England and Kolkata star Tom Curran dismissed Shane Watson (Picture: Sky Sports)

Shane Watson appeared to call England international Tom Curran a ‘f*****g pie-thrower’ in Chennai’s Indian Premier League victory over Kolkata.

The pair clashed during Kolkata’s stunning five-wicket win on Tuesday, shortly after Curran dismissed the former Australia all-rounder for an explosive 42.

Chasing the Knight Riders’ first-innings effort of 202-6, Watson was closing in on another T20 fifty before Curran came on to bowl.

His first two delivers were dispatched to the boundary but Curran had the last laugh as Watson was caught in the deep by Rinku Singh.


Watson, 36, was clearly gutted to depart and was quick to make his feelings known to Curran, appearing to call him a ‘f*****g pie-thrower’.



Curran, who made his England debut last summer and played in the Ashes, did not take the criticism lying down, however, and responded to Watson with some expletives of his own.

Watson smashes Curran for SIX and FOUR – but then holes out from the fifth ball of the England man's maiden #VIVOIPL over. Watch #CSKvKKR, live on Sky Sports Cricket. https://t.co/mj0IdJFJ08 pic.twitter.com/K6VXvmHGKy — Sky Sports Cricket (@SkyCricket) April 10, 2018

Kolkata’s innings stuttered until West Indies international Andre Russell came to the crease at number seven with the score 89-5.

He nurdled his first 16 balls for 21 runs, before going berserk and striking 11 sixes – including three in a row off Dwane Bravo – to finish 88 not out off just 36 balls.

Chennai’s reply got off to a devastating start; Watson and highly-rated Indian opener Ambati Rayudu taking 75 from the powerplay.

MS Dhoni failed to guide his team home (Picture: Getty)

Andre Russell, pictured on the turf, smashed 88 for KKR (Picture: Getty)

Both fell just shy of half-centuries, however, and Kolkata’s spinners tightened their grip on proceedings in the middle overs.

MS Dhoni and Sam Billings got the home side back into contention but the former fell in the 17th over with more than 50 runs still required for victory.

Billings smashed two fours and five sixes in an innings that bodes well for the remainder of his IPL campaign, but he was also dismissed by the expensive Curran just after reaching fifty.

Requiring 17 to win off the final over, Bravo hit a no-ball from Vinay Kumar for six before Ravi Jadeja finished the job with another maximum off the penultimate delivery.

Speaking after the game, England assistant coach Paul Farbrace said of Billings: ‘We’ve seen innings like that before, we all know he’s capable.

‘He practiced really well out in New Zealand. The pressure to perform well in the IPL is extraordinary and to play that well shows what he’s capable of.’

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