No regrets battling pain to rescue Windies: Pollard

Sydney, Feb 9 (IANS/CMC) West Indies middle order batsman Keiron Pollard says he did not regret enduring pain in an effort to rescue his side although they lost the fourth ODI against Australia.

Pollard was struck on the finger from a ball that bounced surprisingly but he managed to strike a mature unbeaten 109 that lifted the West Indies from 55 for six to 220 all out in 49.4 overs, reports CMC.

However, Australia cruised to a comfortable five-wicket victory at the Sydney Cricket Ground Friday to win four of the five matches in the series as the Windies face a whitewash.

“At the end of the day that can’t stop you. We were really in trouble and you just have to go out there and do it for the team… no matter what the situation,” said Pollard, whose 109 was his third ODI century.

“Getting a hit obviously I know I had to take the pain you know take a breather, gather my thoughts again and try to see how far we can get and how big a total we can get up to 50 overs.”

Pollard stared in a series of partnerships to restore respectability to the West Indies side including a 43-run, seventh wicket stand with captain Darren Sammy, a 35-run eight wicket stand with Andre Russell and a 64-run partnership for the ninth wicket with Sunil Narine.

Pollard’s century follows a series of low scores in the three previous ODIs.

“I have been speaking to a couple of the senior guys who helped me along in terms of trying to apply myself and back my ability and that is exactly what I did.”

Pollard reached triple figures off 132 balls in the penultimate over of the innings after moving to 99 with his second six that sailed over long-on off seamer Clint McKay, before taking a single down the ground.

The West Indies will attempt to avoid a whitewash when they play Australia Sunday in the fifth and final ODI.

—IANS/CMC

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IANS 2013-02-09 15:20:06