Pollard fails to spark but Somerset still wins

LONDON, England,  CMC – West Indies pinch hitter Kieron Pollard failed with the bat but got two wickets for Somerset to help them to a comprehensive 79-run victory over Middlesex in the Friends Provident Twenty20 tournament yesterday.

The right-handed Pollard scored one from three balls as Somserset, sent in to bat at home at Taunton, piled up 204 for five thanks largely to Marcus Trescothick’s 38-ball 83 which included 11 fours and four sixes.

Barbados and West Indies left-arm seamer Pedro Collins went wicket-less from three overs which cost 36 runs.

Middlesex were sent tumbling for 125 all out with 14 balls left, as left-arm spinner Murali Kartik grabbed three for 37 to destroy the top order.

Medium pacer Mark Turner took two for 23 while Pollard (2-20) claimed the last two wickets of the innings in successive deliveries to formalise the result.

Somerset are now third in the South Group on 14 points with seven wins and four losses.

At Headingley in Leeds, Barbados and West Indies fast bowler Tino Best had little success as his Yorkshire slipped to a 34-run loss to Warwickshire in the North Group.

The right-armer took one for 31 from his four overs as Warwickshire got 155 for eight from their allotted overs.

Yorkshire’s batting then collapsed to 121 for nine off their 20 overs, with Best smashing a six in his unbeaten 10 from five balls.

The loss was Yorkshire’s sixth and it left them fourth in the group on 11 points.

At Queen’s Park in Chesterfield, Jamaica and West Indies fast bowler Daren Powell failed to prevent his Lancashire side from crashing to a five-wicket loss to Derbyshire in the North Group.

The right-armer Powell sent down three tidy overs for 14 runs as Lancashire tallied 132 for seven, with Gareth Cross stroking 65 from 51 balls.