Pollard powers Mumbai to win

DURBAN: Kieron Pollard’s power hitting took Mumbai Indians to their first win in the Champions League Twenty20 tournament when they beat Guyana by 31 runs at Kingsmead.

The West Indian hit nine sixes and one four as he smashed an unbeaten 72 off just 30 balls and helped Mumbai post 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.

The win gave Mumbai an outside chance of reaching the semi-finals, but they will have to gain a 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 results from other games going in their favour.

“We can get better. Our bowling and fielding is still not our best,” said Mumbai captain Sachin Tendulkar.

Pollard was promoted to number three in the batting order after Tendulkar (48) and Shikhar Dhawan (39) put on 82 for the first wicket. Pollard started watchfully and with five overs to go Mumbai had scored a modest 99 for three.

But he 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 128 metres according to tracking equipment.

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 final over.

“He played brilliantly and took the game away from us,” said Pollard’s teammate and Guyana captain Sarwan.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 18^th, 2010.