Things are starting to get interesting at the top of the Major League Cricket table. The six American teams vying for the championship are not getting into a groove of sorts, with some teams starting to pull ahead. Today’s clash between the San Francisco Unicorns and the Seattle Orcas resulted in a victory for the team from the Golden State.
Having lost the toss, the San Francisco were put into bat by the Orcas and made a decent total of 165 for the loss of seven in their 20 overs. The Australian Matt Short top scoring for Unicorns with 56 off 34 balls inclusive of four sixes. 165 was a large score by any means, but what this tournament has shown so far is that you don’t necessarily need 200+ scores to win games. And with some tight bowling, led by Liam Plunkett, who picked up three wickets, the San Francisco Unicorns restricted the Orcas to 142 for 6.
A Controlled Batting Effort by the San Francisco Unicorns
Maybe it is that time in the season when teams come to terms with the pitch and the playing conditions that start to assess what would be a competitive total. And it seems now, given the past few games, that the 160 – 180 mark, which is a traditional par-score mark in conditions that favor the bowlers and batsman, is what the teams have been aiming for.
Having to bat first, the Unicorns got off to a bit of a flyer despite losing Jake Fraser-McGurk early. The young cricketer is having a bit of a lean patch of late. This meant Finn Allen and Matt Short had to take control, which they did: blasting the Orcas bowling to all corners. But with the fall of the third wicket, when Cameron Gannon dismissed Short, the Unicorns went into something of a shell as incoming batsmen were unable to assert themselves on the game. Besides, Sanjay Krishnamurthi, who provided some impetus down the order, the San Francisco Unicorns’ innings quickly ran out of steam, ending up on 165 for 7.
Seattle Orcas Start Strong but Finnish Poorly
Chasing a competitive but by no means insurmountable total, the Orcas made a fist of the chase early on, as both openers, Ryan Rickelton and Shehan Jayasuriya got decent starts. Jayasuriya ended up as the eventual top scorer for the Orcas with 54 off 37 with two sixes. The trouble was none of the other Seattle batsmen got going with just Ryan Rickelton at the top of the order getting past 20.
The major setback for Orcas came with the loss of captain Heinrich Klaasen and South Africa international Quinton de Kock cheaply. The fall of Klaasen’s wicket was the turning point of the chase as the Seattle Orcas never really recovered from it as the San Francisco Unicorns capitalized. With the incoming batsman struggling to get the bowling away. It is worth noting that only three sixes were scored in the entirety of the Orcas innings. This lack of big hitting proved to be the deciding factor, as Seattle fell too far behind to recover in time.
San Francisco Unicorns Solidify their Position at No. 03
In a league that consists of six teams in total, every game is a virtual must-win, as teams have little time to recover from a loss, and cannot count on other teams failing consistently. Getting their second win of the season is bound to be a boost for the San Francisco Unicorns, who have a well-balanced side, but suffer from a lack of form for several key players. Notably, Jake Fraser-McGurk has yet to assert himself in this tournament. But if you are a betting man, you can rest assured that the big innings will come sooner rather than later.
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