Shane Watson, on Thursday, rolled back the clock to the time when the Australian opener was at his peak and sending the ball through the boundary ropes was at his own will. Playing for Sydney Thunder, the dashing right-hand batsman hit a breathtaking century against Brisbane Heat in a Big Bash League (BBL) match, which is also the first of this season.

The strokeplay on display by Shane Watson gave a perfect glimpse of how it would look if he had taken the #10YearChallenge. The variety, the ferocity, and the manner in which Watson played those shots in his 62-ball innings, was nothing but pure nostalgia for the fans. Shane Watson Signs a Cap for Son Will During Big Bash League 2018-19; CSK Posts an Emotional Tweet for Father-Son Duo! (Watch Video).

Unfortunately, Shane Watson mistimed a shot off Mujeeb Ur Rahman’s bowling, which saw him walk back in the pavilion after scoring the century. The captain of Sydney Thunder, Watson, hit eight fours and six sixes in his knock of 100 runs.

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No other batsman except for Shane Watson could convert the starts they got. Riding high on Watson’s ton, Sydney Thunder posted 186/4 on the scoreboard in their first innings. Ben Cutting Injures Nose After Failing to Take a Catch in BBL 2018–19 Match Against Melbourne Renegades, Returns After 5 Stitches: Watch Video.

In their reply, Brisbane Heat was reeling on 10/2 after three overs, when one of the light towers in the stadium went off. After a brief delay in the proceedings, the match was called off. Had there been a play of two more overs, the D/L equation would have come in the picture. Toss With a Coin a History in Cricket? Bat Flipped Instead of Coin at Big Bash League: Watch Video.

MS Dhoni, a couple of days back, and Shane Watson earlier today – it seems like the yesteryear star players have indeed taken the #10YearChallenge where it matters the most, i.e. on the field. It was a delight to watch Watson show glimpses of his past and prove the adage ‘form is temporary; the class is permanent’ right in the match today.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jan 17, 2019 06:31 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).