Cricket Highlights, 28 July: MLC 2023 (Qualifier) – Seattle Orcas vs Texas Super Kings

Seattle Orcas vs Texas Super Kings (Qualifier) – Highlights

Seattle Orcas has registered a massive nine-wicket victory over Texas Super Kings with 30 balls to spare in the Major Cricket League (MLC) 2023 qualifier today. Along with that, they’ve confirmed the final as the first team of the tournament.

Texas Super Kings captain Faf du Plessis decided to bat first after winning the toss. The Texas Super Kings were able to score only 126 runs for 9 wickets in the scheduled 20 overs due to the assertive bowling of the Seattle Orcas bowlers. In reply, Seattle Orcas cruised to victory with the loss of just 1 wicket with 5 overs in hand.

The batters of the Texas Super Kings started well. They picked up 42 runs after losing 2 wickets in 6 overs of power play. However, opener du Plessis (5) fell victim to Imad Wasim before that in the last ball of the 3rd over of the innings. Devon Conway then departed for 24 off 19 balls. 

After that, the innings of the Texas Super Kings collapsed like a house of cards. No batsman came to the wicket to accelerate the team’s run-wheel speed. Milind Kumar (5 runs off 10 balls) returned with the team’s 50 runs. Cody Chetty returned when the team total was 63 runs. He scored 24 runs off 21 balls. Another batsman Mitchell Santner (2) went back for 66 runs.

After that, the Texas Super Kings were knocked out of the match as David Miller (16) returned to the pavilion being a victim of Andrew Tye at the team’s 92 runs. However, bowling all-rounder Daniel Sams did not give up. He was fighting alone. As a result, the Texas Super Kings scored 100 runs in 102 balls.  

In the end, Sams played a fighting innings of 26 runs off 25 balls, but no other batsman on the team could give him worthy company. Besides, Calvin Savage made 14 runs off 11 balls for the Texas Super Kings.

Pacer Andrew Tye snapped the maximum number of three wickets with 32 runs in 4 overs for Seattle Orcas. Spinner Imad Wasim picked up 2 wickets for 23 runs in 4 overs. Besides, Harmeet Singh and Cameron Gannon got 1 wicket each.

Chasing an easy target of 127 runs, opener Nauman Anwar became a victim of pacer Rusty Theron in the 2nd over of the innings. He returned to the pavilion scoring just 2 runs in 6 balls for the team’s 10 runs. But after that, the innings of Seattle Orcas did not go back foot. For the 2nd wicket, wicket-keeper batsmen Quinton de Kock and Shehan Jayasuriya put together an impeccable partnership of 117 runs off 78 balls.  

De Kock has been on top of the bowlers. As a result, he picked up a half-century in 31 balls smashing 4 fours and 3 sixes. However, Jayasuriya was giving de Kock worthy company at the other end of the wicket. As a result, he was unbeaten with 31 runs off 34 balls. On the other hand, de Kock played a devastating unbeaten innings of 88 runs off 50 balls and left the field winning the game for his team. Where there were 10 fours and 4 sixes.

De Kock played the match-winning innings and was adjudged Player of the Match. On the other hand, the Texas Super Kings were defeated and they will face MI New York tomorrow in the challenger match. And the winning team in that match will finally take the field in the final match against the Seattle Orcas on Sunday.

Seattle Orcas vs Texas Super Kings Scoreboard

Texas Super Kings – 126/9 (20.0)

Seattle Orcas – 127/1 (15.0)

Result – Seattle Orcas won by 9 wickets

Player of the match – Quinton de Kock

Quinton de Kock

Seattle Orcas vs Texas Super Kings Playing XIs