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Seattle Orcas become first finalist of MLC 2023 (Source: Twitter)
The first qualifier of the Major League Cricket (MLC) took place on Thursday, July 27 as Texas Super Kings (TSK) and Seattle Orcas (SO) faced off against each other at the Grand Prairie Stadium in Dallas. The Super Kings won the toss and elected to bat first. However, they soon came to regret their decision as they failed to capitalise on the opportunity. The Orcas' bowling attack wreaked havoc on the Super Kings’ batting order. Andrew Tye returned with the best figures of 3/32 in four overs. He was closely followed by Imad Wasim with 2/23 in four overs. At the same time, Cameron Gannon and Harmeet Singh scalped one wicket each.
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The Super Kings were thus restricted to 126/9 in 20 overs. While the Orcas failed to bowl them out, they did a great job of restricting the run-flow and setting themselves a chasable target. Daniel Sams with 26* off 25 balls, including a four and a six was the top-scorer for the team representing Texas. He was followed by Devon Conway (24 off 19) and Cody Chetty (24 off 21).
Quinton de Kock was named the ‘Man of the Match’ for his 88* off 50
In reply, the Orcas cruised to the total in 15 overs. Opening batter Quinton de Kock smashed 88* off 50 balls, including 10 fours and four sixes. However, his co-opener Nauman Anwar had a forgettable outing registering just 2 off 6 balls. Shehan Jayasuriya remained not out at 31 off 34, including four boundaries as the Orcas defeated the Super Kings by nine wickets. De Kock was awarded the ‘Man of the Match’ for his handsome knock.
Seattle Orcas have therefore reached the final of the Major League Cricket (MLC) 2023, becoming the first finalist of the tournament. In the other bracket, MI New York defeated the Washington Freedom in the Eliminator by 16 runs. They’ll now face the Texas Super Kings in the second Qualifier to determine who will set a date with the Orcas on July 31 at the Grand Prairie Stadium in Dallas with silverware at stake.