Pollard blasts 87 to inspre T&T to victory
Guyana Chronicle
January 18, 2007
(From Ravendra Madholall at Queen’s Park Oval in Port of Spain in association with Regal Stationery and Computer Centre, 4R Bearings, Mahadeo Lall (Buju), Trophy Stall and Rose Hall Town Youth and Sports Club).
THE name Kieron Pollard should now become a household name in Caribbean cricket after he pummelled the hapless
Guyanese bowlers to every direction of the new look Queen’s Park Oval ground yesterday, to spur Trinidad and Tobago to a commanding five-wicket win in the second round of the 2007 KFC limited overs regional cricket tournament.
The nineteen-year-old burly right-hander pulverised the Guyana bowling attack with seven gigantic sixes and six fours from an entertaining 53-ball 87 as the home team raced to 185 for five in the 35th over in reply to Guyana’s insufficient 184 all out in 48.1 overs.
Pollard, who has been named in the West Indies provisional 30-man squad for the upcoming ICC World Cup, commencing in early March, certainly has a greater chance of making the first final eleven in the
opening match, with that sort of scintillating hitting and impeccable timing of the ball in this version of the game.
The tall Pollard, who begun his first-class debut against Barbados in the opening Carib Beer Series round in brilliant fashion with a century, entertained the large crowd with some disdainful strokes in a vital fourth-wicket stand of 56 with debutant Darren Bravo.
At 74 for three, the vocal T&T crowd may have been anticipating a match going down to the wire as the Guyanese fought back momentarily when William Perkins, Adrian Barath and skipper Daren Ganga fell in quick succession. But the eventual man-of-the-match Pollard proved them wrong and immediately opened his account with a massive six off Narsingh Deonarine over long off.
Perkins and the diminutive Barath posted a fine opening stand of 44 before the right-handed Perkins was leg-before to leg-spinner Mahendra Nagamootoo for a 36-ball 26 which included four fours while Barath who made his first-class debut with an accomplished half-century, looked settled and well entrenched for another big score when he was forced to play a delivery from Nagamootoo outside the off stump and simply offered a catch to Dion Ferrier at backward point for 30 (3x4).
Guyana seemed to have pull back things especially when skipper Ganga popped back a catch to off-spinner Deonarine for 12 to leave his team at 74 for three in the 19th over, but the arrival of Pollard brought a change in fortunes as he and debutant Bravo entertained the crowd and capilitalised on some poor bowling.
The two batsmen saw their team’s hundred come up in the 23rd over while the 150 was brought up in the 32nd over. The left-handed Bravo was deceived by the flight of left-arm orthodox spinner Veerasammy Permaul and was nicely taken by wicketkeeper Derwin Christian for eight.
Pollard after hitting three consecutive sixes, one of which went over long-on that landed on the roof of the Scotia Bank stand, achieved his first fifty at this level from just 36 balls. When he departed for his magnificent 87 bowled by Permaul, the hosts were effectively home and dry..
Permaul, in his second match at this level grabbed two for 39 from six overs while Nagamootoo nabbed two for 34 from eight overs.
Earlier, Guyana asked to take first strike on a perfect batting track and on a lightning fast outfield only experienced left-handed opening batsman Azeemul Haniff hitting a fighting 53 spiced with nine fours from 72 balls while Assad Fudadin 22 and Deon Ferrier backed up inadequately with 22 and 19 respectively as wickets fell regularly.
Fast bowler Ravi Rampaul, who is looking to don the maroon colours again, grabbed four for 53 from his allotted ten overs while left-arm spinner Dave Mohammed bagged two for 24 from his ten overs as well.
Trinidad and Tobago, who have two wins as many matches will now meet the Leeward Islands right at home while Guyana, who have lost the two opening matches, will travel to Jamaica,
Guyana vs T&T
GUYANA Innings:
A Haniff c&b D Mohammed 53
R Crandon b Rampaul 13
E Crandon c D Ganga b Rampaul 0
T Dowlin lbw D Mohammed 8
*N Deonarine c S Ganga b Dillon 12
A Fudadin c Barath b Kelly 22
D Ferrier b Rampaul 19
+D Christian c wkp Perkins b S Ganga 0
M Nagamootoo c wkp Perkins b Rampaul 11
V Permaul run out 3
R King not out 14
Extras (lb9, w16, nb3) 28
TOTAL (all out - 48.1 overs) 183
Fall of wickets: 1-40, 2-40, 3-90, 4-94, 5-109, 6-142, 7-145, 8-162, 9-166.
Bowling: Kelly 6.1-2-13-1 (2w); Dillon 10-1-33-1 (1w); Rampaul 10-1-53-4 (1nb, 9w); S Ganga 7-0-28-1 (1w); Pollard 5-0-23-0 (2nb, 3w); D Mohammed 10-2-24-2.
T&T Innings (Target 184)
+W Perkins lbw Nagamootoo 26
A Barath c Ferrier b Nagamootoo 30
*D Ganga c&b Deonarine 12
D Bravo c wkp Christian b Permaul 7
K Pollard b Permaul 87
J Mohammed not out 8
S Ganga not out 4
Extras (lb4, w5, nb2) 11
TOTAL (for 5 wkts - 35 overs) 185
Fall of wickets: 1-44, 2-74, 3-74, 4-130, 5-181.
Did Not Bat: R Kelly, R Rampaul, D Mohammed, M Dillon.
Bowling: King 5-0-33-0 (1nb, 1w); Crandon 7-2-19-0 (1w); M Nagamootoo 8-1-34-2 (1nb, 1w); Deonarine 4-0-31-1 (2w); Permaul 6-1-39-2; Ferrier 2-0-19-0; Crandon 3-1-6-0.
Match result - T&T won by 5 wickets.
Points: T&T 4, Guyana 0