Los Angeles Knight Riders Archives

MLC 2025: Fletcher’s ton helps Knight Riders deny Unicorns top-two finish

LAUDERHILL: Andre Fletcher produced a blistering century to end the Los Angeles Knight Riders’ Major League Cricket (MLC) 2025 campaign on a high, helping his side defeat San Francisco Unicorns by 11 runs in a high-scoring contest on Sunday.

The bottom-ranked Knight Riders may be out of the tournament, but they ended it with a bang, denying the Unicorns a place in the top two.

Batting first in the rain-affected contest, Los Angeles Knight Riders posted a daunting 243/3 on the back of Fletcher’s breathtaking 118 off 58 balls, his second century this season. His knock featured 10 boundaries and 8 towering sixes.

Fletcher added 94 runs with Alex Hales (58 off 26) for the opening stand before joining forces with Sherfane Rutherford (49 off 28) to pile on the misery for the Unicorns.

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The momentum never dipped, even with a mid-innings rain delay, and Knight Riders set the Unicorns a DLS-adjusted target of 245.

The chase never really took off for the San Francisco Unicorns as debutant Karthik Gattepali made an instant impact, removing Matthew Short and Jake Fraser-McGurk in the same over, leaving the Unicorns in tatters at 7-3.

Despite a valiant counterattack from Sanjay Krishnamurthi (92 off 40) and handy contributions from Hassan Khan (35) and Hammad Azam (38), the Unicorns fell short.

Jason Holder’s timely breakthroughs, including the big wicket of Krishnamurthi and Shadley van Schalkwyk’s clutch final over, sealed the deal for LA Knight Riders.

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Needing 18 off the last over, San Francisco Unicorns collapsed under pressure, losing Bartlett (27) and Ben Lister (0) in successive deliveries to fall 11 runs short.

Washington Freedom had earlier defeated MI New York by six wickets, ensuring a top-two finish with 8 wins in 10 games and securing their place in Qualifier 1.

Despite their loss, MI New York also booked an MLC 2025 playoff berth thanks to a superior net run rate over the Seattle Orcas, with both sides tied on three wins apiece.

San Francisco Unicorns, meanwhile, missed out on the Qualifier and will now face MI New York in the Eliminator on July 9. Washington Freedom will clash with Texas Super Kings in Qualifier 1 a day earlier in Dallas.

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MLC 2025: Shimron Hetmyer stars as Seattle Orcas clinch back-to-back thrillers

DALLAS: Shimron Hetmyer 64* and Aaron Jones’ gutsy 73 powered Seattle Orcas to a thrilling five-wicket victory over the Los Angeles Knight Riders in the Major League Cricket (MLC) 2025 at Grand Prairie Stadium on Sunday.

Chasing a daunting 203-run target, Seattle Orcas hit the winning runs on the last ball of the penultimate over with five wickets in hand.

The winning team required five from the last over; however, Shadley van Schalkwyk gave only two in the first four balls, making the match tense.

Nonetheless, it was Shimron Hetmyer again who hit the winning runs with a maximum of the last ball.

In pursuit of the target, opener Josh Brown was sent packing for a golden duck on the very second ball of the first over. But, Shayan Jahangir and incoming batter Aaron Jones steadied Orcas’ ship with a mammoth 119-run partnership in just 11 overs.

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Just when Orcas were cruising, Jones was caught after scoring an explosive 73 off 38 balls, peppered with 10 boundaries and two maximums.

The Knight Riders made a roaring comeback in the match with successive wickets in the 12th over, reducing Seattle Orcas to 127-4.

Shayan, who scored 43 off 31 deliveries with the help of three sixes and two fours, was the first to go, while explosive batter Henrich Klaasen could only manage to score five.

Despite the wickets tumbling in a heap, Shimron Hetmyer kept his nerve and took his team home in another scintillating innings. The south paw unbeaten knock featured four boundaries and half a dozen towering maximums.

For the Los Angeles Knight Riders, Tanveer Sangha and Jason Holder picked up two wickets each.

Earlier, after being put into bat, the Los Angeles Knight Riders posted 202-4 in their allocated 20 overs.

Knight Riders scored a mammoth total despite losing 48-3 in 7.4 overs, with Andre Russell and Saif Badar scoring the bulk of runs in an 81-run stand.

Russell smashed 65 off 39 deliveries, an innings laced with four sixes, while Badar’s brisk 41-run knock featured two fours and an equal number of sixes.

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With Knight Riders 129-4 in 14.3 overs, Rovman Powell partnered with Russell in a blazing stand. Powell smashed four sixes and two boundaries in his 43-run knock.

In another match, Washington Freedom secured a 12-run win over table toppers San Francisco Unicorns, thanks to a fiery five-wicket haul from Mitchell Owen.

Chasing a challenging 170-run target, Unicorns crumbled under pressure and could only manage to score 157-9 in their 20 overs.

For Washington, Freed Glenn Phillips starred with the bat, scoring 58 off 39 balls, while Mitchell Owen shone with the ball, taking five for 17 in three overs.

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Fletcher’s century in vain as Washington Freedom edge LA Knight Riders in last-ball thriller

DALLAS: Andre Fletcher’s explosive century went in vain as Washington Freedom pulled off a dramatic final-ball victory over Los Angeles Knight Riders in the ongoing Major League Cricket (MLC) 2025 at the Grand Prairie Stadium on Thursday.

Chasing a daunting 214-run target, Freedom sealed the win off the final delivery, registering the second-highest successful run chase in MLC history.

The victory not only brought them within touching distance of playoff qualification but also helped them leapfrog Texas Super Kings to claim the second spot on the points table.

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Earlier, the Los Angeles Knight Riders piled up 213-4 after being asked to bat first.

Fletcher led the charge with a sensational 104 off just 60 balls, anchoring the innings with authority. Despite the onslaught, Washington Freedom bowlers struggled to contain the flow of runs throughout the innings.

In reply, Freedom got off to a flying start, courtesy of Mitchell Owen’s 43 and Andries Gous’ 31, laying the foundation for a competitive chase.

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Skipper Glenn Maxwell kept the momentum going with a brisk 42 before falling short of a half-century.

The decisive blow came through the unbeaten partnership between Glenn Phillips (33*) and Obus Pienaar (23*), who stitched together a crucial 59-run stand to take their side home in a nail-biting finish.

With this result, Washington Freedom continue their strong campaign in MLC 2025, while Knight Riders remain in search of consistency despite individual brilliance.

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MLC 2025: Donovan Ferreira stars as Texas Super Kings beat LA Knight Riders

DALLAS: Shubham Ranjane’s composed 70 and Donovan Ferreira’s impactful all-round show helped Texas Super Kings return to winning ways with a 52-run win over Los Angeles Knight Riders in Major League Cricket (MLC) 2025 on Tuesday.

Opting to bowl first at Grand Prairie Stadium, LAKR made early inroads as Shadley van Schalkwyk ripped through Texas’ top order.

He struck twice in two balls to dismiss Saiteja Mukkamalla (9) and Marcus Stoinis (0), reducing the Super Kings to 33-3 inside four overs.

Smit Patel held firm at one end and stitched a 64-run stand with Ranjane to revive the innings.

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Patel contributed a steady 38 off 33 before Andre Russell broke the partnership. Ranjane, however, carried on and found a dynamic partner in Donovan Ferreira.

The duo added a brisk 82-run partnership for the fifth wicket, with Ferreira doing most of the damage, smashing 43 off just 21 balls, including four boundaries and three sixes.

Both batters were dismissed in the 19th over, with Ranjane falling after a well-compiled 70 off 45 deliveries (6 fours, 4 sixes), and Ferreira run out.

Texas Super Kings lost momentum in the death overs and fell short of the 200-mark, finishing at 196-8.

Van Schalkwyk and Russell picked up three wickets apiece, while Ali Khan chipped in with one.

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Chasing 197, LA Knight Riders faltered early as Akeal Hosein struck twice in his first over, removing Alex Hales (5) and Nitish Kumar (0) to leave the side reeling at 10-2.

Unmukt Chand (30) and Saif Badar (19) attempted to rebuild with a 45-run stand, but Marcus Stoinis broke the partnership, triggering a collapse.

Rovman Powell (21) and Jason Holder (26* off 15) tried to inject some life into the chase, but lacked support from the other end.

Texas bowlers maintained control throughout, with Hosein and Noor Ahmed bagging two wickets each. Zia-ul-Haq, Stoinis, and Ferreira took one apiece as LAKR were restricted to 144-7 in their 20 overs.

The convincing win lifted the Texas Super Kings to second place on the MLC 2025 points table, snapping a two-match losing streak.

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MLC 2025: Haris, Fraser-McGurk power San Francisco Unicorns to second win

OAKLAND: Jake Fraser-McGurk’s blistering knock, followed by Haris Rauf’s all-round brilliance, steered San Francisco Unicorns to their second straight win in the third match of the Major League Cricket (MLC) 2025 at the Oakland Coliseum here on Sunday.

Los Angeles Knight Riders skipper Sunil Narine won the toss and opted to field first.

San Francisco Unicorns had a poor start as they lost their opener, Tim Seifert (5), only in the second over.

However, following the early, Jake Fraser-McGurk and Finn Allen put on a sublime 121-run stand. The partnership brought the score to 126 in only 10.2 overs.

Fraser-McGurk was the core aggressor while Allen smashed his second fifty in the process. He was dismissed after scoring 52 off 27 deliveries, hitting four sixes and five fours.

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The wicket did not halt Unicorns’ momentum as they continued the scoring with high impetus. Sanjay Krishnamurthi (12) was the next batter to be removed on the fourth ball of the 12th over as the scorecard read 141-3.

Jake Fraser-McGurk added another brief 26-run partnership with Cooper Connolly before being removed after scoring a sublime 88 off 38 balls. His knock featured 11 sixes and two fours.

Los Angeles Knight Riders bowlers were kept at bay until the 17th over, where they struck twice, reducing San Francisco Unicorns to 189-7.

However, Haris Rauf’s cameo of 16 runs with the help of a six and two boundaries helped the team finish strong at the back end of the innings as Unicorns scored 219 for the loss of eight wickets in their allocated 20 overs.

For the Los Angeles Knight Riders, Shadley van Schalkwyk was the standout bowler, taking three wickets in his four overs.

In reply to a daunting total, Knight Riders were bowled out for 187 on the second last ball of the penultimate over, which handed Unicorns a resounding 32-run win.

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The Knight Riders lost both of their openers early inside the first three overs. Alex Hales (6) was the first one to go, holing out to deep square leg while Andre Fletcher’s 19-run innings came to an end in Bartlett’s over, reducing them to 33-2.

However, Unmukt Chand smashed 18-runs of Haris Rauf’s over, bringing the score to 57-2 in five overs. The partnership of 46 runs between Nitish Kumar and Unmukt Chand appeared to be quite dangerous, but Hasan Khan ended their stand by taking Nitish Kumar’s wicket with a catch-and-bowl.

The game was evenly poised at the halfway mark of the innings, but Haris Rauf’s double-wicket over in which he removed Chand and Andre Russell tilted the match Unicorns’ way.

Unmukt Chand top-scored with 53 off 32 deliveries with the aid of four sixes and the same number of fours.

With five wickets lost and 107 runs required from just 42 balls, the target proved to be too challenging for the team.

For San Francisco Unicorns, Haris Rauf and Xavier Bartlett starred with the ball, taking four wickets each, which ensured that they remain top of the table in MLC 2025.

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LA Knight Riders edge past Seattle Orcas to keep their playoff hopes alive

MORRISVILLE: Ryan Rickelton’s blistering knock went in vain as Unmukt Chand steered the Los Angeles Knight Riders to a four-wicket victory against Seattle Orcas in a Major League Cricket (MLC) 2024 clash at Church Street Park on Wednesday.

Seattle Orcas’ decision to bat first backfired as they lost Shehan Jayasuriya and Quinton de Kock early with a mere 26 runs on the board.

Rickelton kept the scoreboard moving from his end before Heinrich Klaasen joined him on the crease and together they added 64 runs in 48 balls.

However, Klaasen got run-out on the final ball of the 12th over, after scoring a run-a-ball 23, which halted the Orcas’ momentum.

None of the lower-order batters could pose a threat to the Knight Riders, while Rickelton continued his strokeplay until Spencer Johnson sent him back in the penultimate over.

Rickelton top-scored for the Orcas with an 89-run knock from 52 balls, which featured seven boundaries and six sixes.

Seattle Orcas managed to reach 142-6 in their allocated 20 overs, with only Rickelton and Klaasen reaching the double figures.

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For the Los Angeles Knight Riders, Johnson, Andre Russell, Corné Dry, and Sunil Narine managed one wicket each.

In response, Jason Roy and Unmukt Chand gave the Knight Riders a solid start after Narine’s early wicket.

Roy (27) and Chand knitted a 58-run stand for the second wicket before Harmeet Singh dismissed the former.

Chand played a 47-ball innings of 62 runs with three boundaries and three fours to keep his side in the game amidst falling wickets. Singh picked up the prized scalp of Chand.

Saif Badar then played an unbeaten cameo, scoring 18 off 16 to lead the Knight Riders to victory in the final over.

Singh and Cameron Gannon picked two wickets each for the Orcas while Lungi Ngidi and Keemo Paul picked one each.

With this victory, Los Angeles Knight Riders have kept their MLC 2024 playoffs alive, however, they have to win their last remaining game against MI New York.

Meanwhile, Seattle Orcas are lying at the bottom and have to win both their remaining games as well as hoping for other results to go in their favour to secure a berth in final four.

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Ryan Rickelton powers Seattle Orcas to edge past Los Angeles Knight Riders

DALLAS: Ryan Rickelton struck an unbeaten hundred to power Seattle Orcas to a crushing nine-wicket victory against Los Angeles Knight Riders in the sixth match of the ongoing Major League Cricket (MLC) 2024 at Grand Prairie Stadium on Tuesday.

Chasing 169, Orcas had a shaky start as Spencer Johnson removed the opening batter Nauman Anwar (9) with only 17 runs on the board.

However, Rickelton joined hands with Quinton de Kock and turned the game on its head with their batting prowess, giving no respite to the Knight Riders’ bowlers.

Rickelton, being the chief contributor, scored 95 runs during the unbeaten 152-run stand with De Kock, ensuring a comfortable nine-wicket victory in the last over.

De Kock played a cautious 51-run knock from 46 balls, while Rickelton scored 103 off 66 with the help of nine fours and five boundaries.

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This was Seattle Orcas’s first victory in the MLC 2024 after suffering a six-wicket loss against MI New York in their first game. Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Knight Riders are on a two-match losing streak after victory in their season opener.

Seattle Orcas invited the Knight Rides to bat first and drew first blood with the early wicket of Sunil Narine (5).

Jason Roy took charge and attacked the bowlers while Unmukt Chand (18) played a supporting role during their 42-run partnership.

Roy top-scored with a 52-ball 66, laced with five boundaries and four sixes.

Later, David Miller played an unbeaten cameo, scoring 44 runs at a strike rate of 200, featuring five boundaries and two sixes to push the team’s total to 168-5 in 20 overs.

For the Orcas, Zaman Khan and Harmeet Singh bagged two wickets each.

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Allen, Short help San Francisco Unicorns to sink Los Angeles Knight Riders

DALLAS: Finn Allen and Matthew Short scored quick half-centuries to help San Francisco Unicorns thump the Los Angeles Knight Riders by six wickets in the Major League Cricket (MLC) 2024 clash here at Grand Prairie Stadium on Sunday.

Set to chase 166, San Francisco Unicorns successfully achieved the target in 15.2 overs to script a triumphant start to their MLC 2024 campaign.

The Unicorns lost the opening batter Jake Fraser-McGurk (9) early with 15 runs on the board.

What followed was a brilliant display of hitting from Finn Allen and Matthew Short, who added 116 runs for the second wicket in only 52 balls.

Short played a blistering knock of 58 runs from 26 balls with the help of three boundaries and five sixes before getting bowled by Sunil Narine in the 12th over.

Meanwhile, Allen fell prey to Spencer Johnson in the next over after scoring 63 off 37, laced with four boundaries and five sixes.

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With 29 required off 47, Josh Inglis (15) and Corey Anderson (11*) helped the Unicorns chase the target with 28 balls to spare.

Spencer Johnson was the pick of the bowlers for the Knight Riders with three wickets.

Earlier, Los Angeles Knight Riders managed to score 165-6 in their allocated 20 overs after being inserted to bat first.

They lost two wickets in quick succession before Jason Roy played an 18-ball cameo, scoring 26 runs to push the team’s total to 44 in 6.3 overs.

Shakib Al Hasan (35) and Nitish Kumar (20) added 45 runs for the fourth wicket but Abrar Ahmed halted their momentum with the wicket of Hasan.

Andre Russell then played a quick unbeaten cameo of 40 runs from 25 balls with two boundaries and two sixes to help the team score 165-6.

Brody Couch and Haris Rauf picked two wickets each for San Francisco Unicorns.

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