West Indies v Australia, 1st Twenty20 Pollard pushes West Indies to 150

Kieron Pollard

Kieron Pollard raced to the fastest half-century by a West Indies player in a Twenty20 international as the hosts recovered from a slow start to post 150 for 7 in St Lucia. The small boundaries at the Beausejour Cricket Ground proved unable to contain Pollard, whose 20-ball fifty ensured a competitive total after Darren Sammy chose to bat.

The previous quickest fifty by a West Indian was Chris Gayle's 23-ball effort against Australia at The Oval during the 2009 ICC World Twenty20. Pollard bettered that with five sixes in his first fifty runs and he brought up his half-century - his first in Twenty20 internationals - with a single pushed to the leg side when Shane Watson got his yorker right.

Pollard's highlight was an enormous six straight that landed on the roof of the stand after it flew back over the head of the bowler Xavier Doherty, and that was part of a 22-run over that took West Indies from a middling performance to a stronger one. Daniel Christian was punished for getting his length slightly wrong and went for consecutive sixes over the leg side as Pollard raced towards his milestone.

He had come to the crease at 66 for 3 in the 11th over after the dot balls began to pile up earlier in the innings. Dwayne Smith was the first man out, caught behind for a run-a-ball 10 when Brett Lee found some extra bounce and away movement, and he was soon followed by his opening partner Johnson Charles, who was lbw walking across the crease to Watson for 24.

Nkrumah Bonner, sent in at first drop, struggled to rotate the strike and was bowled for 24 from 33 balls when he advanced to Christian and tried to force the run-rate up. Darren Bravo also found scoring difficult after his disappointing one-day series and pulled a catch to deep midwicket off the bowling of Christian for 12.

Dwayne Bravo was part of a 62-run stand with Pollard but was essentially the silent partner, falling for 14 from 11 balls when he gave Christian his third wicket by lofting a catch to long-off. Darren Sammy was also taken at long-off for 7 before Carlton Baugh sacrificed his wicket to be run out for 1 in the final over in an effort to give the strike to Pollard, who finished unbeaten on 54 from 26 balls.