Brian Lara turns back the clock in Bushfire Bash, smashes a stunning six off Andrew Symonds

It was a fascinating sight for any cricket fanatic as many legends braced the field in the Bushfire relief match in Melbourne. Ponting’s XI took on Gilchrist’s XI to raise funds for Australian bushfire relief and both the sides were equipped with many legends including Justin Langer, Yuvraj Singh, Brett Lee and Mathew Hayden.

Even Sachin Tendulkar hogged the attention by facing Ellyse Perry and Annabel Sutherland in the mid-innings break of the match. Apart from Tendulkar, another legend of the game Brian Lara also enthralled the audience with his blistering knock.

Lara was a part of Ponting’s XI, who amassed 104 runs on the board at the loss of five wickets. The West Indies veteran was a vital reason behind his side’s impressive batting show as he smashed a quick-fire 11-ball 30 including 3 fours and 2 sixes.

The crowd was taken aback by Lara’s six off Andrew Symonds as the left-hander stepped out of his crease and proved what he is capable of– even after being away from the game since more than a decade now. Lara’s touch and execution of the six made it seem like the West Indies legend never left the game at all.

Lara stepped out of the crease and smoked an inside-out six against Andrew Symonds to loft the ball over the boundary rope at long-off.

Six over mid-off, if you don't mind!

And Brian Lara retires on 30 👏 #BigAppeal pic.twitter.com/HtDYHILu2u

— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) February 9, 2020

Brian Lara was the top scorer for Ponting’s XI

Lara, who emerged as the top performer for his side, was assisted by skipper Ponting (26) as they played a vital role in stitching a total of 104 runs on the board. Coming on to Gilchrist XI’s run-chase, it looked like a cakewalk for them as the opening duo of Shane Watson and Adam Gilchrist propelled their side to a flying start.

The duo stitched a 49-run partnership for the first wicket, making things easier for Gilchrist XI. However, no other batsman apart from Andrew Symonds(29), could stick in the middle to achieve the target.

Gilchrist XI fell short of the target as Ponting XI clinched the victory by a slim margin of 1 run. More important than the result was the amount which the legends managed to raise for the cause. The Bushfire charity match managed to gather over USD 7.7 million for the communities affected by the devastation of bushfires.

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