ESSEX'S Graham Napier has won the Sky Sports Sixes League with 36 sixes from 327 deliveries. It is the second highest haul of maximums in the history of the league since Ian Blackwell hit a record 45 sixes in 2005.

ESSEX'S Graham Napier has won the Sky Sports Sixes League with 36 sixes from 327 deliveries.

It is the second highest haul of maximums in the history of the league since Ian Blackwell hit a record 45 sixes in 2005.

Napier finished nine sixes ahead of team mate Ravi Bopara who came second with 27 maximums from 748 deliveries. Kent's Azhar Mahmood and Somerset's Marcus Trescothick both cleared the ropes 25 times, finishing third and fourth respectively due to the number of balls faced.

He has won £2,000 and will be presented with the Sky Sports Sixes League trophy at next week's PCA Awards dinner.

Napier's assault on the league began in June with a blistering 25 sixes during the month, including a record-breaking 16 sixes in his unbeaten 152 against Sussex in the Twenty20 Cup.

Napier said: “I've always kept a close eye on the Sky Sports Sixes League and it's been something I've wanted to win. Since the Twenty20 Cup this year I've been given my chance to stake a claim from the top of the order. I had a good spell during that competition - most notably the innings against Sussex - and that gave me the momentum to win the Sixes League.”