HYDERABAD: Despite being at the receiving end for most part of the New South Wales Blues innings and after being reduced to 118-6 in run chase, Trinidad and Tobago — led by an incredible assault by Kieron Pollard — successfully chased down the target of 171 to remain unbeaten in the Champions League Twenty20 Tournament and top the League A standings.

Trinidad and Tobago were for all counts down and out of the contest when wicketkeeper Denesh Ramdin was run out in the 16th over, with the team score at 118. However, Pollard turned on the heat then — scoring 54 from just 13 balls, slamming five sixes and five boundaries, to guide his team past the target with nine balls to spare. The 22-year old Pollard was particularly harsh on Moises Henriques, scoring 42 runs off him from just the nine deliveries (including five sixes and three boundaries).

Trinidad and Tobago found the going tough against the Blues’ new-ball pair of Brett Lee and Doug Bollinger. After the fall of William Perkins (16) and Dwayne Bravo (1), skipper Daren Ganga (32) and Darren Bravo (27) steadied the innings briefly, adding 47 runs in 6.3 overs. However, both batsmen were run out in the space of two overs, and the match looked all but sealed in favour of the Blues.

Trinidad and Tobago needed 80 runs from seven overs. However, Pollard seemed to have his own script and treated the Hyderabad crowd to some special-effortless hitting.

Earlier, after NSW captain Simon Katich had won the toss and opted to bat first, their openers got them off to a rollicking start. Boundaries came thick and fast from the willows of the two left-handed openers — David Warner was the first to reach his half-century and he got there in 31 balls, while his opening partner Philip Hughes scored half cuntury in 42 balls. The duo posted the first century partnership of the competition.

Dwayne Bravo struck thrice in the last over; he picked up the wickets of Moises Henriques (17), Hughes (83) and Ben Rohrer to finish as the most successful bowler for his team.