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Kieron Pollard’s MI New York outplayed the Los Angeles Knight Riders to secure a berth in the knockout stages of MLC 2024. Despite a modest total of 130 after opting to bat first, MI New York defended brilliantly, restricting the Knight Riders and eventually winning by four wickets with 18 balls to spare.()
Batting first, MI New York struggled to build a competitive total, getting bowled out for 130. Jason Roy (27) and Andre Russell (35) were the top contributors in a lineup that struggled with consistency.
In response, MI New York’s bowlers put up a disciplined performance, stifling the Knight Riders’ batting lineup. Rashid Khan, with his overseas experience, claimed 3 crucial wickets, supported well by Trent Boult and Nosthush Kenjige who each took 2 wickets.
During their chase, MI New York faced their own challenges, losing wickets regularly. However, Kieron Pollard, coming in at number seven, turned the match around with a blistering unbeaten 33 off just 12 balls. His innings, studded with two fours and three sixes, including one that landed in the stands, sealed the victory in emphatic fashion.
Kieron Pollard’s gesture after a fan was hit during MI New York vs Los Angeles Knight Riders match.
After the game concluded, Pollard took a moment to personally apologize to the fan he inadvertently struck with a powerful flick over deep square leg. The shot came off Spencer Johnson’s delivery, angled into Pollard’s pads, and was dispatched emphatically for six. It was yet another instance of Pollard coming to the rescue for a franchise owned by Mumbai Indians.
With this victory, MI New York secured their spot in the final four of the tournament. Washington Freedom led the group standings with 11 points, followed by San Francisco Unicorns with nine. Texas Super Kings and MI New York clinched playoff berths with six and five points, respectively. Unfortunately, the Knight Riders, after losing four matches, exited the competition, while Seattle Orcas faced elimination after enduring five defeats.
Reflecting on his team’s elimination, Los Angeles skipper Sunil Narine expressed disappointment but credited the New York batting lineup for successfully chasing down the target. He also lamented the inconsistency among his top-order batsmen, including himself, in accumulating runs throughout the tournament.
“I think the score, it was difficult to defend it against such a batting line-up, Pooran batted well and Polly finished off the game. But I’m proud about how we played and bowled in trying to defend the score. I didn’t get the runs myself at the top of the order, we didn’t get a lot of runs from the top-order, but it was a good tournament for us, the vibes were great and we came very close to qualifying,” said Narine.
Next up in the MLC 2024 playoffs, the Texas Super Kings will face off against MI New York in the Eliminator match scheduled for July 24. Following that, the Qualifier match will see Washington Freedom taking on the San Francisco Unicorns. The culmination of the tournament will be the final showdown in Dallas on July 28.
