In a thrilling encounter at Church Street Park, Los Angeles Knight Riders (LAKR) registered a two-wicket victory over Seattle Orcas (SEO) at the Major League Cricket (MLC) 2023 tournament.
Having won the toss, LAKR elected to bowl first. The Orcas put up a competitive total of 170/6 in their allotted 20 overs. Shehan Jayasuriya‘s impressive knock of 60 runs off 45 deliveries, including 7 fours and 1 six, was the standout performance for the Orcas. Nauman Anwar (32 runs off 20) and Heinrich Klaasen (25 runs off 13) also contributed to their team’s score. Adam Zampa and Spencer Johnson were the pick of the bowlers for LAKR, taking 2 wickets each.
In response, the Knight Riders faced an early hiccup, losing some quick wickets. However, Rilee Rossouw played a breathtaking knock, smashing an unbeaten 78 off just 38 deliveries, including 3 fours and 7 sixes. His aggressive batting kept LAKR in the hunt for victory. Andre Russell‘s valuable contribution of 37 runs off 29 balls helped the team inch closer to the target. Despite some late wickets falling, LAKR managed to chase down the total in a nail-biting finish, reaching 175/8 in 19.1 overs.
For the Orcas, Cameron Gannon was the standout bowler, scalping 3 wickets for just 13 runs in his 4-over spell.
Rossouw was awarded the ‘Player of the Match’ for his scintillating knock.
“I thought we put in a complete performance today and luckily for me it came off. The previous game, the wicket was playing up and down and a bit slow. It’s not something we’re used to playing around the world but we had to adapt,” said Rossouw in the post-match presentation.
Man of the moment, HE IS HIM! 😎🔥#LAKRvSO #LAKR #LosAngeles #WeAreLAKR #MLC23 #RileeRossouw @Rileerr pic.twitter.com/HpgX2uy6Ar
— Los Angeles Knight Riders (@LA_KnightRiders) July 23, 2023
With this win, the Knight Riders ended their MLC 2023 journey with confidence, while the Orcas will look to regroup and bounce back in their last fixture.
