– Kieron Pollard smashed New South Wales bowler Moises Henriques to smithereens yesterday as the red-clothed Trinidad and Tobago side ran riot over New South Wales Blues to book a semi-final slot in the Champions Twenty20 league tournament
HYDERABAD, India, CMC – Kieron Pollard produced a scintillating half-century as Trinidad & Tobago unleashed an astonishing performance to beat New South Wales by four wickets yesterday and snatch a semi-final spot in the Twenty20 Champions League.
Seemingly down and out at 91 for five at the end of the 13th over and requiring a challenging 80 from 42 balls, Pollard smashed an unbeaten 54 from a mere 18 balls to catapult T&T to a sensational victory with nine balls to spare at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium.
The 22-year-old right-hander, who has largely under-achieved for West Indies in his previous 15 One-Day Internationals and 10 T20Is, stroked five fours and hammered five giant sixes in perhaps one of the finest innings of the inaugural tournament.
He dominated a whirlwind, unbroken seventh wicket stand of 53 off 18 balls with Sherwin Ganga who was an innocent bystander with four, as T&T kept their unbeaten record in tact.
Marching to the wicket after the elegant Darren Bravo was run out for 27 off 24 balls at 91 for five in the 13th over, Pollard joined West Indies wicketkeeper Denesh Ramdin to haul T&T back into the contest.
He managed just six runs from the first five balls he faced but without warning, exploded to shred NSW’s bowling attack.
Losing Ramdin after helping to post 27 from 14 balls for the sixth wicket, Pollard tore into medium pacer Moises Henriques, smashing 27 runs from the 17th over to turn the tide in T&T’s favour.
The first two deliveries disappeared to the boundary while the next two balls sailed over the ropes for sixes as T&T sensed a revival. There was respite for the fifth delivery which failed to yield any run but Pollard top-edged the final ball over fine leg for six
Fast bowler Brett Lee conceded eight runs from the 18th over to leave T&T needing 16 from two overs and Pollard finished the match in style, crashing the first ball from Henriques for four before dispatching the next two deliveries out of the ground for sixes, to spark wild celebrations.
The win represented a superb turn around after T&T seemed up against it in the early stages of the innings.
Lendl Simmons (3), William Perkins (16) and Dwayne Bravo (1) all fell cheaply to leave T&T tottering at 30 for three in the fifth over in pursuit of 171 for victory.
Captain Daren Ganga started a mini revival when he slammed two sixes in 32 from 26 balls, in a 47-run, fourth wicket stand with Darren Bravo who dazzled briefly with two fours in his 27.
Earlier, Dwayne Bravo grabbed three for 31 with his medium pace but NSW seemed to have posted a match-winning score after they won the toss and batted.
Openers Phil Hughes and David Warner fashioned 121 off 92 balls for the first wicket to give the Australians a super start.
Hughes made 83 from 64 balls with 11 fours and a six while Warner carved out five fours and three sixes in slamming 63 from 41 balls.
Left-arm spinner Dave Mohammed accounted for Warner to a catch by Dwayne Bravo at deep mid-wicket in the 16th over but Henriques joined Hughes to add a further 43 off 23 balls for the second wicket to sustain the momentum.
Dwayne Bravo, however, produced a superb last over to prise out three NSW wickets for just six runs and limit the Australians.
