Pollard, Pooran fail to perform in MI New York defeat

West Indies all-rounder Romario Shepherd produced a cameo with the bat but superstars Nicholas Pooran and Kieron Pollard both failed to perform sending MI New York to a ponderous 84-run defeat against Washington Freedom at the Grand Prairie Stadium.

In pursuit of a challenging 183, MI New York collapsed for a disappointing 88 runs in the 14th over and headed to their third defeat of the in Major League Cricket campaign.

Shepherd arrived at number seven position, blasting 25 from 14 deliveries with three fours and two sixes, but Pooran (4) and Pollard (4) made no impression.

Sent in to bat, Washington Freedom gathered 182 for five off their allocated 20 overs with Andries Gous and Travis Head (54) both smacking half-centuries.

Gous scored 59, belting three fours and four sixes in a 48-ball knock while Head faced 33 deliveries,  scoring 54 and counted nine fours and two fours. The pair put on 73 for the second wicket.

Rachin Ravindra blasted an unbeaten 31 from 14-balls which included two fours and two sixes closer to the end, adding a further 49 for the fourth wicket with Gous.

Pollard picked up two for 14 from two overs.

In reply, MI New York slumped to 43 for seven at the start of the ninth over, the top order wiped out by the fast bowling trio of Jasdeep Singh with 3-14, Lockie Ferguson with 2-16 and Marco Jansen with 2-18.

Shepherd counter-attacked in a 33-run, eighth wicket stand with Trent Boult on 16 before the innings collapsed again.