ST JOHN’S, Antigua, CMC – Kieron Pollard said only after hitting the third six of the over he knew he could achieve the feat of hitting six sixes.
The West Indies white-ball captain became only the third batsman in history to hit six sixes in a game over when 36 off the sixth over by leg spinner Akila Dananjaya during his side’s running rout at the opening of Twenty20 International last Wednesday .
“[I knew] after the third one, ”said Pollard after West Indies completed a four-wicket victory at Coolidge Cricket Ground.
“We played a couple games here in the Super50 and I understand how the wicket plays. The ball was hard, two men were out so I came out and supported myself.
“Again, in the Super50 too, you’re supporting yourself to clear the boundaries rather than just rolling, trimming, walking.
“It’s something the team needed. Unfortunately I didn’t see the two wickets before, I only heard but I was ready to come and do what the team needed at that time. ”
Having reached the crease after Dananjaya grabbed the 14th hat-trick at T20 Internationals in the fourth over, Pollard rebounded in the bowler’s next turn to put Sri Lanka on the back foot.
The first distribution broke long forward, the second deposited into the screen-view, the third belted over a long width before long grinding the fourth distribution over the ropes.
After hitting the fifth six back overhead, Pollard admitted he had doubts about defending the final delivery or trying the sport.
“In that short time [before the final delivery] a couple of things went through my mind, ”Pollard remembered.
“I’m surviving the rest of the transition because I’m already 30 [runs] or do I continue.
“I know I got the bowler on the back foot and he went around the wicket and it would have been difficult for him to try and bow the ball anywhere in front of me and once I got in touch with the breeze , I said ‘you know what Polly, take your chances. You’re damned if you do and damned if you don’t. ‘
“And that’s how I’ve played my cricket throughout, especially with spinners bowling too.”
Pollard flicked the final distribution over the middle wicket ropes to join Indian Yuvraj Singh and Herschelle Gibbs from South Africa in the record books, as the three players to have achieved the feat.
He was eventually dismissed for an 11 11 ball but his burst helped West Indies revamp their modest target of 132 with 41 balls to spare.
“He came away tonight. Unfortunately I couldn’t go on but again, it was a most important victory, ”Pollard stressed.
West Indies again challenges Sri Lanka in the second T20 International at the same venue today starting at 6pm.