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Shane Watson farewelled the Champions League T20 cricket tournament in style with a strong all round effort in the Sydney Sixers’ five-wicket win over the Highveld Lions in Cape Town.
Watson, who will miss the rest of the competition because Cricket Australia wants him to rest a little before the coming home Test series against South Africa, delivered with bat and ball.
He took 2-25 of his four overs and helped restrict the Lions to 9-137 after they got off to a flying start.
Watson (47 off 38) needed nine balls to get off to the mark, but then spanked four fours and three sixes to help Sydney reach their target with an over to spare on Thursday (AM Friday AEDT)
The Sixers have a maximum 12 points from their first three games and seem certain to make the semi-finals of the 10-team tournament, irrespective of what happens in their final group fixture against India’s Mumbai Indians in Durban on Monday night (AEDT).
Young pacemen Mitchell Starc (3-19 off four), Josh Hazlewood (2-18 off 4) and Watson were all instrumental in pulling the run rate back.
Man of the match Starc picked up his third three-wicket haul in as many games.
The Lions smashed 25 off the first two overs, with the first ball of the match from Pat Cummins (0-38 off four) going for four byes and Gulam Bodi (61 off 44) notching legside boundaries of each of the next two balls in a 14-run over.
The Lions were well placed at 2-77 at the halfway point of their innings, but nobody else made more than 23 and no partnership gleaned more than 32.
The Sixers’ chase started well with Watson and Michael Lumb (22 off 22) putting on 60 in 8.3 overs.
Spinner Aaron Phangiso (3-14 off 3) bowled Lumb and, next ball, had Dominic Thornely stumped off a wide.
Watson also became ensnared in Phangiso’s web, top edging a sweep to the wicketkeeper.
Captain Brad Haddin (32 off 21 ) dispelled any nerves or worries the Sixers might have had with three successive legside sixes in a 21-run over, which dropped the required run rate below one a ball.
Haddin was caught at long on off veteran Australian paceman Dirk Nannes (1-16 off four) who bowled splendidly in his two spells.
Moises Henriques (9 off 7) was also dismissed near the end, but Steve Smith (25 not out off 25) steered the Sixers to victory.
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