Texas Super Kings Defeats LA Knight Riders by 69 Runs in Opening Match of Major League Cricket

Texas Super Kings defeated LA Knight Riders by 69 runs in the opening match of Major League Cricket (MLC) at the Grand Prairie Stadium in Dallas on July 13. The LA team was “chasing a target of 182 runs,” and “were bowled out for 112 in 14 overs, despite a half-century from Andre Russell (55), according to cricket.com. Lockie Ferguson and Ali Khan took two wickets each for the team. The Kings posted a competitive total of 181 runs for the loss of 6 wickets in their allotted 20 overs. The team made the most of the four-wicket haul by Mohammad Mohsin, as well as batting by Devon Conway, scoring 55 runs off 37 deliveries; and David Miller’s 61 off just 42 balls.

In the first game on the league’s second day, July 14, the San Francisco Unicorns defeated MI New York by 22 runs. “Despite a challenging start, where Trent Boult and Kagisa Rabada from MI New York, quickly dismissed the Unicorns’ top-order batsmen, Shadab Ali and Corey Anderson’s crucial partnership turned the tide in favor of their team,” Pakistan Cricket reported. MI New York, who were chasing a target of 216 runs, were restricted to 193/5 in 20 overs, despite a half-century from Tim David (53 not out). SFU posted 215/5 in 20 overs, thanks to 91 runs off 52 balls by Corey Anderson, while Liam Plunkett and Carmi Le Roux got two wickets each. Initially, For New York, bowlers Kagiso Rabada and Trent Boult took two wickets each.

In the second match of the day, the Seattle Orcas defeated Washington Freedom with a five wicket win. According to SportsMax, “the Orcas restricted their opponents to 144-7 off 20 overs after winning the toss and electing to field.”

Akeal Hosein led the way with the bat for the Freedom with an unbeaten 22-ball 33 including a four and a pair of sixes. Quinton De Kock led the way for the Orcas with 48 off 37 balls including three fours and as many sixes. “All-rounder, Imad Wasim, finished unbeaten on 43 from 38 balls,” SportsMax added.

They face the San Francisco Unicorns today, while the Freedom will play against Texas Super Kings tomorrow (July 16) along with another match between Los Angeles Knight Riders and MI New York. 

MLC, aiming to capture America’s interest, was launched on July 13. The league is being operated by American Cricket Enterprises (ACE) and has been sanctioned by USA Cricket, as well as the International Cricket Commission (ICC), as reported by ESPN.ix teams comprising some of the major cricket players and local American talents would play 18 games, leading up to the championship final on July 30. Eleven matches will take place at Grand Prairie Stadium, while seven games are scheduled to take place at Church Street Park in North Carolina. Like most other franchise leagues, MLC is played in T20 format.