Kieron Pollard's blazing 72 helped Mumbai Indians ease past Guyana by 31 runs and register their first victory in Group B, in the Champions League Twenty20, in Durban, on Thursday.
Pollard was at his belligerent best as he slammed 72 from a mere 30 balls; he hit as many as nine sixes and a four to take Mumbai to a huge 184 for four in their 20 overs after they elected to bat.
In reply, Guyana never got going with the bat and finished on 153 for six. They suffered their second successive loss in the tournament, while Mumbai kept their hopes alive in the tournament.
Dwayne Bravo claimed two for 18 and Harbhajan Singh two for 32, as Mumbai never let Guyana's batsmen off the hook.
Captain Ramnaresh Sarwan was the only Guyana batsman to find the measure of the Mumbai bowling to some extent as he scored a brisk 46.
Lasith Malinga gave Mumbai Indians an early wicket when he had Sewnarine Chattergoon caught at first slip for one in the second over. Travis Dowlin struggled for six from 18 balls before he lobbed Dwayne Bravo to Saurabh Tiwary on the long-off boundary in the seventh over.
Narsingh Deonarine (27) was brilliantly caught by Shikhar Dhawan diving full length, running in from the cover boundary, giving Bravo his second wicket.
Sarwan scored 46 from 38 balls before he was caught at midwicket off Harbhajan, who also dismissed Christopher Barnwell for 24.
Earlier, Sachin Tendulkar laid the foundation for Mumbai Indians' total with a quick 48 off 39 balls before he was stumped by Derwin Christian off Devendra Bishoo, who claimed three quick wickets.
Mumbai's captain added 82 runs for the opening wicket with Shikhar Dhawan, who hit a brisk 39 from 37 balls.
Desperate to break the shackles after a steady start, Tendulkar got two reprieves as the Guyana fielders dropped the champion bastman twice in the ninth over.
Crandon made a mess of a regulation running catch at long-on off Christopher Barnwell and off the very next ball Tendulkar was handed another life when a running Jonathan Foo dropped one on the square leg boundary.
Leg-spinner Bishoo turned out to be the star bowler for Guyana, striking twice in the 15th over as Mumbai looked to attack the bowlers. Dhawan was caught at short leg off a top edge, and four balls later Saurabh Tiwary was caught at deep midwicket for a duck off the same bowler.
But just when it seemed Mumbai were losing their way, Pollard single-handedly changed the complexion of the match with his power hitting.
Brutal Pollard used his long handle to great effect and clobbered Barnwell for two sixes and then destroyed the figures of young Bishoo, picking up 19 runs from his final over, including two huge hits over the fence and a boundary.
The imposing West Indian brought up his fifty in style, casually lofting a Crandon delivery over the long-on boundary.
Not a single Guyana bowler was spared by Pollard as he went about his business with utmost ease. He finished off the innings in style, despatching Wintz over long-off.
Ambati Rayudu, who fell for four, was reduced to a mere spectator in his 21-ball 53 run partnership for the fourth wicket with Pollard.
JP Duminy also scored some quick runs at the end as he made 14 from six balls with Mumbai hammering 85 runs from the last five overs.
Mumbai play Royal Challengers Bangalore in their final group match and they will need to win that game by a huge margin, while also hoping for other results to go their way if they are to make it to the semi-finals.
