Vadodara, Feb 28 (IANS) Sri Lanka Masters rode on a sensational 51-ball century from Upul Tharanga and an equally aggressive half-century from Lahiru Thirimanne to defeat Australia Masters by three wickets in a league match of the International Masters League (IML) 2025 here on Friday. After an electrifying start in Navi Mumbai, the action in the inaugural IML shifted to Vadodara, where a sizeable crowd witnessed the first match.
Chasing 218, the early loss of Kumar Sangakkara could have been a setback for Sri Lanka Masters, but Tharanga (102 off 54 balls) and Thirimanne (53 off 34 balls) had other plans. The left-handed duo stitched together a sublime 153-run second-wicket stand to set the tone in a display of effortless stroke-making reminiscent of their finest years. Tharanga, who got off to a cautious start, took a special liking for Daniel Christian, depositing the medium pacer for a couple of sixes and a four to bring up a 31-ball fifty.
And then the floodgates opened, as Tharanga, who received a reprieve on 83, launched an all-out assault, taking the Australia Masters bowlers to task. Thirimanne, who till then had been happy to rotate the strike, changed gears, reviving memories of Sri Lanka’s golden era of fearless, free-flowing cricket. In the process, Thirimanne got to his fifty with a boundary off Nathan Coulter-Nile.
By the time the Sri Lankan duo threatened to wrap things up in style, Ben Laughlin got the Australia Masters back into the game by ending the partnership with the wicket of Thirimanne, a couple of balls before Tharanga got to his hundred with a single.
Laughlin further dented the Sri Lankans by striking twice in his final over with the wickets of Tharanga and Chinthaka Jayasinghe. In between, Christian accounted for Asela Gunaratne to level things for the Australians. With the equation down to 35 from the final three overs, Isuru Udana (15 off 6) slammed a couple of sixes off Christian before the bowler had the last laugh. Needing 16 off 12 balls, Jeevan Mendis and Seekkuge Prasanna almost got the job done before Chaturanga de Silva slammed the winning runs with a six.
Earlier, under the lights of the Baroda Cricket Association Stadium, time seemed to rewind as the iconic cricketers of the golden generation assembled, with Kumar Sangakkara inviting Shane Watson to bat.
Sri Lanka Masters looked to put early pressure on the Australians. Watson and Shaun Marsh started with caution, assessing the conditions. But it wasn’t long before Watson, ever the aggressor, turned back the clock—dispatching Udana for three consecutive boundaries, a sight reminiscent of his finest days in yellow.
Just when it seemed like Australia was ready to shift gears, Dhammika Prasad struck, removing Watson to remind everyone that time may pass, but the competitive fire never fades. But the joy was short-lived for the Islanders as Marsh and wicketkeeper Ben Dunk slammed half-centuries to forge together a 102-run partnership for the second wicket. Asela Gunaratne ended the resistance with the wicket of Dunk, who finished with a 29-ball 56, laced with five boundaries and four massive sixes.
Marsh, however, carried on with his flamboyance and held one end firm, as he partnered with new man Daniel Christian for a 54-run partnership before Chaturanga de Silva ended Christian’s 13-ball 34, powered four hits to the fence and two gigantic sixes. Returning for a second spell, Udana then got the back of Marsh, who set the tone with a destructive 77 off 49 balls, containing seven hits to the fence and five over it. Towards the end, Nathan Reardon (11 not out off 9 balls) and Ben Cutting (19 not out off 7 balls) propelled the Australia Masters to a mammoth 217/4.
Brief scores:
Australia Masters 217/4 (Shaun Marsh 77, Ben Dunk 56, Daniel Christian 34; Asela Gunaratne 1/37) lost to Sri Lanka Masters 222/7 (Upul Tharanga 102, Lahiru Thirimanne 53; Ben Laughlin 3/35) by 3 wickets.
–IANS
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