Tag: San Francisco Unicorns

DALLAS: Finn Allen’s quickfire century was enough to propel San Francisco Unicorns into the Major League Cricket (MLC) 2024 final as Texas Super Kings fell short by 10 runs in the Challenger here at Grand Prairie Stadium on Friday.

Super Kings’ captain Faf du Plessis’ decision to put Unicorns into bat first did not turn out to be beneficial for his side as they registered a massive total on the board.

The Unicorns finished their innings at 200/6 in the allotted 20 overs with Allen leading the charge with a quick hundred.

The New Zealand international went after the Super Kings’ bowlers from the word go and went on to smash nine fours and five sixes amid his sensational knock that lasted in the 14th over.

Finn Allen remained the top-scorer for the Unicorns with a 53-ball 101.

Wicketkeeper batter Josh Inglis then made sure to keep the momentum going in the Unicorns’ favour with a brisk cameo.

All-rounder Hassan Khan supported Inglis as the two shared an important 34-run partnership for the fifth wicket.

Inglis perished in the penultimate over after a 25-ball 37 while Khan made an unbeaten 27 off 15 deliveries.

Noor Ahmad was the pick of the bowlers for the Super Kings, picking up three wickets while Ottneil Baartman, Marcus Stoinis and Mohammad Mohsin made one scalp each.

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

In response, the Super Kings could manage 190/4 in their quota of 20 overs despite a flying start.

Their skipper du Plessis smashed the Unicorns’ bowlers all around the ground right from the start and gave his side a solid platform to chase down the total.

But a stunning catch from Corey Anderson off Carmi le Roux drew curtains on his blazing knock in the fifth over with 55 runs on the board.

Faf du Plessis scored 45 off just 22 deliveries, hitting seven fours and a six.

His dismissal pushed the Super Kings to the backfoot as the scoring rate slowed down.

The home side lost three more wickets at regular intervals and were reduced to 91/4 at the halfway mark.

Conway, who batted cautiously until that point, finally received some support from the other end in the form of Joshua Tromp.

The duo fought valiantly in the concluding phase of the match but despite putting up a hundred runs amid their unbeaten fifth-wicket partnership, failed to steer the Super Kings over the line.

Conway remained the top-scorer for the Super Kings with a gritty 62 off 38 deliveries, laced up with four fours and two sixes while Tromp made 56 not out in just 36 balls.

Juanoy Drysdale led the bowling attack for the Unicorns with two wickets while Hassan Khan and Carmi le Roux chipped in with a wicket apiece.

San Francisco Unicorns will face Washington Freedom in the MLC 2024 final, scheduled to take place at the same venue on Sunday.

READ: Jasprit Bumrah picks himself as his favourite India captain

DALLAS: Sanjay Krishnamurthy’s unbeaten half-century, supported by Josh Inglis and Hassan Khan’s cameos, propelled the San Francisco Unicorns to victory over the Washington Freedom in a thrilling Major League Cricket (MLC) 2024 clash on Monday.

The match was reduced to 14 overs due to persistent rain at Grand Prairie Stadium and San Francisco Unicorns were set to chase a revised target of 177 runs, which they successfully achieved with two balls to spare.

Although they did not get the desired start as Akeal Hosein removed Finn Allen on the first ball, Jake Fraser-McGurk and Krishnamurthy stabilized the innings with a 45-run partnership.

Andrew Tye provided the breakthrough in 4.4 overs, sending Fraser-McGurk back after he scored 18 off 9 with two boundaries.

Krishnamurthy was joined by Inglis and they tilted the game completely in the Unicorns’ favour with a swashbuckling partnership of 77 runs from 30 balls.

Inglis smashed six sixes, with three of them coming in consecutive deliveries of Jack Edwards, during his 45-run knock, taking only 17 balls.

Tye once again broke the partnership as he dismissed Inglis, followed by the wicket of Sherfane Rutherford in the same over.

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

Hassan Khan joined Krishnamurthy and continued the onslaught which Inglis had started, scoring 55 runs in 22 balls and steering the side to a crushing six-wicket victory.

Krishnamurthy scored an unbeaten 79 off 42 balls with the help of five boundaries and six sixes, while Hassan scored 32 runs from 11 balls, laced with four boundaries and two sixes.

Earlier, Travis Head and Steve Smith constructed a 101-run opening stand after being invited to bat by the Unicorns captain Corey Anderson.

Both batters scored 56 runs each before falling to Anderson in back-to-back overs as Washington Freedom were reduced to 122-2 in 11.4 overs.

Andries Gous played an unbeaten yet cautious 29-run knock from 20 balls, while Rachin Ravindra struck 16 off 6 to help push the team’s total to 174-3 in 15.3 overs before rain halted the play.

The rain break was long enough to reduce overs, marking the end of Unicorns’ innings.

DALLAS: Finn Allen’s blistering innings led San Francisco Unicorns to a thumping victory against Seattle Orcas in a one-sided Major League Cricket (MLC) 2024 match at Grand Prairie Stadium on Saturday.

San Francisco Unicorns’ captain Corey Anderson opted to field first. Carmi le Roux proved the decision right as he removed both openers in the first three deliveries of the innings.

Quinton de Kock then struck a brilliant 62 from 33 balls during a 98-run stand for the third wicket with Shehan Jayasuriya (31).

De Kock smashed eight boundaries and three boundaries during his innings before he fell prey to Brody Couch.

Hassan Khan bowled a brilliant spell of two overs, taking three wickets for only five runs to reduce the Orcas to 116-7 in 16 overs.

Shubham Ranjane (26 off 25) and Imad Wasim (17 off 11) added valuable runs in death overs to push the team’s total to 152-7 in their allocated 20 overs.

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

Hassan Khan led the bowling charts with three wickets, while Carmi le Roux returned with figures of 2-14.

In response, Finn Allen and Matthew Short powered San Francisco Unicorns to 84 in 6.4 overs before Imad Wasim provided the first breakthrough to the Orcas.

Allen fell in the next over after scoring a fiery 77 from 30 balls, which featured eight boundaries and six sixes.

Despite two wickets in quick succession, the Unicorns were in a comfortable position with 55 required off 12 overs.

Josh Inglis then played an unbeaten 24-run cameo to steer his side to a comfortable six-wicket victory with 34 balls to spare.

With four victories in six games during MLC 2024, San Francisco Unicorns has confirmed their place in the top two besides table-toppers Washington Freedom.

READ: Brook steers England to strong position in second West Indies Test

DALLAS: Pakistan speedster Haris Rauf held his nerves calm to defend 20 runs in a last-ball Major League Cricket (MLC) 2024 thriller here at Grand Prairie Stadium on Thursday.

The 16th match of the MLC 2024 between San Francisco Unicorns and MI New Yorks came right down to the wire as the defending champions needed 20 runs off the final over.

Heath Richards and Rashid Khan were on strike for MI New York while Unicorns’ captain Corey Anderson entrusted Haris Rauf to bowl the tense final over.

Rauf had an unwanted start to the over as Richards launched his fuller delivery for a six.

The pacer regrouped and managed to execute a yorker on the next delivery and Richards worked it for a single.

Rauf followed the yorker with a slower one to Rashid, who powers it towards midwicket fielder for a couple.

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

Haris Rauf then went for a pacy fuller delivery on middle and off and Rashid went for a wild slog but it landed just ahead of the fielder at long-off for a single.

Rauf then went for another slower ball but this time Richards was ready and he struck the ball clean over deep mid-wicket for a maximum, bringing the equation down to four off the final ball.

Rauf then bowled a zipping fuller delivery, honing into the off stump and Richards, who had been accessing the areas in front of the wicket so well throughout his innings, decided to play the reverse lap.

However, the right-handed batter was very late on the stroke and got nowhere close to a connection. The ball flicked the pad and then deflected straight to wicketkeeper batter Josh Inglis.

Haris Rauf appealed for an lbw and the on-field umpire Marais Erasmus, took his time, before raising the finger. Richards did not review and San Francisco Unicorns won by three runs.

The narrow three-run victory over MI New York powered San Francisco Unicorns into the MLC 2024 playoffs.

READ: Three Pakistan shooters depart to participate in Paris Olympics

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.

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

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.

READ: Hardik Pandya confirms divorce with Natasa Stankovic

MORRISVILLE: Matthew Short’s blistering knock was followed by Liam Plunkett’s three-wicket haul to power San Francisco Unicorns to a dominant victory against Seattle Orcas in the 13th match of the Major League Cricket (MLC) 2024 at Church Street Park on Monday.

While batting first, San Francisco Unicorns posted 165-7, which they successfully defended by restricting Seattle Orcas to 142-6.

The Unicorns lost Jake Fraser-McGurk (11) early in the innings before Finn Allen and Matthew Short partnered to add 75 runs for the second wicket.

Imad Wasim, who took the first wicket, broke the partnership as he caught and bowled Allen. The New Zealander played an 18-ball knock of 34 runs, featuring two fours and three sixes.

Short scored 56 off 32 with four boundaries and as many sixes before he was dismissed by Cameron Gannon.

After two quick wickets, Sanjay Krishnamurthi played a cautious 30-run knock to push the team’s total to 165 before getting out on the last ball of the innings.

For the Orcas, Gannon claimed three while Wsim picked two wickets.

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

In response, Ryan Rickelton and Shehan Jayasuriya gave the Orcas a good start as they scored 76 runs in 8.3 overs with the latter being the chief run-scorer.

Liam Plunkett bowled Rickelton after he scored a steady 29 off 21.

The Orcas lost Quinton de Kock (2) and Jayasuriya in quick succession to slip to 87-3 in 11 overs. Jayasuriya top-scored with 54 off 37, which included two sixes and seven fours.

San Francisco Unicorns’ bowlers did not allow the Orcas to come back as the wicket kept falling while the run rate kept increasing.

With 10 runs per over required, Harmeet Singh and Hammad Azam knitted a 30-run partnership to give the Orcas hope, however, Plunkett dismissed the former to dash their hopes.

38 runs were needed off the last three overs with Hammad Azam on the crease, but Haris Rauf’s two and Pat Cummins’ one over ensured a 23-run victory for the Unicorns.

Plunkett returned with figures of 3-26, while Short, Cummins and Corey Anderson bagged one wicket each.

San Francisco Unicorns are currently sitting in third position in the MLC 2024 standings with five points, while Seattle Orcas are lying at the bottom.

READ: David Warner “won’t be there in Pakistan” for Champions Trophy 2025

MORRISVILLE: Mohammad Mohsin took four wickets, followed by a combined batting effort to steer Texas Super Kings to a comfortable victory over San Francisco Unicorns in the seventh match of the Major League Cricket (MLC) 2024 here at Church Street Park on Wednesday.

Texas Super Kings’ captain Faf du Plessis opted to bowl first in their third MLC 2024 game and Zia-ul-Haq proved the decision right as he removed both openers with meagre 29 runs on the board.

Matthew Short then played a quick cameo, scoring 33 off 15 with the help of two fours and three sixes before felling prey to Naveen-ul-Haq.

San Francisco Unicorns failed to recover as wickets kept falling at an alarming rate. Hassan Khan (19) and Haris Rauf (13) played valuable cameo to show some resistance before the team bundled out for 127 in 17.5 overs.

Mohammad Mohsin topped the bowling charts with the figures of 4-13, while Zia-ul-Haq and Dwayne Bravo took two wickets each.

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

In respone, Devon Conway and Du Plessis gave the Super Kings a flying start with a 61 ruuns opening pair in 4.5 overs.

Du Plessis was dismissed by Liam Plunkett after scoring 34 runs from 17 balls which featured four sixes and one boundary.

Meanwhile, Conway, who was playing at 32 off 19 got retired hurt after hitting four boundaries.

Aaron Hardie then played a 23-ball innings of 34, which included three boundaries and two fours but was dismissed wiith 12 required to win.

Milind Kumar (4) and Mitchell Santner (9) then comforatbly chased the target, helping their team register a seven-wicket victory in 12.5 overs.

Hassan Khan picked two wickets for San Francisco Unicorns, while Plunkett got one.

READ: Wahab Riaz avoids “blame game” in detailed statement after sacking

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.

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

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.

READ: Jason Gillespie vows to bring ‘consistency’ in Pakistan’s Test team