Cricket fans enjoyed a thrilling encounter in the second match of the International Masters League (IML) 2025. Held at the DY Patil Stadium, the match witnessed a deluge of runs, a flurry of fours and sixes, ultimately resulting in a 7-wicket victory for the West Indies Masters over the Australia Masters.
Match Highlights: Cricket fans enjoyed a thrilling encounter in the second match of the International Masters League (IML) 2025. Held at the DY Patil Stadium, the match witnessed a deluge of runs, a flurry of fours and sixes, ultimately resulting in a 7-wicket victory for the West Indies Masters over the Australia Masters. This high-scoring match featured a total of 44 fours and 23 sixes, with Lendl Simmons' 94 runs off 44 balls being the highlight.
Watson's Storm Subdues Bowlers
After losing the toss and batting first, Australia Masters had a shaky start, but Shane Watson resurrected old memories. The 43-year-old Watson blazed to a half-century in just 27 balls and followed it up with another fifty in only 21 balls, ultimately scoring a magnificent 107 off 48 balls. His explosive innings included 9 fours and 9 sixes.
Watson initially partnered with Ben Dunk (15) for a 34-run stand, then added 83 runs with Callum Ferguson (13) and 54 runs with Daniel Christian (32). His aggressive batting helped Australia Masters post a challenging 211/6 in their 20 overs. Ashley Nurse was the most successful bowler for the West Indies, taking 3 wickets for 16 runs. Jerome Taylor and Ravi Rampaul each claimed 2 wickets.
Simmons' Innings Overshadows Watson's Century
Chasing a big target, West Indies Masters had a poor start when Chris Gayle was dismissed for 11. However, Dwayne Smith (51) and Lendl Simmons took charge. Smith raced to a quick half-century in 29 balls, hitting 10 fours and a six. Captain Brian Lara (33) and Simmons then added a 99-run partnership to turn the match around. Simmons smashed 94 runs off just 44 balls, including 8 fours and 6 sixes.
With 38 runs needed from the last three overs, Simmons and Chadwick Walton (23) launched a furious assault, reaching the target with four balls to spare.
Brief Scorecard
* Australia Masters: 211/6 (Shane Watson 107, Daniel Christian 32; Ashley Nurse 3/16)
* West Indies Masters: 215/3 (Lendl Simmons 94*, Dwayne Smith 51, Brian Lara 33; Daniel Christian 1/39)
