Kieron Pollard went berzerk for Multan Sultans in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) against the Lahore Qalandars, smashing 57 off 34 balls in an innings that included one four and six sixes. Pollard unleashed an exceptional display of power hitting against a star-studded Qalandars bowling lineup that included Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf and Rashid Khan. It helped Sultans put up a score of 160/5 in Lahore and the home side ended up losing the game by 84 runs.
Three of Pollard’s sixes came in the 19th over bowled by Afridi and the Pakistan pace spearhead was not too happy about that. Pollard and Afridi could be seen exchanging a few heated words after the the last ball of the over disappeared over deep square leg.
Pollard missed a ramp shot off the first ball of the over but then walloped the second ball down the ground for the first six. He then clubbed the third ball over long-on to bring up his half-century. Pollard then skied the third attempted big hit but Husain Talat ended up dropping what was one of the easier catching chance one would hope to find in top flight cricket. Pollard ran a single after which Tim David got him back on strike for the last ball, which also went for six.
Afridi ended up conceding 20 runs in that over, the most he has ever conceded in an over in his PSL career. Pollard had gone after all three of the Qalandars’ stars on Wednesday. He hit a six each off Rashid Khan and Haris Rauf and had also hit Afridi for a six off the first ball of the 17th over when the latter had returned for his final spell.
The former West Indies captain finally fell in the last over to Rauf. In response, the Lahore innings never got going. Sheldon Cottrell took three wickets while Usama Mir took two, Pollard himself got the wicket of Zimbabwe star Sikandar Raza. Lahore were all out for a paltry 76 runs in 14.3 overs
