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MI New York clinch MLC 2025 title with thrilling victory over Washington Freedom

DALLAS: Rushil Ugarkar held his nerve in a tense final over to help MI New York script a stunning turnaround and lift their second Major League Cricket (MLC) title with a thrilling win over defending champions Washington Freedom at Grand Prairie Stadium on Sunday.

After losing seven of their ten league matches, MI New York’s path to the title looked improbable.

But the Nicholas Pooran-led side staged a remarkable resurgence, defeating San Francisco Unicorns in the Eliminator and Texas Super Kings in Qualifier 2 to storm into the final, where they edged past Washington Freedom in a dramatic last-over finish.

Put into bat first, MI New York’s openers provided a flying start. Monank Patel and Quinton de Kock raced to 72 in just seven overs before Lockie Ferguson struck to remove Patel for a steady 28 off 22.

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While wickets continued to fall at regular intervals from one end, de Kock remained relentless at the other, bringing up a blistering 77 off 46 balls laced with 10 boundaries and 4 sixes.

Ferguson returned in the 17th over to deliver a double blow, dismissing de Kock and Kieron Pollard in the space of two deliveries.

The innings seemed to be losing momentum before Kunwarjeet Singh Ballagan’s late cameo of 22 powered MI New York to a competitive 180-7.

Ferguson was the pick of the bowlers for Washington Freedom with 3-21, while Netravalkar, Maxwell, Jack Edwards, and Ian Holland chipped in with a wicket each.

In response, Washington Freedom endured a horror start. Trent Boult struck twice in the first over to remove Mitch Owen and Andries Gous for ducks, leaving the defending champions reeling at 0-2.

Rachin Ravindra and Jack Edwards rebuilt the innings with a crucial 84-run stand for the third wicket.

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Edwards contributed 33 off 24 before being dismissed by Nosthush Kenjige in the ninth over.

Ravindra, however, looked in sublime touch, anchoring the chase with a fluent 70 off 41 deliveries, including eight fours and two sixes.

He was joined by fellow Kiwi Glenn Phillips, and the duo kept Washington in the hunt before Ugarkar struck a vital blow in the 16th over, removing Ravindra and shifting the momentum back to MI New York.

Despite having big hitters like Phillips and skipper Glenn Maxwell at the crease, MI New York’s bowlers tightened the screws.

With 12 needed off the final over, Ugarkar delivered a masterclass in death bowling, dismissing Maxwell for an uncharacteristic 15 off 16 and conceding just six runs to seal a famous win.

Phillips remained unbeaten on 48, but it wasn’t enough as MI New York held their nerve in crunch moments to seal a second MLC title in three seasons.

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Pooran-Pollard masterclass powers MI New York into MLC 2025 final

DALLAS: The West Indian duo of Nicholas Pooran and Kieron Pollard lit up the Grand Prairie Stadium on Friday night, dismantling Texas Super Kings with brutal hitting to power MI New York into the final of Major League Cricket (MLC) 2025 with a commanding seven-wicket victory.

After a dismal start to their campaign, losing six of their first seven matches, MI New York have now booked a spot in their second MLC final in three years, setting up a title clash against defending champions Washington Freedom on Sunday.

Opting to bowl first after winning the toss, MI New York struck early. Smit Patel was the first to go for 9, undone by Tristan Luus in the fourth over with the score at 29.

Luus and Rushil Ugarkar then ran through the Super Kings’ top order, leaving them reeling at 43-3 by the end of the Powerplay.

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While Faf du Plessis tried to hold the innings together with a composed 59 off 42 balls, Marcus Stoinis never looked settled and was dismissed for 6 by Ugarkar.

Luus returned to remove du Plessis just as he was threatening to shift gears, leaving the scoreboard in a precarious state at 85-5.

However, the final flourish came from Akeal Hosein and Donovan Ferreira, who stitched together an unbeaten 81-run stand off just 46 deliveries.

Hosein smashed a blistering 55* off 32 balls, peppered with four fours and four sixes, while Ferreira supported well with 32* off 20 as Texas Super Kings ended at a competitive 166-5.

Luus finished with impressive figures of 3-35, while Ugarkar picked up 2-31. No other MI bowler managed a breakthrough.

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In response, MI New York’s chase began on shaky ground. Quinton de Kock fell cheaply for 9, miscuing a pull shot off Zia-ul-Haq, and Michael Bracewell (8) didn’t last long either, departing soon after the powerplay to Akeal Hosein.

Monank Patel anchored the innings with a solid 49 off 39, hitting five boundaries and two sixes, but his dismissal by Noor Ahmed in the 13th over with the score at 83-3 left the game in a tense balance.

What followed was a ruthless counterattack as Nicholas Pooran and Kieron Pollard tore into the Super Kings’ bowling. The pair added 89 unbeaten runs off just 40 deliveries to seal the match in the penultimate over.

Pooran remained unbeaten on 52 off 36 balls, striking four boundaries and three sixes, while Pollard rolled back the years with a vintage 47* off just 22, smashing seven boundaries, including three massive sixes.

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All-round Trent Boult guides MI New York past Unicorns in MLC 2025 Eliminator

DALLAS: Trent Boult delivered a clutch all-round performance to guide MI New York to a thrilling two-wicket win over San Francisco Unicorns in the Eliminator of the Major League Cricket (MLC) 2025 at Grand Prairie Stadium on Wednesday.

The result knocked out the Unicorns, who had started the tournament with six straight wins but stumbled when it mattered most, bowing out with a disappointing finish.

Skipper Nicholas Pooran won the toss and opted to field first, a decision that paid off instantly as MI New York’s bowlers ripped through the Unicorns’ top order, leaving them reeling at 16-5 in 4.2 overs.

Trent Boult and Nosthush Kenjige shared two wickets apiece in the powerplay, while Hassan Khan was run out for a golden duck.

Cooper Connolly tried to halt the collapse with a 19-ball 23 but fell to Tristan Luus just as he began settling in.

The Unicorns found some breathing space through Xavier Bartlett, who counterattacked with a brisk 44 off 24 balls, smashing four sixes and two boundaries to lift the total.

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His resistance ended in the 18th over when Kieron Pollard struck at a crucial moment. Liam Plunkett (7) fell to Rushil Ugarkar soon after, as the Unicorns were bowled out for 131 in 19.1 overs.

Ugarkar was the pick of the bowlers, returning impressive figures of 3 for 19, while Boult and Kenjige finished with two wickets each.

In reply, MI New York got off to a solid start with Monank Patel and Quinton de Kock putting up 43 for the opening stand.

De Kock looked in good touch during his 33 off 24, hitting five boundaries, including a six, before Matthew Short dismissed him. In the same over, Short also removed Pooran for just 1, leaving MI at 45 for 2 at the end of the seventh over.

Despite the twin blows, Michael Bracewell and Monank Patel built a steady third-wicket stand of 36.

But Short returned to break the partnership once again, removing Patel for a composed 33 off 32, which included two sixes.

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That wicket triggered a collapse as MI New York lost five wickets for just 27 runs, slumping from 81-3 to 108-8.

Needing 24 off the last three overs, Boult stepped up with the bat and turned finisher, smashing an unbeaten 22, including two crucial sixes off Hassan Khan, to take MI New York over the line in the final over.

Despite a strong bowling effort that saw him claim four wickets, Hassan Khan’s two sixes to Boult in the death overs proved costly.

Matthew Short was equally effective, finishing with 3 for 22, but couldn’t prevent the Unicorns’ exit.

MI New York will now face Texas Super Kings in Qualifier 2 on July 11. The winner will meet defending champions Washington Freedom in the MLC 2025 final.

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MLC 2025: Short, Fraser-McGurk star as San Francisco Unicorns register fifth straight win

DALLAS: Explosive half-centuries from Matthew Short and Jake Fraser-McGurk lit up Grand Prairie Stadium as San Francisco Unicorns continued their unbeaten run in Major League Cricket (MLC) 2025, brushing aside MI New York with a 47-run win on Monday.

Batting first after being put in, the Unicorns unleashed mayhem, piling up a mammoth 246-4 — the second-highest total in MLC history.

It’s worth noting that they already hold the record for the highest, having smashed 269-5 in the opening match of the tournament against Washington Freedom.

Matthew Short set the tone with a brisk 86-run opening stand alongside Tim Seifert (26), before teaming up with Jake Fraser-McGurk for a match-defining partnership.

The duo added 74 runs in just 33 deliveries, completely taking the game away from MI New York.

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Short led from the front with a blazing 91 off 43 balls, hammering nine fours and five sixes. Fraser-McGurk, on the other hand, was even more brutal, smashing 64 off 26 balls, including seven sixes and a four.

Kieron Pollard managed to dismiss both set batters in quick succession, but the damage was already done.

Naveen-ul-Haq then removed Romario Shepherd (2), but Sanjay Krishnamurthi (27*) and Hassan Khan (31*) finished the innings strongly with an unbeaten 49-run partnership in just 20 balls.

Chasing a daunting 247, MI New York got off to a flying start themselves. Quinton de Kock and Monank Patel put on 119 in under 10 overs, threatening to make a real contest of it.

Patel, in particular, was impressive with a 33-ball 60, laced with ten fours and a six. But Liam Plunkett’s breakthrough in the 10th over turned the tide.

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De Kock then combined with skipper Nicholas Pooran to add 40 runs for the second wicket, but the mounting required rate and lack of support from the other end began to build pressure on the South African opener.

Pooran, after a scratchy 15 off 17, was sent back by Haris Rauf, and De Kock followed soon after, falling to Romario Shepherd for a well-made 70 off 46 balls, featuring eight boundaries and two sixes.

With both set batters gone, MI New York lost momentum. No other batter managed to make an impact, with Kieron Pollard being the only one to cross double figures.

Pollard remained unbeaten on 34 off just 16 balls, but it wasn’t enough as MI New York could only manage 199-6 in their 20 overs.

With this dominant win, San Francisco Unicorns maintained their perfect record, making it five wins in five and firmly securing the top spot on the MLC 2025 table.

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Monank, Bracewell steer MI New York to first win in MLC 2025

OAKLAND: Monank Patel produced a classy 93 while Michael Bracewell anchored the chase with an unbeaten half-century as MI New York registered their first win of the MLC 2025, defeating Seattle Orcas by seven wickets on Wednesday.

Chasing a challenging 201-run target, MI New York lost Quinton de Kock early for 14. But that was the only early hiccup.

What followed was a match-defining 119-run stand off 66 balls between Monank and Bracewell for the second wicket.

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Monank was the standout performer, hammering 93 off 50 balls, laced with eight fours and seven sixes, before falling agonizingly short of his ton, dismissed by Kyle Mayers at 144-2 in the 16th over.

A minor stutter followed, but Bracewell (50 off 35)* and Kieron Pollard (26 off 10)* ensured a calm finish, taking the side home with one over to spare.

Earlier, Kyle Mayers had powered Seattle Orcas to 200-5, smashing a blistering 88 off 46 that included 10 sixes.

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Coming in with the side reeling at 30-2, Mayers stitched a crucial 77-run stand with opener Shayan Jahangir, who made a solid 43.

Heinrich Klaasen (27)* and Shimron Hetmyer (21) chipped in at the death to give Seattle a strong finish, but it wasn’t enough on the day.

The win lifts MI New York to fourth in the points table, just above Seattle Orcas, who now sit fifth. San Francisco Unicorns continue to lead the MLC 2025 standings.

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MLC 2025: Haris Rauf, Xavier Bartlett star as Unicorns defeat MI New York

OAKLAND: Haris Rauf’s fiery spell and Xavier Bartlett’s unbeaten blitz powered San Francisco Unicorns to a thrilling three-wicket win over MI New York in the sixth match of Major League Cricket (MLC) 2025, held at the Oakland Coliseum on Sunday.

Chasing 183 for victory, the Unicorns found themselves in trouble at 42-4 inside the Powerplay.

However, a counter-attacking 64-run stand between Tim Seifert and Hassan Khan brought them back into the contest.

The drama wasn’t over, though, as both set batters departed in quick succession, leaving the chase hanging at 108-6.

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Xavier Bartlett then turned the game on its head with a breathtaking unbeaten knock of 59 off just 25 balls, laced with five towering sixes and four boundaries, as the Unicorns crossed the line with five balls to spare, clinching their third win on the trot in MLC 2025.

Earlier, MI New York posted 182-7 after being put into bat by Unicorns’ skipper Corey Anderson.

Quinton de Kock set the tone with a fluent 63 off 38 balls, smashing five fours and four sixes. But with little support from the other end, his dismissal at 102 slowed down the momentum.

Kieron Pollard chipped in with 30, while Sunny Patel’s unbeaten 20 at the end gave MI New York a fighting total.

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Haris Rauf, continuing his sublime form, picked up 2-25, while Hassan Khan and Carmi le Roux also grabbed two wickets apiece.

In the earlier fixture on the same day, Texas Super Kings outclassed Los Angeles Knight Riders by 57 runs to notch up their second victory in the MLC 2025.

Batting first, the Super Kings posted 181-4 with Daryl Mitchell anchoring the innings with an unbeaten 36 off 33, and Donovan Ferreira providing the late flourish with 32 not out from just 16 deliveries.

The Knight Riders crumbled in response, bowled out for 124 in 17.1 overs, as Afghanistan’s Noor Ahmed spun a web with figures of 4-25. Adam Milne and Stephen Wiig chipped in with two wickets each to seal a comprehensive win.

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Mitchell’s final over hands Texas Super Kings a thrilling win over MI New York

OAKLAND: A death-bowling masterclass from Daryl Mitchell helped Texas Super Kings seal a dramatic three-run win over MI New York in the second match of Major League Cricket (MLC) 2025 at the Oakland Coliseum on Friday.

Chasing 186, MI New York needed just 9 runs off the final over with two wickets in hand, but Mitchell held his nerve, mixing yorkers with slower ones to perfection, and conceded only five to snatch victory for his side.

Earlier, Texas Super Kings posted 185/6 after being put into bat, with Devon Conway anchoring the innings and Calvin Savage providing late fireworks.

Conway and Faf du Plessis got the Super Kings off to a cautious start, adding 39 off 38 balls before Ehsan Adil removed the skipper. Conway then watched wickets tumble at the other end as the Kings slipped to 96-5.

However, a crucial sixth-wicket stand between Conway and Savage rescued the innings. The duo added 79 runs in just 47 balls to take the team past the 170-mark.

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Conway was eventually run out for a superb 65 off 44, featuring seven boundaries and five sixes. Savage remained unbeaten on 53 from 34 balls, ensuring Texas finished with a competitive total in the second match of the MLC 2025.

Michael Bracewell was the pick of the MI bowlers with 2-34, while Ehsan Adil, Naveen-ul-Haq, and Sunny Patel chipped in with a wicket each.

MI New York’s chase got off to a shaky start as Adam Milne dismissed openers Agni Chopra (5) and Quinton de Kock (8) inside four overs.

The early blows worsened when Nicholas Pooran fell to Noor Ahmad for just 6, leaving the side reeling at 24-3.

Monank Patel and Michael Bracewell then led a remarkable recovery, stitching together 97 runs in just 48 balls.

Patel looked in sublime touch, bringing up his half-century off 33 deliveries. Bracewell was looking set for a big one but fell for 38 after Faf du Plessis pulled off a spectacular one-handed catch at mid-off.

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With the equation narrowing, Kieron Pollard stepped up with a brisk 32 off 16.

But just as it seemed MI New York were cruising, Daryl Mitchell produced a game-changing moment, running Pollard out, and then dismissing a well-set Monank Patel off the very next delivery with another run-out.

Patel top-scored with 62 off 44, but his dismissal triggered a collapse. Only three boundaries came in the final three overs as the asking rate climbed.

Mitchell’s final over, yielding just three runs off the bat, plus a bye and a leg-bye, proved decisive as MI New York fell short, finishing at 182-8.

Adam Milne led the bowling charts with 3-22, while Noor Ahmad and Mohammad Mohsin picked up a wicket each in a tightly contested MLC 2025 match.

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MLC 2024: Dominant Texas Super Kings edge past MI New York in Eliminator

DALLAS: Faf du Plessis stood out with a blistering 72-run knock as Texas Super Kings defeated MI New York by nine wickets in the Eliminator of the Major League Cricket (MLC) 2024 on Wednesday.

MI New York while batting first posted 163-8, which Texas Super Kings chased down with ease in 18.3 overs.

Faf du Plessis led the chase with his quick-fire knock, with support from Devon Conway as they posted a 101-run opening stand in 12.3 overs to keep the Super Kings in command.

The former South African captain scored 72 runs from 47 balls, laced with six boundaries and three sixes before Nosthush Kenjige ended his brilliant knock.

The unfazed Conway was joined by Aaron Hardie and together they steered the side to a comfortable victory with nine balls to spare.

Conway played a composed knock of 51 runs from 43 balls with three fours and one six, while Hardie struck 40 off 22, featuring three boundaries and two sixes.

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Earlier, Zia-ul-Haq gave the Super Kings a good start with the ball as he Dewald Brevis in the first over.

Shayan Jahangir played a scratchy 26-run knock from 23 balls before Monank Patel played a similar knock, scoring 48 off 41.

However, Rashid Khan helped the team to post a fighting total with a quick 55-run innings from 30 balls with the help of four boundaries and four sixes.

Khan got out in the penultimate over before Hardie bowled a brilliant last over.

Kieron Pollard and Heath Richards fell on back-to-back deliveries, but Hardie missed his hat-trick as Trent Boult got run out on the last ball of the innings.

Hardie and Marcus Stoinis picked two wickets each for the Super Kings, while Zia-ul-Haq, Noor Ahmad and Dwayne Bravo bagged one each.

Texas Super Kings will next face the loser of the MLC 2024 Qualifier between San Francisco Unicorns and Washington Freedom.

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Pollard steers MI New York to playoffs as Knight Riders crash out

DALLAS: Kieron Pollard’s unbeaten 33-run knock after the prized scalp of Andre Russell powered MI New York to a four-wicket victory over LA Knight Riders and qualify for the Major League Cricket (MLC) 2024 Playoffs.

Put into bat first, the Knight Riders’ batting unit unfolded on a modest total of 130 in 19.1 overs despite Russell’s courageous knock.

The Knight Riders had a shaky start to their innings as they lost Sunil Narine in the second over with just 17 runs on the board.

Jason Roy put up a notable fight despite losing another partner — Unmukt Chand (9). But his resistance lasted in the seventh over as Rashid Khan outfoxed him with a googly.

Roy struck three fours and a six on his way to a 23-ball 27.

The Knight Riders lost two more wickets in quick succession and consequently slipped to 78/5 in 12.3 overs.

Coming out to bat at No.7, Andre Russell launched a counterattack on MI New York bowlers with belligerent hitting but lamented support as he kept losing partners on the other hand.

His fireworks lasted on the first delivery of the final over when he fell victim to his compatriot Kieron Pollard.

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Russell remained the top-scorer for the Knight Riders with a 21-ball 35 which featured six fours and a six.

Rashid Khan was the pick of the bowlers for MI New York, returning brilliant figures of 3/22, followed by Nosthush Kenjige and Trent Boult, who bagged two each.

Despite chasing a modest total, MI New York had to make hard yards as they lost six wickets in the process.

However, Pollard’s quickfire knock powered the defending champions to victory with 18 balls to spare.

Pollard scored an unbeaten 33 off 12 deliveries, laced up with two fours and three sixes. He was involved in a match-defining 35-run partnership for the sixth wicket with Nicholas Pooran, who remained the top-scorer with an anchoring 35 off 28.

Besides the West Indian duo, South Africa’s batting prodigy Dewald Brewis made a notable contribution with a 19-ball 27 up the order.

For LA Knight Riders, Sunil Narine claimed two wickets while Ali Khan, Andre Russell, Spencer Johnson and Corné Dry made one scalp each.

Upon their qualification in the MLC 2024 playoffs, MI New York will take on Texas Super Kings in the Eliminator.

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San Francisco Unicorns sink MI New York in a last-ball thriller to seal playoffs berth

DALLAS: Skipper Corey Anderson’s unbeaten half-century and a combined bowling effort helped San Francisco Unicorns sink MI New York in a thrilling Major League Cricket (MLC) 2024 clash at Grand Prairie Stadium on Thursday.

Anderson’s decision to bat first backfired as the Unicorns slipped to 33-5 in seven overs courtesy of Nosthush Kenjige and Trent Boult’s fiery new-ball spell.

However, Anderson and Hassan Khan took their team out of the trouble with a scintillating 87-run partnership for the sixth wicket.

Rashid Khan broke the partnership as he castled Hassan Khan after he had scored 44 runs from 35 balls with the help of two boundaries and as many sixes.

Anderson continued the onslaught and scored an unbeaten 59 runs from 37 balls, laced with four boundaries and two sixes to push the team’s total to 148-7 in 20 overs.

For MI New York, Kenjige and Boult took two wickets each, while Rashid Khan and Romario Shepherd bagged one each.

While chasing, MI New York lost their first wicket in the second over but recovered with Dewald Brevis’ quick-fire half-century, scoring 56 off 36, featuring five boundaries and three sixes.

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However, after Brevis’ dismissal, MI New York fell off the track and lost wickets in quick succession, slipping to 108-6.

With 41 required off 23, Rashid Khan was joined by Heath Richards and they attempted to force a comeback but the economical bowling by the Unicorns did not allow them to play freely.

The equation came down to 20 required off the last over, which was to be bowled by Haris Rauf, who had given away 19 runs in his first three overs.

Richards hit the first ball for six and the next three balls went for four runs. He struck another six on the penultimate ball, leaving four required off the last ball.

However, Rauf held on to his nerves and got Richards out lbw to win the nail-biting clash for his team.

Matthew Short led the bowling charts with three wickets, while Brody Couch claimed two.

With this victory, San Francisco Unicorns booked their place in the playoffs of the MLC 2024, while MI New York are lying at the fifth position.

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