DALLAS, Texas, CMC – Nicholas Pooran played a supporting role, and two other former West Indies white-ball captains were non-starters when Mumbai Indians New York completed a six-wicket win against Texas Super Kings on Friday to reach the final of Major League Cricket in the United States.
Pooran worked overtime, keeping wickets, and then made only 23. Still, Trinidad & Tobago compatriots Dwayne Bravo for TSK and Kieron Pollard for MI New York did not play in the preliminary final of the Twenty20 tournament at the Grand Prairie Stadium.
Chasing 159 to win, MI New York needed a half-century, fourth-wicket stand between South Africa all-rounder Dewald Brevis and Australia batsman Tim David to put them firmly on track for a victory that sets up a final against Seattle Orcas on Sunday at the same venue.
Brevis struck only one four and two sixes in the top score of 41 not out, David supported with 33, and United States international opener Shayan Jahangir added 36 in the successful run chase for MI New York.
MI New York were 45 for two at the close of the Power Play, but Brevis added 30 with Pooran and 50 with David to revive the chase before he formalized it in an unbroken, fifth-wicket stand of 38 with the well-traveled David Wiese, not out on 19.
Former New Zealand left-arm pacer Trent Boult set things up for MI New York when he bagged four for 24 from his allotted four overs, and David grabbed two for 14 in one over in the start of a tidy-all-round performance, and TSK were bowled out for 158 in their 20 overs.
New Zealand opener Devon Conway led the way for TSK with 38, and India-born United States all-rounder Millnd Kumar made 37, but there was little substance from the rest of their side’s batting after they were put into bat.
TSK were 40 for three at the end of the Power Play, and Boult and company did not allow them to script a comeback story, plus two needless runouts, which Pooran helped to engineer, did not help their cause.
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