LONDON, England, CMC – West Indies pinch-hitter Kieron Pollard blasted a scintillating, unbeaten 40 for Somerset but rain ruined their chances of beating Sussex in the Friends Life Twenty20 Championship on Friday.
The right-handed Trinidadian, who played for the Windies in the recent one-day series against India in the Caribbean, put on a whirlwind 68 off 29 balls for the fifth wicket with captain Marcus Trescothick (87) to propel the hosts to 177 for four off their allotted 15 overs.
In reply, Sussex reached 40 for two off 22 balls before the rains ended the game at Taunton.
Sent in to bat, Somerset lost Peter Trego in the first over for two with just as many runs on the board but Trescothick and James Hildreth posted 62 for the fourth wicket to steady the innings.
When Hildreth and Jos Butler (0) fell to leave Somerset on 109 for four in the 11th over, Pollard entered the fray, joining forces with his skipper to decimate the Sussex bowling.
He cracked three fours and three characteristically massive sixes off just 18 balls while the left-handed Trescothick counted 10 fours and four sixes off 39 balls in equally amazing exhibition of hitting.
At Chester-le-Street, meanwhile, former Jamaica and West Indies all-rounder Gareth Breese helped to steer Durham to a convincing 83-run win over Lancashire.
Batting first, the hosts posted an impressive 200 for six with South African Dale Benkenstein top scoring with 60 and Breese chipping in with 14 not out from 12 balls.
Sending down his off-spin, Breese then snatched three for 23, supporting seamer Liam Plunkett who captured five for 31, to send Lancs tumbling for 117 all out off 17 overs.