Pollard helps MI New York keep playoff hopes alive
This was LAKR's eighth defeat in nine games
ESPNcricinfo staff
06-Jul-2025 • 9 hrs ago
Kieron Pollard gives the ball a good, old-fashioned thump • Sportzpics for MLC
MI New York 142 for 9 (Pollard 50, van Schalkwyk 3-24, Dry 2-25, Holder 2-28) beat Los Angeles Knight Riders 136 for 4 (Chand 59, Pollard 1-12, Kenjige 1-14) by six runs
Kieron Pollard's all-round performance of a 36-ball 50 and bowling figures of 1 for 12 in two overs kept MI New York in the hunt for a playoff spot in MLC 2025 as they defeated bottom-placed Los Angeles Knight Riders by six runs.
Pollard came in at 63 for 4 in the tenth over of the first innings and hit four sixes and one four to give MINY a fighting total of 142 for 9 although he had little support from the remaining batters, except Nicholas Pooran's 24-ball 30 from No. 3. MINY's batting was wrecked by Shadley van Schalkwyk taking 3 for 24 with support from Jason Holder (2 for 28) and Corne Dry (2 for 25) to leave LAKR chasing 143.
However, even that target proved difficult to chase for LAKR as they finished on 136, six runs short, despite losing only four wickets. Openers Alex Hales produced a sluggish 21 in 26 balls and Andre Fletcher was out for a 10-ball nine. Even though Sherfane Rutherford scored a 28-ball 29 and Unmukt Chand hit a 48-ball 59, they couldn't keep up with the game's equation that left them needing 21 off the last two overs.
Pollard dismissed Rutherford in the 19th over and LAKR retired out Chand at the end of the same over. But with 16 needed off the final over, new batters Andre Russell and Holder could not take them over the line with Ehsan Adil holding his nerves with the ball.
The defeat was LAKR's eighth in nine outings while it was MINY's third win in nine games.