Dimitri Mascarenhas’s all-round display led the Rajasthan Royals to a thumping 46-run win over Middlesex Panthers in the one-off British Asian Cup T20 match at Lord’s on Monday night.

Mascarenhas blasted an unbeaten 16-ball 32 to help the side reach 162 and then returned to claim Neil Dexter and the dangerous Owais Shah as Middlesex managed only 116 for seven in the match staged to aid the British Asian Trust.

For the Royals, Swapnil Asnodkar (41), Mohammad Kaif (41) and Faiz Fazal (27) shone with the bat, while Dawid Malan (34) top-scored for Middlesex before becoming Warne’s lone victim of the match.

Warne, who returns to Las Vegas where he is playing in the World Poker Series, finished with figures of 4-0-24-1.

Put into bat, the Royals got off to a flying start as Fazal and Asnodkar put on 55 runs inside seven overs. Left-arm spinner Murali Kartik’s removal of Fazal in the seventh over mattered little with Kaif too playing smart cricket and runs coming easily. Their 50-run association was snapped when Asnodkar fell to Malan. Naman Ojha (10) and Justin Langer (1) fell in quick succession but with two fours and a six, Mascarenhas took them past the 160-mark.

In reply, Middlesex never really got going. Returning for Royals after missing the second edition of IPL, Pakistani pacer Sohail Tanvir removed Billy Godleman (4) in the fourth over to draw first blood.

Mascarenhas dealt a body blow by first removing Owais Shah (1) and then getting rid of Dexter (26). Malan and Gareth Berg (26) did try their best but it was not enough in the end.

... contd.