CL T20 images: Pollard brings Mumbai back in the reckoning

Keiron Pollard walloped 72 off 30 balls to help Mumbai Indians to a 31-run victory over Guyana in Group B encounter of the Champions League T20 tournament in Durban on Thursday.

With this victory, Mumbai Indians have kept their hopes alive for a berth in the semi-finals

Pollard's innings was decorated with nine sixes and a four. Pollard teamed up with JP Duminy (14 off 6) in the death overs and clobbered 85 runs off the last five overs to push Mumbai's total to 184 for 4.

Pollard came up the order at No 3, but his work was made easy after a strong 82-run opening partnership between captain Sachin Tendulkar (48 off 39) and Shikhar Dhawan (39 off 37).

Tendulkar wasn't at his elegant best and both batsmen were struggling at one stage, but they slowly came into their own and got the IPL team the desired start.

But the Mumbai Indians' innings got the required only once Pollard came to the crease.

For Guyana, leg-spinner Devendra Bishoo was the pick of the bowlers, picking up three wickets for 34 runs.

With the convincing win in this, their must-win match, Mumbai have imbibed some life back in their Champions League campaign, which was devastated by defeats in the opening two matches against Highveld Lions and South Australia Redbacks.

Guyana, on the other hand, face the ignominy of an early exit with two defeats from as many outings.

Guyana made a horrible start to their run-chase, losing opener Sewnarine Chattergoon (1 off 6) in as early as the second over. Chattergoon was caught at first slip by JP Duminy off the bowling of Lasith Malinga.

The Guyanese batsmen struggled to get runs off the Mumbai Indians' bowlers.

Frustration creeped into the Guyana batsmen and the next wicket to fall was that of Tim Dowlin. Dowlin's attempt to clear the ropes was foiled when he was caught by Saurabh Tiwary off the bowling of Dwayne Bravo.

Even though Guyana's captain and most-experienced batsman Ramnaresh Sarwan produced some resistance with a 38-ball 46, the West Indian outfit was never in the reckoning.

But, once Sarwan fell to Harbhajan Singh in the 15th over, it was all but doom for Guyana.

Narsingh Deonarine (27) and Christopher Barnwell (25) also chipped with useful contributions down the order. But they failed to pose a strong fight-back and it was victory at last for Mumbai Indians.

Bravo and Harbhajan scalped two wickets apiece for Mumbai, giving away 18 and 32 runs respectively.