RSWS 2022, Match 20 Review: Australia Legends outclass England; setup semi-final clash with India Legends

Australia Legends recorded a big six-wicket win over England Legends in the 20th match of the Road Safety World Series T20 2022 tournament on Tuesday, September 27. England scored 160/6 in 20 overs while batting first but Australia easily chased the target down with 38 balls to spare after brilliant knocks from Shane Watson, Ben Dunk and Brad Hodge.

With this win, Australia finished the group stage on the second position with 14 points while England at the bottom with no win in five matches.  

England captain Ian Bell won the toss and elected to bat first at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Cricket Stadium in Raipur. Openers Phil Mustard and Dimitri Mascarenhas formed a big 58-run partnership for the opening wicket.

Australia off-spinner Jason Krejza dismissed both Mustard and Mascarenhas in the eighth over to get his team back in the game. England also lost Bell cheaply and were struggling at 81/3 after 11 overs.

Middle-order batter Darren Maddy scored 34 runs off 23 balls to keep England in control of the match but didn't get enough support from the other end. James Tindall smashed ten runs off five balls and Chris Tremlett scored 16 off 12 to help England score a respectable total of 160/6 in 20 overs. For Australia, Nathan Reardon and Jason Krejza took two wickets each.

Ben Dunk and Brad Hodge go ballistic for Australia Legends:

Australia Legends also started well with a quick 57-run partnership for the first wicket between openers Watson and Alex Doolan. Jade Dernbach removed Doolan in the sixth over to give England some early hopes but Watson continued his good form with another impressive knock.

Watson scored 47 runs off 26 balls before getting caught out on Stephen Parry's delivery in the eighth over. Parry also dismissed Callum Ferguson on the next delivery to put the opponents under pressure. 

But the 35-year-old wicketkeeper-batter Ben Dunk smashed 42 runs off just 13 balls with the help of three fours and four sixes to take Australia closer to the target. Parry bowled him out in the tenth over but it was too late for England Legends by then.

Brad Hodge and Reardon capitalised on the good start with an unbeaten 52-run partnership for the fifth wicket to guide Australia to a big six-wicket win. 

Reardon won the Player of the Match for scoring an unbeaten 17 runs off 16 balls and taking two big wickets while conceding 24 runs in three overs. Australia Legends will next face India Legends in the first semi-final clash on Wednesday, September 28.