Xavier Bartlett has suffered the unenviable misery that so many death-over bowlers experience in the batter-friendly world of the IPL as he got smashed for three sixes in five balls while the Punjab Kings crashed to their latest defeat in Dharamsala.
The Ricky Ponting-coached side with a strong Australian influence, who'd begun the campaign with victories in their first six completed matches, looked desperately to Bartlett to stop them free-falling to a fifth consecutive loss as they threw him the ball for the final over, with Mumbai Indians still needing 15.
Alas for the Gold Coast allrounder, Will Jacks pumped his first ball, a full toss, over long off for six, and Tilak Varma smote him for another maximum over extra cover with a remarkable strike off the fourth delivery and then swivelled to hit his wayward short one over the fence at long leg for the winning blow.
