North Sound, Antigua – “There is more to come. 56 off 15 balls, not bad! The best is yet to come!”
With these words Kieron Pollard signed off after his amazing innings of 56 not out off just 15 balls Trinidad and Tobago had a record breaking win over Leeward Islands on the third day of the West Indies Cricket Board’s Caribbean T20 tournament on Wednesday night.
Kieron Pollard during his unbeaten knock of 56.
Pollard, one of the leading power-hitters in world cricket, went on the rampage. He smashed seven sixes – including five in one over off Anthony Martin. T&T rattled up 211-3 off 20 overs – the highest team score in the three-year history of Caribbean T20. They then dismissed the Leewards for 44 – the lowest score ever in Caribbean T20 to win by a whopping 167 runs – the largest margin in the tournament.
“Everyone is fully aware that I’m not at full fitness but I had a job to do for Trinidad and Tobago. I’m able to bat but I can’t run around in the field and dive around and obviously I can’t bowl as yet either. I’m still working to try to get up to 75 percent (fitness level). When I do there will be more to come. The best is yet to come!” said Pollard, who won the Star of the Match award.
The powerfully-built six-footer came to the crease with the perfect platform after openers Adrian Barath (56) and Lendl Simmons (54) put on 111 off 12.3 overs. Pollard admitted he took aim at six sixes in an over when he went after Martin. It was the 18th over of the innings and the first four balls went sailing over the rope. Pollard failed to make good contact with the fifth ball but the sixth then disappeared out of the ground.
“We got such a great start from Adrian and Lendl and it was a simple matter of me coming down in the middle and finishing off the job for the team at that point in time. After hitting the first four balls for six the thought went through my mind about hitting all six for sixes,” Pollard added. “It didn’t happen but I hit the last one for another six and more important we got 30 in the over and that pushed us to 200. It was good that we were able to get a huge score and then bowl and field so well to bowl them out. We are a happy team.”
Off-spinner Sunil Narine was excellent with the ball and took a career-best 4-9 with all four wickets in one over. Leg-spinner Samuel Badree took three wickets with the new ball and pacer Ravi Rampaul had two wickets at the top of the innings.
In the earlier Group A match, Windward Islands easily beat Canada by nine wickets to stag top of the group. Johnson Charles took the Star of the Match award with an unbeaten 61 as his team made 114-1 in reply to 111-7.
The Caribbean T20 continues on Thursday with the second round of matches in Group B. Jamaica face Sussex at 4 pm (3 pm Jamaica Time) while Barbados take on the Netherlands at 8 pm (7 pm Jamaica Time).