Captain Kieron Pollard powers West Indies to victory

ST GEORGE'S: Captain Kieron Pollard impressed with bat and ball as West Indies defeated South Africa by 21 runs to level the five-match Twenty20 series at 2-2 on Thursday. The winner of the series will be decided in the fifth and final ODI to be played here on July 3.

Set a target of 168 after skipper Kieron Pollard smashed an unbeaten 51 off 25 balls, with five sixes and two fours to lift the West Indies to 167/6, the Proteas relied heavily on their dependable batsman Quinton de Kock in their quest to clinch the series on Thursday.

However, his dismissal to Bravo for a top score of 60 at the start of the 18th over saw the Proteas's challenge fizzle out.

The West Indies all-rounder added two more wickets in his fourth over as South Africa finished on 146/9 in their 20 overs.

Earlier, Pollard's match-winning innings and an unbroken seventh-wicket partnership of 66 with Fabien Allen (19 not out) were critical in giving the home side a fighting chance after they were put in to bat for the first time in the series.

Pollard smashed 25 runs off the penultimate over of the innings from South African pace bowler Kagiso Rabada to get the hosts to a fighting total.

Pollard won the Player-of-the-Match award.

"I was just happy to be there at the end to make an important contribution. I must commend Bravo's effort with the ball as well, especially as he has faced a lot of unnecessary criticism with people saying he is too old now to be a productive member of this team," said Pollard.

Brief scores: 167/6 in 20 overs (L Simmons 47, K Pollard 51; G Linde 2/16, T Shamsi 2/13) beat South Africa 146/9 in 20 overs (Q de Kock 60; D Bravo 4/19, A Russell 2/30) by 21 runs. IANS

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