NEW DELHI: The
San Francisco Unicorns
clinched a six-wicket victory over the
Seattle Orcas
in the 18th match of the Cognizant
Major League Cricket 2024
at Grand Prairie Stadium in Dallas on Saturday. The win was propelled by a stellar bowling performance from
Hassan Khan
and a blistering half-century from
Finn Allen
.
Despite losing their openers in the first over, the Seattle Orcas managed to post a total of 152/7, thanks largely to Quinton de Kock’s 62 off 33 balls.
Shubham Ranjane also contributed with an unbeaten 26 off 25 balls.
In response, the San Francisco Unicorns got off to a rapid start, scoring 79 runs in the Powerplay. Finn Allen’s explosive 77 off 30 balls, including a 21-ball fifty with 26 runs off Lungi Ngidi's fifth over, ensured a comfortable win. Led by Corey Anderson, the Unicorns chased down the target in just 14.2 overs.
The San Francisco Unicorns remain in second place on the points table with nine points from six matches, while the Seattle Orcas have been officially eliminated from the second season of Major League Cricket.
"I think the way Camie (le Roux) bowled at the top, we asked him to swing at the top, those two wickets were crucial for us. I want to try and be aggressive at the top, put the bowlers under pressure, I went a tad too hard today, but it did help us to kill the game," Finn Allen, who was adjudged Player of the Match, said.
"The conditions were a bit balanced for both batters and bowlers. Shorty is great, we both love to bat with each other, we've a good comfort level. We'll get an extra life (on finishing in the top-2), have Washington on Monday to finish the league games off," he said.
Hassan, who took 3 wickets for just 5 runs in 2 overs, highlighted the significance of dismissing Heinrich Klaasen.
"That was a big wicket for me (on dismissing Heinrich Klaasen), I tried to bowl in the right areas and there was a bit in it for the spinners. As a player, you need to be ready for any situation and I'm confident that whenever the team requires I'm ready to deliver. He (Shane Watson) told me to be fearless and do what I do best. I just try to keep it simple and back myself and really happy with the win," Hassan said.
English (US) ·