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Kieron Pollard's clutch half-century and game-changing penultimate over hammered the final nail in the coffin for the Los Angeles Knight Riders, who lost by 6 runs, effectively eliminating them from playoff contention in the third season of Major League Cricket (MLC) 2025.
In a match where momentum swung wildly at extremities, the Knight Riders' inability to close out the chase proved costly. Jason Holder's men fell short despite needing just 29 off the last three overs with eight wickets in hand, as per a press release from MLC. The tacky, slow pitch also challenged MI New York early. The men in blue suffered a shaky start, losing their top order in quick succession during the powerplay. Shadley van Schalkwyk provided key breakthroughs, removing Quinton de Kock and Tajinder Singh, while Corne Dry dismissed the tournament's leading run-scorer, Monank Patel, thanks to a stunning catch in the outfield by Saif Badar. Skipper Nicholas Pooran attempted to steady the innings with a cautious 30 off 24 balls before being dismissed via a juggling catch behind the stumps by Unmukt Chand off Sunil Narine. Michael Bracewell followed shortly after, holing out to Holder at long-on as Dry's clever change of pace paid off again. With half the side gone and the scoreboard barely keeping pace with the overs, Pollard began his assault in the 17th over, launching Andre Russell for back-to-back sixes. After a quiet over from Holder, Pollard went again--dispatching van Schalkwyk for two more sixes before falling for a vital 50 off 36, caught by Holder, whose brilliant final over helped restrict MINY to a competitive total of 142/9. In response, LAKR lost their dangerous opener Andre Fletcher early in the second over before Unmukt Chand and Alex Hales began to rebuild. Hales' lean run this season continued, making 21 off 26, while Chand played anchor with a slow but steady knock as the Knight Riders chased their first win. But MI New York's varied bowling attack kept things tight in the middle overs. Chand and Sherfane Rutherford struggled to find boundaries, and though LAKR were still in control, needing just 29 off the last 18 balls, Pollard's tight penultimate over--conceding only 5 runs and claiming Rutherford's wicket--tilted the game dramatically. With 16 needed off the final over, LA Knight Riders made a debatable call to retire Chand and send in skipper Holder. But Ehsan Adil held his nerve brilliantly, sealing a 6-run win that knocked LA Knight Riders out of the tournament. The nail-biting victory reignited MI New York's playoff hopes. They now sit level on points with the Seattle Orcas but boast a superior net run rate--a potentially decisive factor if both sides win their final group matches. Brief Score: MI New York 142/9 in 20 overs (Kieron Pollard 50, Nicholas Pooran 30; Shadley van Schalkwyk 3/24) beat Los Angeles Knight Riders 136/4 in 20 overs (Unmukt Chand 59, Sherfane Rutherford 29; Pollard 1/12). (ANI)
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