MUMBAI, India, CMC – Kieron Pollard’s quick-fire knock was insufficient as Mumbai Indians’ campaign lurched from concerning to calamity with their sixth straight defeat of the Indian Premier League here yesterday.
Desperate for their first win of the new season, Mumbai made a good fist of a target of 200 but Jason Holder’s Lucknow Super Giants came away with a 18-run victory at Brabourne Stadium.
Suryakumar Yadav top-scored with 37, Dewald Brevis struck a 13-ball 31 while Pollard, arriving at number six, blasted a 14-ball 25.
He counted one fours and two sixes but was one of three wickets to perish in the final over with Mumbai needing 26 runs to win. The West Indies white-ball skipper has managed only 82 runs from six innings.
The defeat left Mumbai with a Herculean task to qualify for the next stage of the league while Super Giants’ success was their fourth in six matches, and moved them into contention for the lead as one of three teams on eight points at the summit.
Sent in earlier, Super Giants marched to 199 for four off their 20 overs on the back of captain KL Rahul’s 103 not out from 60 balls, the 29-year-old posting 52 for the first wicket with South African Quinton de Kock (24), 72 for the second wicket with Manish Pandey (38) and 43 for the fourth with Deepak Hooda (15).
West Indies left-arm spinner Fabian Allen, in his first match of the season, claimed one for 46 from his four overs.
In reply, Mumbai were in with a shout at 121 for three in the 15th over, following a 64-run, fourth wicket stand between Suryakumar and Tilak Varma who made a run-a-ball 26 before being bowled by Holder.
When Suryakumar followed seven balls later with just six runs added, Pollard and Allen tried to revive the innings but the partnership between them produced only 26 runs before they were separated, Allen falling to a catch at short third man off pacer Avesh Khan (3-30).
Mumbai needed 43 runs from the last 12 balls but Holder conceded 17 in the penultimate over to leave the door slightly ajar.
However, once Pollard was run out off the first ball of the last over attempting a second run, the chase was as good as over.
At the nearby Wankhede Stadium, Rovman Powell’s wretched campaign continued with a first-ball ‘duck’ as his Delhi Capitals crashed to a 16-run defeat to Royal Challengers Bangalore.
Powell has scraped 31 runs from five innings.
On Good Friday, West Indies superstar Andre Russell lashed four fours and four sixes in unbeaten 49 from 25 balls and then returned to take two for 20 but Kolkata Knight Riders missed out by seven wickets to Nicholas Pooran’s Sunrisers Hyderabad.
Pooran finished unbeaten on five as Sunrisers chased down 176 with 13 balls to spare.
