(CMC) – Nicholas Pooran played a key role but all-rounder Sunil Narine and Andre Russell both failed as MI New York crushed Los Angeles Knight Riders by 105 runs in the Major League Cricket on Sunday.
Choosing to bat first, MI New York rallied to 155 for eight off their 20 overs with Tim David top-scoring with 48 not out off 21 balls and the left-handed Pooran, a former West Indies white-ball skipper, getting 38 from 37 deliveries.
In reply, Knight Riders slumped to 50 all out in the 14th over with both Narine and Russell scoring two, while opener Unmukt Chand top-scored with a run-a-ball 26. Former West Indies white-ball captain, Kieron Pollard, grabbed two for nine from two overs of slow medium, as all five bowlers used picked up a brace each. The victory for MI New York was their first after they lost their opener while Knight Riders’ defeat was their second to remain winless.
MI New York’s decision to bat first appeared to have backfired when they crashed to 54 for four in the fifth over. However, Pooran initiated the revival with a measured knock that included a four and two sixes, before Australian David arrived to pummel four fours and four sixes to galvanise the back end.
Narine was economical, his four overs of off-spin yielding only 15 runs but pacer Russell proved expensive, his two overs leaking 28 runs.
Knight Riders’ run chase was quickly in turmoil at two runs for three wickets courtesy of South African fast bowler Kagiso Rabada’s double-strike in the third over. And another two-wicket over in the 10th from Pollard which accounted for Chand and Russell, sealed the Knight Riders’ fate.
