(CMC) – West Indies all-rounder Romario Shepherd produced a cameo with the bat but superstars Nicholas Pooran and Kieron Pollard both failed, to send MI New York to a heavy 84-run defeat to Washington Freedom yesterday.
In pursuit of a challenging 183 at Grand Prairie Stadium, MI New York folded meekly for a disappointing 88 in the 14th over, to slip to their third defeat of the in Major League Cricket campaign.
Shepherd arrived at number seven with the game all but gone to blast a 14-ball 25 with three fours and two sixes, but Pooran (4) and Pollard (4) made no impression.
Sent in, Freedom gathered 182 for five off their 20 overs with Andries Gous (59) and Travis Head (54) both striking half-centuries.
Gous belted three fours and four sixes in a 48-ball knock while Head faced 33 deliveries and counted nine fours and two fours, the pair putting on 73 for the second wicket.
Rachin Ravindra blasted a 14-ball unbeaten 31 with two fours and two sixes towards the end, adding a further 49 for the fourth with Gous.
Pollard picked up two for 14 from two overs of slow medium.
In reply, MI New York slumped to 43 for seven at the start of the ninth over, the top order wiped out by the fast bowling trio of Jasdeep Singh (3-14), Lockie Ferguson (2-16) and Marco Jansen (2-18).
Shepherd counter-attacked in a 33-run, eighth wicket stand with Trent Boult (16) before the innings collapsed again.