ADELAIDE, Australia, CMC – Kieron Pollard smashed a typically explosive half-century but it was not enough to save South Australia from a 21-run loss to New South Wales in their opening game of the Twenty20 Big Bash on Tuesday.
The right-hander belted five sixes and two fours in 53 from a mere 24 balls as South Australia were dismissed for 147 off 17.2 overs, in pursuit of NSW’s 168 for five from their allotted 20 overs at Adelaide Oval.
A top order collapse saw Pollard’s side crash from 30 without loss in the fourth over to 53 for six in the ninth, before the Trinidadian launched a furious assault on the NSW bowling.
He posted 49 off 32 balls for the seventh wicket with Aaron O’Brien (19) and another 32 off 10 balls for the eighth wicket with Adil Rashid (6).
Pollard emerged from a quiet start by his standards – he scored just two runs from his first four balls – to lead a courageous South Australia fightback.
He despatched his fifth delivery over cover for four and roared to life in the next over, blasting the second ball for a straight six off left-arm spinner Steve O’Keefe (3-23) before depositing the fifth over long off for another, in an over that cost 17 runs.
Pollard took a special liking to medium pacer Moises Henriques who he smashed for three sixes and a four in the bowler’s first over which cost 29.
Henriques got the last laugh when he hauled in a head-high catch at long on to dismiss Pollard off off-spinner Nathan Hauritz (3-21) in the 16th over.
Earlier, David Warner lashed 73 from 58 balls and shared an opening stand of 71 off 44 balls with Daniel Smith (45), to get NSW off to a good start.