Cricket: Pollard blasts Windies into lead

All-rounder smashes 70-ball 102, Australia lose 4th ODI by 42 runs.

GROS ISLET:

Kieron Pollard smashed a blistering century as West Indies defeated Australia by 42 runs in the fourth One-Day International (ODI) to take a 2-1 lead in the five-match series.

The 24-year-old Pollard hit eight sixes and five fours in his 70-ball 102 as the West Indies made 294 for seven off 50 overs, their highest score  at the venue. In reply, Australia, who were dismissed for 252, never recovered from slipping to 112 for five by the end of the 21st over.

“This is just what we’ve been looking for, when we were sitting down as a batting group and planning,” said West Indies captain Darren Sammy, whose side can claim a first series win over Australia in 17 years if they take today’s match.

“It was the kind of total we could defend. We are looking forward to the final game. It will be good if we can get a series win.”

Watson admitted his batsmen had let his side down.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 25^th, 2012.