153/3 (17.5)
CR : 8.58
152/9 (20.0)
CR : 7.60
San Francisco Unicorns won by 7 wickets 🏆
Player of the Match
L Pretorius
69(55)*
17.4
1
Milind Kumar to Sanjay Krishnamurthi
The scores are level now! Good length outside off. Krishnamurthi whips it to wide long on for a single.
17.5
1
Milind Kumar to Lhuan-dre Pretorius
Around the wicket. Full and outside off. Pretorius gets to the pitch of the ball and drives it to wide long off for a single. San Francisco Unicorns bounce back with a seven-wicket win, handing TSK their first defeat of the season!
Over 18
San Francisco Unicorns 153/3
Lhuan-dre Pretorius69(55)
Sanjay Krishnamurthi19(12)
Milind Kumar0-10(0.5)
SFU won by 7 wickets
5:20 AM IST, 6:50 PM Local Time: San Francisco Unicorns bounce back with a seven-wicket win to get their first points of the season! Texas Super Kings have been outplayed after starting their season with a big win against Seattle Orcas in the season opener!
SFU won the toss and bowled first. Their seamers ran riot in the powerplay, and TSK never gained any sort of momentum and ended up with 152/9 in 20 overs. Rilee Rossouw tried to rebuild after the team was reeling at 29/3, but was unfortunate to get run out on 36 off 29 balls. Donovan Ferreira tried to hit back but was run out, too. Hardus Viljoen (33* off 24) with a fine cameo at the back end helped TSK to go past the 150-run mark.
Peter Siddle was brilliant with the ball and on the field. He finished with 3/36 and also showed his fitness in running out Rossouw. Matthew Short was excellent and finished with 2/25. A wicket each for Ghulam Mudassar, who bowled well up front with the new ball, and Brody Couch, who was a tad expensive towards the end. Ashwin had a forgettable debut and leaked 24 in his 2 overs.
Nandre Burger removed Finn Allen in the first over of the run chase, but the 82-run partnership between Lhuan-dre Pretorius and Matt Short killed the contest. Short was trapped in front after getting a start, while Connor Esterhuizen also got a start but failed to finish. However, Pretorius continued his dream run, batted with maturity and notched up back-to-back MLC fifties, taking the team home alongside Sanjay Krishnamurthi inside 18 overs.
TSK didn't have enough runs on the board, and their bowling wasn't upto the mark, as was the fielding!
SFU won the toss and bowled first. Their seamers ran riot in the powerplay, and TSK never gained any sort of momentum and ended up with 152/9 in 20 overs. Rilee Rossouw tried to rebuild after the team was reeling at 29/3, but was unfortunate to get run out on 36 off 29 balls. Donovan Ferreira tried to hit back but was run out, too. Hardus Viljoen (33* off 24) with a fine cameo at the back end helped TSK to go past the 150-run mark.
Peter Siddle was brilliant with the ball and on the field. He finished with 3/36 and also showed his fitness in running out Rossouw. Matthew Short was excellent and finished with 2/25. A wicket each for Ghulam Mudassar, who bowled well up front with the new ball, and Brody Couch, who was a tad expensive towards the end. Ashwin had a forgettable debut and leaked 24 in his 2 overs.
Nandre Burger removed Finn Allen in the first over of the run chase, but the 82-run partnership between Lhuan-dre Pretorius and Matt Short killed the contest. Short was trapped in front after getting a start, while Connor Esterhuizen also got a start but failed to finish. However, Pretorius continued his dream run, batted with maturity and notched up back-to-back MLC fifties, taking the team home alongside Sanjay Krishnamurthi inside 18 overs.
TSK didn't have enough runs on the board, and their bowling wasn't upto the mark, as was the fielding!
Faf du Plessis (Texas Super Kings Captain): "[Having to bat first and set the total. How challenging was it for you guys?] Looking back at it, it was quite a big toss. Sun made it nice towards the second innings. And that is cricket. You still have to find a way to put a score on the board, and I definitely felt we were 30 runs short.
[How do you find the right tempo?] It’s tricky because obviously we’re playing on different surfaces. So if you look at the night games so far, the wicket has been a little bit more of an even contest. Yes, it does skid a little bit more towards the night. But definitely today we felt it was a little bit slower in the first innings. But once again, you’ve got to just make sure you communicate really well out there. I thought we were close in that middle period when Rilee was batting with Wiaan Mulder there. You felt that the partnership was getting close to get you to the position to score 170, 175, and then it’s a good score.
[Where can you improve moving forward?] I think it was just today; it was just a point of being more clinical with the bat. You know, it’s always a case of when someone gets in, how does he make that contribution bigger? 30s generally not going to get you across the line. So even on a surface like that, we had the opportunity today with the batters; one guy is just about to get 70-plus."
[How do you find the right tempo?] It’s tricky because obviously we’re playing on different surfaces. So if you look at the night games so far, the wicket has been a little bit more of an even contest. Yes, it does skid a little bit more towards the night. But definitely today we felt it was a little bit slower in the first innings. But once again, you’ve got to just make sure you communicate really well out there. I thought we were close in that middle period when Rilee was batting with Wiaan Mulder there. You felt that the partnership was getting close to get you to the position to score 170, 175, and then it’s a good score.
[Where can you improve moving forward?] I think it was just today; it was just a point of being more clinical with the bat. You know, it’s always a case of when someone gets in, how does he make that contribution bigger? 30s generally not going to get you across the line. So even on a surface like that, we had the opportunity today with the batters; one guy is just about to get 70-plus."
Player of the Match: Lhuan-dre Pretorius
Lhuan-dre Pretorius (POTM): "[On scoring back-to-back 50s] It’s a great place. I was so excited before we got here. I only heard good things about the States and about the MLC as a whole tournament. So I was very excited to get here. You know, I’ve had a good start, but still a long tournament ahead.
[Do you think about your age?] I guess so! But I try not to think about my age too much. I just try to focus on believing in myself that I’m here, that I belong here, and I just try to put in performances as much as I can. I mean, it’s not every day you’re playing T20 cricket, so just putting the performances in and making runs when it matters.
[Talk about today's innings] It was always nice to finish the game a bit earlier, but it’s completely different to yesterday’s innings. I would say it was a bit boring; I wouldn’t have liked it a little more, because that’s what modern T20 games are all about. But yeah, we got the win, and that was the most important thing at the end of the day. I’m just glad we got over the line.
[On the team environment] I mean, we’ve gelled very well as a team, although it’s only been like a week. We’re still waiting for some of the other guys. Really love the Australian guys. Basically, most of the them are Australians, but yeah, really getting on with them and lots of golf."
[Do you think about your age?] I guess so! But I try not to think about my age too much. I just try to focus on believing in myself that I’m here, that I belong here, and I just try to put in performances as much as I can. I mean, it’s not every day you’re playing T20 cricket, so just putting the performances in and making runs when it matters.
[Talk about today's innings] It was always nice to finish the game a bit earlier, but it’s completely different to yesterday’s innings. I would say it was a bit boring; I wouldn’t have liked it a little more, because that’s what modern T20 games are all about. But yeah, we got the win, and that was the most important thing at the end of the day. I’m just glad we got over the line.
[On the team environment] I mean, we’ve gelled very well as a team, although it’s only been like a week. We’re still waiting for some of the other guys. Really love the Australian guys. Basically, most of the them are Australians, but yeah, really getting on with them and lots of golf."
Matt Short (San Francisco Unicorns Captain): "[On the performance] Look, the boys did well. We had some really great moments in the game, starting with our opening. I think they put the pressure on early. Just need to take early wickets in that powerplay, and you put the opposition on the back foot early. So we were able to do that, and then obviously Lhuan-dre with the bat again, coming back from yesterday, another great innings.
[On Lhuan-dre Pretorius] Pretty cool, calm head on him for such a young fella, and he got us the win at the end. It's quite remarkable to think he's just 20 years of age. Yeah, look, he's such a mature young player. We saw that today. We obviously got off a little bit of a flier and then chasing a pretty low total out there. I think he batted really smart, just knocked it around and got us the win. So, yeah, credit to him. He's such a talent for such a young player.
[On Peter Siddle] Yeah, he's a fine one. I've played a lot with him back home in Victoria. I don't know how he does it. He's nearly 42, I think. So he just gets better and better. We're pretty grateful to have him in the unit, because I think he's played a lot of cricket around the world. He's helping our young boys out. He's great to have around the change rooms.
[On going to play at the Oakland Coliseum] I mean, as you can see, we got a little taste of it last year. You know, we are done with Dallas, our colour will come back. But yeah, we're looking forward to getting kind of an outbound crowd, and the Coliseum is pretty special. So yeah, hopefully get a decent crowd, a few orange shirts in the stands, and put on a bit of a show for them.
[On Brody Couch] I mean, he's growing and growing. I mean, getting some really good opportunities here against some great players and bowling against some tough situations as well. So yeah, huge credit to him today and the way he goes about it. It allows you to learn and get better and better. So yeah, we're lucky to have him through their speed and hopefully can continue that throughout the tournament."
[On Lhuan-dre Pretorius] Pretty cool, calm head on him for such a young fella, and he got us the win at the end. It's quite remarkable to think he's just 20 years of age. Yeah, look, he's such a mature young player. We saw that today. We obviously got off a little bit of a flier and then chasing a pretty low total out there. I think he batted really smart, just knocked it around and got us the win. So, yeah, credit to him. He's such a talent for such a young player.
[On Peter Siddle] Yeah, he's a fine one. I've played a lot with him back home in Victoria. I don't know how he does it. He's nearly 42, I think. So he just gets better and better. We're pretty grateful to have him in the unit, because I think he's played a lot of cricket around the world. He's helping our young boys out. He's great to have around the change rooms.
[On going to play at the Oakland Coliseum] I mean, as you can see, we got a little taste of it last year. You know, we are done with Dallas, our colour will come back. But yeah, we're looking forward to getting kind of an outbound crowd, and the Coliseum is pretty special. So yeah, hopefully get a decent crowd, a few orange shirts in the stands, and put on a bit of a show for them.
[On Brody Couch] I mean, he's growing and growing. I mean, getting some really good opportunities here against some great players and bowling against some tough situations as well. So yeah, huge credit to him today and the way he goes about it. It allows you to learn and get better and better. So yeah, we're lucky to have him through their speed and hopefully can continue that throughout the tournament."
That is it from this game! Switch tabs to for the live coverage of the second game of the day from the MLC. Washington Freedom are put into bat first by MI New York. For now, this is me, AkshayaKrishna Polya, signing off on behalf of our scorer, Bishal Mandal.