In a thrilling encounter during the inaugural Major League Cricket (MLC) season, the Texas Super Kings showcased their prowess by successfully chasing a challenging target of 172 by the San Francisco Unicorns. The Super Kings’ stunning batting performance, led by Milind Kumar and Daniel Sams, ensured their qualification for the playoffs. The match witnessed remarkable skill and determination from both teams, making it a memorable contest in the MLC.
Winning the toss, the San Francisco Unicorns chose to bat first but had a shaky start as Finn Allen lost his wicket to Daniel Sams in the very first over. Matthew Wade attempted to anchor the innings, but consistent partnerships were hard. Contributions from Stoinis, Shadab, and Corey Anderson couldn’t provide the necessary impetus. Chaitanya Bishnoi’s aggressive innings of 35 off 21 balls and a quick cameo from skipper Aaron Finch (19) propelled the Unicorns to a challenging total of 171-6.
In response to the target, the Texas Super Kings faced early setbacks with the dismissal of their skipper, Faf du Plessis, for a duck in the opening over. Devon Conway provided a solid start, but wickets fell regularly, and the Super Kings were reeling at 92/5 in the 14th over.
Gerald Coetzee, making a comeback, stood out with four wickets for 31 runs, while Daniel Sams and Mitchell Santner picked up two wickets each.
With the match hanging in the balance, Milind Kumar played a crucial knock, holding the innings together with 52 runs off 42 balls. But it was the arrival of Daniel Sams at the crease that sparked a dramatic shift in momentum. Sams launched an assault, taking on the Unicorns’ bowlers and turning the game in favour of the Super Kings. A pivotal moment came in the 15th over, where they plundered 17 runs off Marcus Stoinis, igniting hopes of a successful chase.
In the following over, Sams continued his onslaught, smashing three consecutive sixes off Shadab Khan, scoring 21 runs and bringing the required margin down to 14 runs off 2 overs. Though Milind Kumar and Daniel Sams eventually departed, their efforts set the foundation for the rest of the team to achieve victory comfortably with five balls to spare.
The win secured a spot for the Texas Super Kings in the playoffs, as they currently sit in second place in the standings, just behind the Seattle Orcas. Orcas and Freedom have also qualified for the playoffs, while the San Francisco Unicorns still have an outside chance of making it. However, MI New York holds an advantage with their impressive Net Run Rate (NRR) of 1.319, making them the frontrunners for a crucial knockout stage spot.
