Published: Aug 11, 2024, 09:42 AM (IST)
Edited: Aug 11, 2024, 01:38 PM (IST)
During The Hundred on Saturday, Kieron Pollard of the Southern Braves struck Trent Rockets player Rashid Khan for five straight sixes, delivering a performance that won the match. At the Rose Bowl in Southampton, his prolific batting enabled Southern Brave to win with one ball remaining after chasing down a score of 127.
Brave needed 49 runs off the final 20 balls, which is when Pollard’s game-changing effort started.
Pollard destroyed Rashid Khan’s bowling in an over, despite the fact that he had bowled economical with statistics of 1/10 from his first 15 deliveries.
After smashing the first two balls over cow corner and the long-off area, Pollard smacked the third ball right back over Rashid’s head. After hitting a strong shot over deep mid-wicket, Pollard finished the over with a six over long-off. The number of runs needed was cut to 19 off 15 balls by this attack.
Pollard made a quick 45 off 23 balls, but he was ejected soon after, but his blitz had already turned the tide in the Southern Braves’ advantage. With one ball left in the match, the side triumphed by two wickets at the end.
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Tom Banton led the Trent Rockets in scoring earlier in the game with 30 runs, which enabled his team to record a respectable 126/8.
As he considered his performance against Rashid Khan, Pollard noted that they had a common past and had seen each other’s plays before.
“I’ve played a lot against him, and he’s gotten me out many times. But I knew the lines and lengths he was likely to bowl,” Pollard said.
“I just backed myself – if he bowled short, I was going across; if he went full, I was going to hit straight. He bowled three fuller balls, and they were right in my arc. At that point, I couldn’t hold back, I had to go for maximums. But Rashid is a world-class bowler; we’ve played a lot against each other,” he added.
In addition to helping Southern Brave to a vital win, Pollard’s effort cemented his standing as one of the game’s most powerful hitters.
