He has the license to go hard now, and he does just that. It's full, floated up into his hitting zone, and he swings it way over long-on.
Kings XI vs MI, 48th match at Mohali, IPL, May 21 2014 - Ball by Ball Commentary
MI won by 7 wickets (with 6 balls remaining)
That's it from us tonight. I hope you enjoyed the game. Keep coming back for our commentary, and keep sending in your comments. Good night!
One last comment, before we're done for the day, from Nandakiran N. "First 100 of this year's IPL by Simmons. Pollard brought up the 300th six of his T20 career (Only next to Gayle who leads with 435). Santokie picked up his 100th T20 wicket, fastest to get there. Too much to celebrate for WI in one day."
Presentation time. Rohit Sharma signs the match ball, and says he's keeping his fingers crossed, with regards to qualifying. "Anything is possible. The important aspect is, we go back to Bombay, and we hope we put up the performance that is expected of us."
Simmons, unsurprisingly, is the MoM. "Was a very good moment to me, was very excited when I got the call for Mumbai." Asked which shot he enjoyed the most, of all the ones he'd played today: "I like playing my slog sweep, so I enjoyed that one."
Suresh: "Looking at these West Indians, I wish IPL was 10 years older, Brian Lara would have set the stage on fire!"
Anil Kumble says he can't put a finger on what went wrong in the UAE. "I thought the bowlers did exceptionally well to bring the total down to 156. Shreyas Gopal picked up those two wickets, really nice to do a young legspinner doing well." He says all the legspinners have done really well for their teams. "Really glad. Legspinners are attacking bowlers."
Don: "Seriously what is MI doing here, i know it may be the gentlemanly thing to let Simmons get to his 100 here, but MI really couldn't afford to take 2-3 overs just taking a couple of singles to let him get to his 100. I wonder if the NRR they lost from not finishing the match of quick is gonna cost MI a place in the play offs. Honestly, Simmons would have gotten a lot more respect in my books if he had carried on playing aggressively and try and finish the match of rather than just take singles and get to that 100." Lots of people mailing in, saying the same thing.
George Bailey says it was the sort of pitch where it would have been good to chase. You'd have to agree. It did get a little quicker in the second half of the game.
Comfortable win for Mumbai, who have jumped to fifth on the table, with their net run rate taking them above Royal Challengers and Sunrisers for now. Fantastic century from Simmons. Played some outstanding shots, particularly those flat-batted hits down the ground and those fierce square cuts. Kings XI paid for a poor second half of their innings, after a pretty good start, and their bowling wasn't good enough to defend 156 on a good batting pitch. Mumbai have done the double over Kings XI this season.
there it is! It's on the pads again, and he clips it to deep midwicket. Jumps up to complete the single, before punching gloves with Pollard.
full. Low full-toss, and he pushes it to mid-off
He's on 99 now.
onto the pads, flicked down to deep square leg
tossed up, onto the stumps, driven to short midwicket
tossed up, full, Simmons flicks it to wide long-on. Pollard wanted the second, but Simmons sent him back.
walks down the pitch once more. This is angled down leg, and Pollard is looking to get out of the way and get the wide, but it clips his thigh pad
down the pitch, a bit of bounce, and Pollard takes his bottom hand off to defend into the leg side
angled in and full, Simmons chips it down to long-on
down the pitch, flicks it between deep square leg and deep midwicket
Kieron Pollard comes in now. Mumbai need 9, Simmons needs 3.
that's such a soft dismissal. it's banged in, and Rohit had given himself room. He looks to ramp it and gets it off the middle of his bat, but it drops into Sandy's hands at third man. Was he looking to hit that a bit finer?
this was short, angling down leg again, and Simmons pulls it to deep backward square leg
He's struggled with these shifts in angle, and his first ball slides well wide of leg stump
Hari IISc: "It will be quite an irony that the first century of the season comes against KXIP"
Hendricks now, left-arm around the wicket
clears his front leg, hits his hard down the ground, along the ground, but Shivam's hand is in the way. He took a painful blow, there.
down the pitch, gets too close to the pitch, hits it hard to long-on
short, and Rohit pulls uppishly but on the bounce to deep midwicket
down the pitch, it's a high full-toss, and he hits it to deep midwicket. Didn't quite time it.
angled across Simmons, who pushes it to cover off the back foot
tucked away to deep midwicket for the strolled single
*Plug alert* An hour to go have a shot at the daily leaderboard on CricIQ. Go for it.
They've taken a time out, and Vamsy has this question. "Playing for MI changed Dwayne Smith a lot, bringing him back to the national team. Is this Simmons' turn now?" Simmons is already part of the West Indies team, no?
Here's Shivam, from around the wicket once more
that's a very slow slower ball, and Rohit waits before angling his bat face to dab it to third man
Over 19 • MI 159/3
MI won by 7 wickets (with 6 balls remaining)