WHILE Kevin Pietersen and co suffered humiliating defeat in the Stanford Twenty20 for $20million, Graham Napier ensured England did win something this autumn.

The Essex all-rounder - controversially left out of the Stanford squad following a prolific summer - was at it again as England lifted the Hong Kong Sixes trophy in Kowloon at the weekend.

And while he did not re-produce the batting heroics that saw him smash a record-breaking 152 not out off just 58 balls against Sussex in June, Napier's sharp, accurate seam bowling was vital to England's success in the Far East.

“I played every game and although I didn’t fire with the bat I did well with the ball, bar one bad game against Pakistan, which turned out to be our only defeat," the 28-year-old, who won the same tournament in 2004, told grahamnapier.com England won six of their seven matches in the former colony, clinching the title with a thrilling last-ball success over Australia.

Needing two runs to win, Australia could only manage one, handing Napier and England victory by virtue of having lost fewer wickets.

And while Napier was quick to praise captain Dimitri Mascarenhas, Darren Maddy and Tim Bresnan for their performances, the Colchester-born player believes his previous experience of the unique competition and surroundings also contributed to England's triumph.

"I had a bit of experience of what to expect, having played in the Hong Kong Sixes once before, but I would say the crowd over the two days was even better this time around – particularly during our tight matches against Pakistan and Australia when they really got into it," he added.

Jet-setting Napier, who spent part of last winter climbing Mount Everest for charity, left Hong Kong on Monday to head for New Zealand.

There, he will spend a second consecutive winter with the Wellington Firebirds, for whom he played Twenty20 cricket a year ago.

"My first game (a four-day match with the Canterbury Wizards) starts on November 17 – selection permitting," Napier joked.

"There is every possibility that I will be a regular in Wellington’s four-day as well as one-day side this season so my weekend in Hong Kong was ideal preparation for the months ahead.

"Bowling one over spells is not ideal but it was good to get back into ‘match-mode’ for the first time since I was stretchered off (with a sprained ankle) at Kent in mid-September."