Australia Masters chased down England Masters' 210-run target in 19.1 overs, with Nathan Reardon smashing 83 off 39 balls
Australia Masters pulled off a nervy three-wicket victory against traditional rivals England Masters in the final group-stage match of the International Masters League 2025, at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium on Wednesday (March 12), at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium, Raipur. (More Cricket News)
The win ensured Aust🧔ralia Masters finished third on the IML points table, setting up their knockout clash with No. 2 placed I💖ndia Masters.
With an eye on the semi-finals, Australia Masters made a strategic tweak to their batting order while chasing a formidable 210, and the ploy worked well with ꦜthe new opening pair of Shaun Marsh and Daniel Christian setting the platform with a 52-run stand. While Marsh departed after a brisk 12-ball 20, Christian made his intent clear, as he toyed with the English bowling attack, slamming seven boundaries and four mammoth sixes, in his aggressive 28-ball 61 to take the attack back to the opposition.
Nathan Reardon then joined the party with an explosive 83 to ensure Australia Masters remained in the hunt. Reardon’s association with Christian produced 52 runs for the second wicket that helped the Aussies get past the 100-run mark, before left-arm spinner Monty Panesar slowed down the scoring rate foꦺr a while by ac🧜counting for the key wicket of Christian. Thereafter, Reardon anchored the chase in the company of Ben Cutting (12), and later with wicketkeeper Peter Nevill (28), until Tim Bresnan’s five-wicket burst delayed the inevitable for England Masters.
Earlier, with nothing to lose, England Masters displayed a fearless intent on a perfect batting strip after opting to bat, and rode explosive half-centuries from Eoin Morgan (64) and Tim Ambrose (69 not out) to set a daunting total of 209/3 a꧙gainst Australia Masters. Opening the innings, Morgan wasted no time in asserting dominance, launching a brutal assault on the Aussie bowlers.
His 76-run opening stand with Phil Mustard (17 off 17) laid the foꦇundation for a big total. Morgan raced to a 27-ball fifty, peppering the boundary ropes with five fours and as many sixes.
While the Sachin Tendulkar-led India Masters, who ended second in the points table with eight points from their five league games, ꦅwill lock horns with Australia Masters in the first semi-final on Thursday, Kumar Sangakkara’s Sri Lanka will battle West Indies M𝔍asters in Friday’s second semifinal, for a place in Sunday’s title clash.
England Masters captain Eoin Morgan won the toss and opted to bat first against Ausꦗtralia Masters.
Australia Masters: Shane Watson(c), Shaun Marsh, Nathan Reardon, Ben Cutting, Peter Nevill(w),ď·˝ Daniel Christian, Ben Laughlin, Bryce McGain, Ben Hilfenhaus, James Pattinson, Steve OKeefe
England Masters: Phil Mustard(w), E🔜oin Morgaꩲn(c), Tim Ambrose, Darren Maddy, Chris Schofield, Tim Bresnan, Chris Tremlett, Dimitri Mascarenhas, Monty Panesar, Ryan Sidebottom, Boyd Rankin
The International Masters League 2025 is availablđ’€°e to live đź’™stream on the Jio Hotstar app and website in India. On TV, is is being telecast on Colors Cineplex (SD & HD), Colors Cineplex Superhits channels in India.