The Seattle Orcas (SEO) clashed with the Texas Super Kings (TSK) in the Qualifier match of the Major League Cricket (MLC) 2023 tournament at the Grand Prairie Stadium on Thursday evening. Texas Super Kings won the toss and elected to bat first.
Batting first, the Texas Super Kings struggled to find momentum against an impressive bowling display from the Seattle Orcas. They managed to post a total of 126-9 in their allotted 20 overs. Devon Conway and Cody Chetty were the top scorers with 24 runs each, while Daniel Sams contributed a crucial 26 runs down the order. Andrew Tye was the pick of the bowlers for the Orcas, claiming three wickets, while Imad Wasim and Harmeet Singh provided crucial breakthroughs.
Chasing a target of 127, the Seattle Orcas had a fantastic start, courtesy of their explosive opener Quinton de Kock. The left-handed batter was in sublime form, smashing 88 runs off just 50 balls, which included 10 fours and 4 sixes. His aggressive batting took the game away from the Super Kings as he built a match-winning partnership with Shehan Jayasuriya, who played a steady knock of 31 runs. The Orcas reached the target comfortably in 15 overs with 9 wickets to spare, finishing at 127/1.
Seattle Orcas beat Texas Super Kings by 9 wickets: https://t.co/bZbhJyQxH0#SEOvTSK #Qualifier #MLC2023 #CricketTwitter pic.twitter.com/zvzNto6gHa
— CricketTimes.com (@CricketTimesHQ) July 28, 2023
De Kock’s blistering innings earned him the well-deserved ‘Player of the Match’ award, and his outstanding performance ensured the Seattle Orcas became the first team to qualify for the final. Throughout the tournament, the Orcas have shown exceptional dominance, and this victory in the Qualifier only reinforced their status as the team to beat.
Also READ: Dewald Brevis, Trent Boult shine as MI New York eliminate Washington Freedom – MLC 2023
The Texas Super Kings, despite the loss, will get another chance in the Eliminator match to make their way to the final.
“It’s a bad day at the office. We thought the pitch was going to be real slow. But it’s night time so I think we made a mistake at the toss,” the Super Kings captain Faf du Plessis said in the post-match presentation.
“[The ball] Came on to the bat better later and they played really well. Big wake-up call for tomorrow and we’ll have to be better in all areas. The beautiful thing about tomorrow is that it’s a new day,” he added.
Also Checkout: Major League Cricket 2023 Stats – Highest Scores
