Seattle Orcas Secure Key Players Aaron Jones and Shimron Hetmyer for MLC 2025
The Seattle Orcas showcased their strength in Major League Cricket (MLC) 2025 by defeating the Los Angeles Knight Riders by five wickets. This victory marks the Orcas’ second consecutive win in the tournament, demonstrating their ability to chase down a daunting target once again. The match, held at the Grand Prairie Cricket Stadium in the United States, highlighted impressive performances from both teams, particularly in the batting department.
Knight Riders Set a Challenging Target
Opting to bat first after losing the toss, the Los Angeles Knight Riders started their innings cautiously. The pitch conditions made it difficult for the batsmen to time their shots effectively. Andre Fletcher managed to hit a few boundaries during the powerplay, but the Orcas’ Harmeet Singh bowled tightly, earning a breakthrough when Fletcher was dismissed after scoring 24 runs. The Knight Riders faced further trouble when Andre Russell, who came in at No. 3, struggled initially against the spin bowling and found the team in a precarious position at 48 for 3.
Despite the early setbacks, Russell teamed up with Saif Badar to stabilize the innings. The pair built a solid partnership before Rovman Powell joined the fold, adding momentum to the innings. Badar contributed a valuable 41 runs before being caught by Klaasen off Salamkheil’s bowling. Russell, playing a key role, ended the innings unbeaten with a formidable 65 runs off 39 balls, while Powell’s explosive 43 runs off just 21 balls helped the Knight Riders finish their innings at 202 for 4.
Orcas’ Strong Response
Chasing the target of 203, the Seattle Orcas faced an early setback, losing opener Josh Brown on the second ball of their innings. However, Aaron Jones and Shayan Jahangir combined to form a remarkable partnership, scoring 119 runs for the second wicket. Jones played aggressively, scoring his first MLC fifty before being dismissed for 73 runs off 38 balls. His innings included ten boundaries and two sixes, showcasing his ability to find gaps and maintain a brisk run rate.
After the dismissal of Jones, the Orcas encountered a mini-collapse, losing Jahangir, Klaasen, and Sikandar Raza in quick succession. Despite this, Shimron Hetmyer emerged as the hero of the chase, continuing his excellent form from previous matches. Hetmyer scored an explosive 64 runs off just 26 balls, peppering the ground with six sixes and four boundaries, and guiding his team to victory. Kyle Mayers provided solid support, contributing 9 runs off 12 balls, as the Orcas reached 206 for 5 with relative ease.
Bowling Highlights and Match Summary
On the bowling front for the Knight Riders, Jason Holder and Tanveer Sangha both took two wickets, ending their spells with figures of 2 for 36 and 2 for 39, respectively. Andre Russell also chipped in with a wicket, but it was not enough to halt the Orcas’ chase. For the Seattle Orcas, Waqar Salamkheil stood out with the ball, claiming 2 wickets for 29 runs in his four-over spell, while Harmeet Singh and Ayan Desai each took one wicket.
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