Register eight-run win against England Masters

Nostalgia engulfed the Navi Mumbai based picturesque DY Patil Stadium,  as the yesteryear icons of West Indies and England assembled under the floodlights for the fifth match of the inaugural International Masters League T20, 2025. The competitive spirit between the two outfits was evident throughout during the final league match at the venue, which resulted in West Indies Masters eking out a narrow eight-run win against their erstwhile rivals while defending a target of 180 in 20 overs.

The second win in a row saw West Indies capitulate to second place in the six team points table behind India Masters who too have won both their games earlier but have a better Net Run Rate (+2.461 compared to +0.469). Sri Lanka Masters with one win out of their two outings and Australia Masters with a victory in as many matches are placed third and fourth respectively.

Chasing England suffered an early loss of Ian Bell (1) in the second over to pacer Jerome Taylor. A second wicket enterprising alliance of 34 runs between opener Phil Mustard (35) and captain Eoin Morgan (22) was cut short by all-rounder Ravi Rampaul who accounted for both the set batters on either side of the powerplay. The twin losses of Tim Ambrose (3) and Tim Bresnan (5) to left-arm orthodox spinner Sulieman Benn before the half way stage with 76 runs on the board ensured West Indian veterans supremacy at this stage.

With the asking rate mounting, Chris Schofield and Chris Tremlett released some of the pressure by forging a 52-run partnership for the seventh wicket, that brought England Masters into the game. Taylor however ended Schofield’s resistance after the right-hander slammed a 26-ball 32, powered by five hits to the fence.

Desperately searching for their first win in the tournament, England Masters needed 18 from the final over, and Stuart Meaker’s 10-ball 24, along with Tremlett’s 19-ball unbeaten 27 almost guided them over the line, before Dwayne Smith used his experience to turn the tide in the West Indies’ favour by castling Meaker in the penultimate ball of the innings.

Earlier put into bat the sizable crowd at the stadium was transported back in time as openers Chris Gayle and Dwayne Smith reignited the Caribbean flair, launching a fearless assault that saw West Indies Masters score 77-run in just over 7 overs.

Gayle, who led the West Indies Masters side, in place of Brian Lara, showcased a vintage power-hitting masterclass, slamming 39 off 19 deliveries while Smith matched his left-handed partner shot by shot with a quick fire 35 off 25. While Gayle dealt mostly in boundaries, dispatching the bowlers for four massive sixes, and three boundaries, Smith was more subdued of the two, scoring four boundaries and a couple of sixes.

But just as the Windies seemed unstoppable, the English spinners applied the brakes, accounting for top five wickets in no time. Leg-spinner Chris Schofield provided the crucial breakthrough with wickets of Smith and Gayle in a span of three deliveries in his opening over of the spell.

Left-arm spinner Monty Panesar then pulled the game back to level terms, by striking thrice in quick succession to further dent the West Indian scoring rate, as the Caribbean side that once raced to 90 for 2 in 10 overs, crawled to 113 for 5 in 15 overs.

The arrival of Narsingh Deonarine and Ashley Nurse, however changed the momentum as the duo took the attack back to the opposition with a range of attractive strokes, and more importantly provided the late flourish to the innings with a 44-run stand for the sixth wicket.

Nurse belted two sixes and one four off 6’ 7” tall pacer Chris Tremlett before being dismissed by the bowler in the penultimate over en-route 13-ball 29. Deonarine took over the lead role and clobbered three clean sixes in an eventful final over bowled by medium pacer Tim Bresnan, that yielded as many as 21 runs, while scoring an unbeaten 23-ball 35, that ensured West Indies put up a competitive score of 179 for 6 in the end.

West Indies Masters spinner Sulieman Benn who bowled an economical spell of 4-0-11-2 on a winning cause was named the Player of the Match.

Brief Scores (League Phase):

West Indies Masters - 179/6 in 20 overs (Chris Gayle 39 (19b: 3x4s, 4x6s), Dwayne Smith 35 (25b: 4x4s, 2x6s), Narsingh Deonarine 35(23b: 3x6s), Ashley Nurse 29 (13b: 2x4s, 2x6s); Monty Panesar 3/14, Chris Schofield 2/21, Chris Tremlett 1/48) beat England Masters - 171/8 in 20 overs (Phil Mustard 35 (19b: 6x4s, 1x6), Chris Schofield 32 (26b: 5x4s), Chris Tremlett 27* (19b: 5x4s), Stuart Meaker 24 (10b: 3x4s, 1x6), Eoin Morgan 22 (13b: 2x4s, 1x6) ; Sulieman Benn 2/11, Ravi Rampaul 2/38, Jerome Taylor 2/46, Dwayne Smith 1/9) by 8 runs. Player of the Match: Sulieman Benn (West Indies Masters).

Photo Cover: West Indies Masters openers Chris Gayle (Right) and Dwayne Smith reignited the Caribbean flair with a blockbuster partnership of 77 runs. Smith later conceded only nine runs while taking a wicket in the crucial final over to ensure his team second win in a row

Photo Above: West Indies Masters spinner Sulieman Ben  receives the Player of the Match award for his miserly spell from the hands of DY Patil Sports Academy President Vijay Patil and West Indies Legend Viv Richards