MUMBAI, India – West Indies stars Kieron Pollard and Lendl Simmons both struck up-tempo half-centuries but failed to prevent Mumbai Indians from a narrow seven-run loss to Kings XI Punjab in the Indian Premier League here today.
Set an imposing 231 to win at Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai made a valiant effort before finishing on 223 for six off their 20 with opener Simmons top-scoring with 59 and fellow Trinidadian Pollard unleashing an explosive unbeaten 50.
Simmons set the stage for a successful run chase when he lashed five fours and four sixes off just 32 balls as he put on 99 for the first wicket with wicketkeeper Parthiv Patel who made 38 from 23 balls.
They perished in successive overs with Simmons departing in the tenth to a stunning one-handed catch by New Zealander Martin Guptill at long-on after the batsman tried to dispatch a full toss from Australian off-spinner Glenn Maxwell.
Their departures saw four wickets fall for 22 runs in the space of 24 deliveries to leave Mumbai stumbling on 121 for four in the 13th over.
However, Pollard stepped up, belting a four and five sixes in a 24-ball cameo to energise the innings in a 55-run, fifth wicket partnership with Hardik Pandya whose 30 came from a mere 13 balls and contained four fours.
In the 16th over of the innings, both batsmen struck a pair of sixes as New Zealand seamer Matt Henry’s second over gushed 27 runs.
Mumbai needed 16 from the last over bowled by seamer Mohit Sharma and even though Pollard blasted a six off the second ball, he was then held scoreless from the next three, as the run chase fizzled.
Earlier, opener Wriddhiman Saha delivered a splendid 55-ball unbeaten 93 to propel Kings XI up to 230 for three after they were sent in.
He struck 11 fours and three sixes, adding 68 for the first wicket with Guptill (36), 63 for the second with captain Maxwell (47) and 52 for the third with Aussie Shaun Marsh (25).
Mumbai remained top of the eight-team standings with 18 points, four clear of fifth placed Kings XI. (CMC)
