WATCH: MI New York captain Kieron Pollard smashes biggest six of Major League Cricket 2023

Kieron Pollard (Source: Twitter)

MI New York skipper Kieron Pollard proved that he hasn't lost the sharpness of his power hitting with a searing knock against Seattle Orcas on Tuesday in the Major League Cricket (MLC) 2023. Pollard's 34 off 18 balls, while forging a crucial partnership with Nicholas Pooran, enabled New York to post a competitive total of 194-8 in the first innings.

Asked to bat first, New York got off to a poor start as they lost two wickets inside the powerplay. Pooran then got them back on track with an aggressive knock before they lost the third wicket on the seventh over. The southpaw then got the company of Pollard, and the West Indian duo took grabbed command of the game, smashing the Orcas bowlers all over the park.

The dangerous partnership was broken in the 13th over when Pooran was dismissed for 68 off 34 balls by Imad Wasim. Pollard followed Pooran's way in the next over as a short delivery from spinner Harmeet Singh was mistimed and ended up in Cameron Gannon's hands at deep mid-wicket. The former West Indies all-rounder's brief cameo included three sixes and a four, including a mammoth 110-meter maximum.

The monstrous hit came on the second ball of the 12th off Gannon. The Orcas pacer dropped a slower ball from over-the-wicket to outside the off-stump. The ball did not bounce as much as the bowler had hoped, allowing Pollard to blast it over mid-wicket and out of the ground.

Watch the video of Pollard's massive hit: 

Kieron Pollard hit the biggest six in MLC.

110 meters by MI New York Captain.pic.twitter.com/OVY5wI7KM0

— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) July 26, 2023

Heinrich Klaasen struck MLC's first century to single-handedly win the game for Orcas

However, Pollard and Pooran's blazing knocks went in vain as Heinrich Klaasen displayed his class with a mass innings (110 runs off 44 balls) to pull off a record chase at Church Street Park in Morrisville. Chasing 195, Orcas lost a couple of wickets inside the powerplay and it was opener Nauman Anwar and Klaasen reigned the control with some serious striking. Anwar got out after completing his fifty, triggering a batting collapse for them.

Wickets kept falling at one end but Klaassen kept his composure and anchored the innings. The Proteas batter smashed Afghanistan spinner Rashid Khan mercilessly in the 16th over, scoring 26 runs with three sixes and a four to swing the match in favour of Orcas. In the 19th over, the right-hander hit a couple of boundaries to bring up his century, and he finished things off with a six on the second ball of the final over.