Pollard powers Somerset to semi-finals

NOTTINGHAM, England, CMC – A typically belligerent, unbeaten 47 from Kieron Pollard propelled Somerset to a six-wicket victory over Nottinghamshire in the quarter-finals of the English Twenty20 Championship yesterday.

Pollard smote two fours and four sixes, as Somerset, chasing 170 for victory from their 20 overs, reached their target with five balls remaining at Trent Bridge.

Keiron Pollard

Jos Buttler, with whom Pollard added 66 from 26 balls, formalised the result, when he scooped a delivery from former New Zealand international Andre Adams to deep fine leg for the last of his four fours in 34 not out from 14 balls.

England Lions opener Alex Hales had led all scorers in the match with 78, anchoring Notts to 169 for five from their 20 overs, after choosing to bat.

England World Twenty20 Championship-winning wicketkeeper/batsman Craig Kieswetter smote 49 from 37 balls to set the foundation for Somerset, after their captain Marcus Trescothick, the former England opener, fell for three in the third over.

Kieswetter got Somerset moving in a stand of 51 with Peter Trego before the visitors stumbled to 106 for four in the 15th over, and looked unlikely to take part in the Finals day pyrotechnics for the second straight year.

But Pollard changed the course of the game, hitting the first of his four sixes into the second tier of the Radcliffe Road Stand before Kieswetter was caught at cover off Pattinson

Pollard smashed two more sixes off leg-spinner Samit Patel’s next over, and the game quickly got away from Notts.

The match swung decisively in the 18th over, when Pollard and Buttler took 20 off Adams’ penultimate over, including three fours and a six.

Earlier, no Notts batsman, other than Hales, was able to score freely. He shared 63 for the second wicket with Australian Adam Voges, and 60 with Patel before Chris Read supplied late momentum, hitting a four and a six in 23 not out from 12 balls.

The semi-finals and the Final will be contested on August 27, at Edgbaston.