DHAKA, Bangladesh, CMC – Kieron Pollard’s match-winning half-century trumped Carlos Brathwaite’s career-best maiden Twenty20 fifty, as Dhaka Dynamites rallied to beat Khulna Titans by four wickets with a ball to spare, in the Bangladesh Premier League here yesterday.
Sent in at the Shere Bangla National Stadium, Titans reached 156 for five off their 20 overs, with the West Indies T20 World Cup star Brathwaite top-scoring with an entertaining, unbeaten 64 off 29 deliveries.
South African Rilee Roussouw chimed in with 34 while Nazmul Hossain scored 24, as West Indies off-spinner Sunil Narine finished with one for 22 from four miserly overs.
In reply, Dynamites were tottering on 41 for five in the ninth over but Pollard produced a superb rearguard action, belting 55 off 24 balls to get his side over the line.
Jahurul Islam supported with 45 not out while Shakib-al-Hasan chipped in with 20.
Barbadian Jofra Archer claimed one for 26 from his four overs but Brathwaite failed to have the same impact with the ball as his 2.5 overs leaked 34 runs and yielded a single wicket.
The victory lifted Dynamites top of the standings but only on net run rate as they were tied on six points with Comilla Victorians and Sylhet Sixes.
With Titans bogged down by tight bowling, the innings was going nowhere at 71 for four in the 13th over, until Brathwaite arrived at the crease.
He then put on a show, slamming four fours and six sixes while adding 54 for the fifth wicket with Roussouw and a further 31 in a unbroken sixth wicket with stand with Ariful Haque (4 not out).
Brathwaite took a pair of sixes off leg-spinner Shahid Afridi in the 15th over which cost 14 runs, a pair of fours and a six off left-arm spinner Shakib in the following over which leaked 17 runs before finishing the innings strongly by striking who sixes in the final over which went for 16.
Dynamites then suffered a top order slump when West Indies left-hander Evin Lewis fell to the fifth ball of the innings for four and Narine, promoted to the opening slot, spent 16 balls over seven before being fourth out at 24 for four in the sixth over.
When Shakib holed out to Brathwaite at deep mid-wicket off Mahmudullah, the innings was in serious decline.
However, Pollard combined with Jahurul in a 73-run sixth wicket stand which turned the run chase around and put Dynamites on course for the win.
The right-handed Pollard blasted three fours and half-dozen sixes as he chose an ideal time to raise his 38th T20 half-century.
In one over from Mahmudullah – the 11th of the innings which cost 25 runs – Pollard smashed four sixes and followed up by ripping into seamer Brathwaite in the 13th over which went for 20 runs, as he belted a pair of fours and sixes.
He eventually perished in the 15th over but Jahurul and Mosaddek Hossain (14 not out) put on 43 in an unbroken seventh wicket stand to seal the win.