Kieron Pollard’s power hitting took the Mumbai Indians to their first win in the Champions League Twenty20 tournament when they beat Guyana by 31 runs at Kingsmead on Thursday.
The big West Indian hit nine sixes and one four as he smashed an unbeaten 72 off 30 balls as Mumbai posted 184 for four in their 20 overs.
Despite a fine innings by captain Ramnaresh Sarwan, who hit 46 off 38 balls, Guyana were restricted to 151 for six in reply.
PHOTO: REUTERS
The win gave Mumbai an outside chance of reaching the semi-finals, but they will have to gain a convincing victory over fellow Indian Premier League team Royal Challengers Bangalore in their final Group B match at the same ground tomorrow. Even then they will have to rely on other results going in their favor.
“We can get better. Our bowling and fielding is still not our best,” said Mumbai captain Sachin Tendulkar.
However, he looked forward to playing against Bangalore.
“It’s going to be a terrific contest,” he said.
It was Guyana’s second heavy defeat in two matches.
Pollard was promoted to No. 3 in the Mumbai batting order after Tendulkar (48) and Shikhar Dhawan (39) put on 82 for the first wicket, using up 10.5 overs.
Pollard started watchfully and with five overs to go Mumbai had scored a modest 99 for three. He then went on a ferocious assault as the last five overs produced 85 runs, with the Kingsmead boundaries proving too short to contain him.
One massive hit travelled 128m according to tracking equipment used by the television production team at the ground.
Pollard launched his attack with two sixes in the 16th over bowled by Chris Barnwell then wrecked the figures of leg-spinner Devendra Bishoo, who took three for 18 in his first three overs but conceded 16 runs in his fourth and final over.
“He played brilliantly and took the game away from us,” Sarwan said.
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