The eighth match of the Major League Cricket (MLC) 2023 saw Los Angeles Knight Riders (LAKR) and San Francisco Unicorns (SFU) take on each other in a thrilling encounter at the Grand Prairie Stadium in Dallas. SFU emerged victorious in the contest by 21 runs.
Winning the toss and electing to bat first, SFU put up an impressive total of 212 runs for the loss of seven wickets in their allotted 20 overs. Matthew Wade played a scintillating innings, smashing 78 runs off just 41 deliveries supported by seven fours and five sixes. Finn Allen contributed 20 runs, while Marcus Stoinis added a quickfire 37 off 18 balls. Corey Anderson played a vital cameo as well, scoring 39 runs off 20 deliveries, including three fours and as many maximums.
LAKR’s bowling effort was led by Adam Zampa, who claimed three wickets for 41 runs in his quota of four overs. Sunil Narine and Ali Khan took one wicket each, while Spencer Johnson and Andre Russell also contributed with the ball.
Chasing a daunting target of 213 runs, Los Angeles fought valiantly but fell short of the target by 21 runs, ending their innings on 191 runs for the loss of five wickets in their allotted 20 overs. Jason Roy provided a solid start with a blazing knock of 45 runs off 21 deliveries, featuring four boundaries and as many sixes. Nitish Kumar and Russell also made significant contributions, scoring 31 and 42 runs, respectively. However, despite a spirited chase, LAKR fell short of the target set by San Francisco.
For SFU, Shadab Khan and Chaitanya Bishnoi were the pick of the bowlers, bagging two scalps each. Haris Rauf and Anderson also chipped in with crucial wickets. Wade was adjudged ‘Player of the Match’ for his exceptional batting performance in the contest.
