Raipur (Chhattisgarh) [India], March 13 (ANI): Australia Masters geared up preparations for Thursday's first semifinal against India Masters with a nervy three-wicket victory against traditional rivals England Masters in the final Group stage match of the International Masters League (IML) 2025, at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium here on Wednesday.

The win ensured Australia Masters finished third on the IML points table, setting up their knockout clash with No. 2 placed India Masters.

With an eye on the semifinals, Australia Masters made a strategic tweak to their batting order while chasing a formidable 210, and the ploy worked well with the new opening pair of Shaun Marsh and Daniel Christian setting the platform with a 52-run stand.

While Marsh departed after a brisk 12-ball 20, Christian made his intent clear as he toyed with the English bowling attack, slamming seven boundaries and four mammoth sixes in his aggressive 28-ball 61 to take the attack back to the opposition.

Nathan Reardon then joined the party with an explosive 83 to ensure Australia Masters remained in the hunt. Reardon's association with Christian produced 52 runs for the second wicket that helped the Aussies get past the 100-run mark, before left-arm spinner Monty Panesar slowed down the scoring rate for a while by accounting for the key wicket of Christian.

Thereafter, Reardon anchored the chase in the company of Ben Cutting (12), and later with wicketkeeper Peter Nevill (28), until Tim Bresnan's five-wicket burst delayed the inevitable for England Masters.

Bresnan applied the brakes on Australia Masters, by ending Reardon's 39-ball knock, laced with nine boundaries and five sixes, and by the time, the Australians were in touching distance of the target, the English seamer struck off consecutive deliveries to dismiss Nevill and James Pattinson, before packing Ben Laughlin for his fifth wicket. Bresnan had earlier accounted for the wicket of Marsh.

With the Aussies needing two off the final over, captain Shane Watson kept his composure to complete the formalities with five balls to spare.

Earlier, with nothing to lose, England Masters displayed a fearless intent on a perfect batting strip after opting to bat, and rode on explosive half-centuries from Eoin Morgan (64) and Tim Ambrose (69 not out) to set a daunting total of 209/3 against Australia Masters.

Opening the innings, Morgan wasted no time in asserting dominance, launching a brutal assault on the Aussie bowlers. His 76-run opening stand with Phil Mustard (17 off 17) laid the foundation for a big total. Morgan raced to a 27-ball fifty, peppering the boundary ropes with five fours and as many sixes. Mustard, playing the supporting role, fell to leg spinner Bryce McGain in an attempt to accelerate.

Morgan's onslaught continued as he stitched a 28-run stand with Tim Ambrose before finally perishing to Steve O'Keefe after a stunning 32-ball 64. Despite his departure, England refused to take the foot off the pedal, with Ambrose taking center stage, punishing the Aussie attack with elegant stroke play. He found an able partner in Darren Maddy (29 off 19), who smashed two fours and a six for a brisk cameo. Their 71-run partnership for the third wicket kept England in command.

After Maddy's departure, Tim Bresnan (18 not out off 8) joined Ambrose in the final overs, ensuring a strong finish. Ambrose remained unbeaten on 69 off 44 balls, smashing seven fours and two sixes, while Bresnan's cameo, which included two fours and a six, propelled England Masters past the 200-run mark, setting up a formidable total for the Aussies to chase.

While the Sachin Tendulkar-led India Masters, which ended second in the points table with eight points from their five league games, will lock horns with Australia Masters in the first semi-final here on Thursday, Kumar Sangakkara's Sri Lanka will battle West Indies Masters in Friday's second semifinal, for a place in Sunday's title clash. (ANI)