10:51 AM IST, 10:21 PM Local Time: Corey Anderson finishes it off in style! MI New York extend their flawless record against the Los Angeles Knight Riders, making it 6-0 in Major League Cricket.
Earlier, after being invited to bat first, Los Angeles Knight Riders posted a competitive 165/6 in their 20 overs, thanks to valuable contributions throughout the innings. Andre Fletcher provided contributed 34 off 26, while Matthew Tromp anchored the middle overs with a well-made 44 off 36. Jason Holder then injected late momentum with a blistering 43 off 22, smashing three fours and three sixes, helping LAKR recover strongly after slipping to 121/5. Rovman Powell also chipped in with a useful 23, while Sunil Narine remained unbeaten on 8 at the end.
For MI New York, Corbin Bosch was the standout performer with an impressive spell of 3/19 in four overs, while Rushil Ugarkar also claimed three wickets, although he proved expensive, conceding 43 runs. Trent Boult bowled economically, giving away just 28 runs in his four overs as MI New York restricted LAKR to 165 despite Holder's late flourish.
In reply, MINY got off to a poor start as Quinton de Kock departed for a duck in the second over, but Monank Patel anchored the chase with a composed 32 off 29 balls, sharing a 34-run stand with captain Nicholas Pooran (16). However, the Los Angeles Knight Riders bowlers kept themselves in the contest by striking at regular intervals. Pooran fell in the seventh over, Monank followed after getting a start, and the quick dismissal of Tajinder Dhillon (10 off 3) left MI New York in trouble at 80/4 in 11.5 overs.
From there, Kieron Pollard once again showcased his finishing prowess. The veteran batter played a solid knock, smashing an unbeaten 63 off 35 balls, laced with six fours and two sixes, while Corey Anderson provided the perfect foil with a composed 37 off 24*, including a four and four sixes. The pair put together a match-winning, unbeaten 88-run partnership for the fifth wicket, steadily reducing the required rate before accelerating in the death overs. Anderson fittingly sealed the victory in style as MI New York completed the chase by 6 wickets with one ball remaining.
LAKR's bowlers were very disciplined with their lines and lengths in the first half of the innings, but they failed to sustain the momentum and allowed the partnership between Kieron Pollard and Corey Anderson to flourish. Carmi le Roux bagged a couple of wickets, while Jason Holder and Shadley van Schalkwyk chipped in with one wicket each. Sunil Narine went wicketless but was exceptionally economical, conceding just seven runs in his four-over spell.