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Page last updated at 20:31 GMT, Wednesday, 9 June 2010 21:31 UK

Debutant Kieron Pollard belts Somerset to Lord's win

FRIENDS PROVIDENT t20, Lord's:
Somerset 158-5 (17.5 ovs) beat Middlesex 155-6 (20 ovs) by five wickets
Match scorecard


Kieron Pollard
Pollard had only previously hit three half centuries in 58 Twenty20 games

West Indian Twenty20 star Kieron Pollard smashed an unbeaten 89 in just 45 balls on his debut as Somerset cruised to a five-wicket win at Lord's.

Chasing a Middlesex score of 155-6, engineered by Eoin Morgan's unbeaten 48, Somerset were struggling at 31-4.

But the powerful Pollard took his bow in style, belting it all round Lord's, as he hit seven fours and seven sixes.

With the help of Peter Trego and Zander de Bruyn, Somerset claimed a first FP t20 win of 2010 with 13 balls to spare.

Pollard had already taken 3-26 with his medium pace after Australian legend Adam Gilchrist had fallen to the 13th delivery of the match - for a seven-ball duck - after Middlesex had won the toss and elected to bat first.

England's Twenty20 star Morgan then nudged the scoring rate above seven an over with an impish unbeaten 48 from 30 balls.

And Somerset then made a dismal start to their pursuit when England's Twenty20 World Cup winner Craig Kieswetter top-edged a towering catch to Gilchrist then Marcus Trescothick, with 20 from 15 balls, was run out.

Somerset starlet Jos Buttler walked across his stumps in aiming an audacious flick over short fine leg, while Jimmy Hildreth picked out backward point - and Middlesex were scenting victory.

But, despite losing Trego, who sacrificed his wicket when called through for a suicidal leg-bye to mid-wicket, Pollard had other ideas.

After sharing a stand of 68 with Trego, the man from Trinidad and Tobago again dominated an unbroken partnership of 59 with de Bruyn.

Somerset return to action at the Rose Bowl against Hampshire on Friday night (1910 BST).

Middlesex, still winless after two games, are in action the same night at Canterbury against Kent (1730 BST).



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