Playing White, he built a dangerous attacking position and eventually broke through to claim a memorable victory.

The return game ended in a draw, giving Martirosyan the outright lead on 10 points. Carlsen, who had opened the event with four successive draws, remains on five.

Anish Giri also made progress, moving into second place on nine points. He drew his first game against Ian Nepomniachtchi before winning the return with White after a prolonged battle. Nepomniachtchi finished the day on seven points.

Shakhriyar Mamedyarov and Abhimanyu Mishra drew both games, leaving Mamedyarov on seven points and Mishra on five.

Vachier-Lagrave takes control of Group D

Vachier-Lagrave strengthened his grip on Group D by winning the decisive second game of his two-match contest against Hans Moke Niemann. After an opening draw, the Frenchman applied sustained pressure with White and converted his advantage to move to 12 points.

That leaves him three points clear of Niemann, who has nine. Arjun Erigaisi also reached nine after taking three points from Wesley So, winning their first encounter after initially coming under pressure before drawing the return. So has four points.

There was a split of wins in the all-women’s contest between Bibisara Assaubayeva and Vaishali Rameshbabu. Assaubayeva won the first game with White, but Vaishali hit back with an attacking victory in the return to register her first Fast Classic win of the event. Assaubayeva has eight points, while Vaishali has four.

The group stage continues on Saturday, November 14, with Games 7 and 8. Each player has four games remaining before the final group standings determine their places in the six knockout brackets.

Andre Russell delivered a match-winning all-round performance as the Arabian Aces held off the UAE Bulls by eight runs in a low-scoring thriller at the 2026 Abu Dhabi T10 on Friday.

The West Indies star struck a blistering 46 from just 18 balls before returning to claim three wickets for 12 runs, helping the Aces defend a target of 93 and secure their third victory in five matches.

The defending champions looked to have seized control early after reducing the Aces to 29/6 in 5.3 overs. But Russell, named Player of the Match, turned the innings around alongside Dwaine Pretorius, producing a crucial 60-run partnership from just 24 balls for the seventh wicket.

The Aces’ collapse began almost immediately. Muhammad Rohid bowled Tom Kohler-Cadmore for a first-ball duck, before Mohammad Amir struck twice in the second over, dismissing Paul Walter and trapping Alishan Sharafu lbw with successive deliveries.

Tahir Zaman troubles Aces

Tahir Zaman added to the damage by having Liam Livingstone caught in the fourth over. Romario Shepherd then removed captain Moeen Ali, while Tahir returned to bowl Sam Billings in the sixth, leaving the Aces in deep trouble.

Russell and Pretorius refused to let the innings drift away. Russell unleashed five fours and three sixes in his 18-ball assault, while Pretorius contributed 12 from 10 deliveries. Their stand lifted the Aces to 92/8 before Shepherd struck twice in the final over, dismissing both Pretorius and Russell.

The Bulls’ chase never gained sustained momentum as Russell made an immediate impact with the ball. He removed Aneurin Donald, Kieron Pollard and Sunil Narine to leave the champions under pressure.

Kieron Pollard attempts to change momentum

Pollard briefly threatened to change the course of the chase with 27 from 11 balls, while Shadab added 22 from 14. Andre Fletcher also chipped in with 19, but the Aces kept finding wickets at key moments.

Pretorius dismissed Khawaja Nafay and Shepherd, while Muhammad Arfan claimed the wickets of Fletcher and Shadab. The Bulls, who had slipped to 37/4, eventually finished on 84/7 from their 10 overs, falling eight runs short.

The result moved the Arabian Aces into third place with six points, level with second-placed Yas Lions. The UAE Bulls remained at the foot of the table with one win from five matches.

It was a busy day in the tournament, with United Tigers earlier beating Emirates Eagles by 24 runs and Royal Desert Champions defeating Yas Lions by 39 runs.