Shimron Hetmyer unleashed a thunderous, unbeaten 78 from just 37 deliveries to propel the resurgent Seattle Orcas to a four‑wicket victory over the San Francisco Unicorns in the first Major League Cricket fixture ever staged at Central Broward Park in Lauderhill, Florida, on Tuesday night.
Coming to the crease with the Orcas tottering at 56 for 4 in pursuit of 169, the left‑handed West Indian detonated seven towering sixes and four fours, turning a tense chase into a spectacle of clean, audacious hitting and sealing the result with three balls in hand.
Bartlett’s early strikes, Plunkett’s control not enough
Australian seamer Xavier Bartlett (2‑14) struck twice in the Powerplay and former England pacer Liam Plunkett (1‑26) applied the brakes through the middle overs, but the Unicorns could not dislodge Hetmyer when it mattered. Once the Guyanese star found his range, even Bartlett’s heavy length and Plunkett’s cross‑seam variations proved inadequate.
Earlier, California‑born left‑arm spinner Ayan Desai prised out three wickets for 32 as the Unicorns were restricted to 168 for 5. Sanjay Krishnamurthi’s sprightly 41 off 28 balls, laced with four sixes, and Jake Fraser‑McGurk’s 35 from 22 anchored the innings, but South African quick Gerald Coetzee allowed only 21 in four hostile overs to keep the target within reach.
Table in flux
The defeat keeps San Francisco in second place, level on points with leaders Washington Freedom but having played an extra match, while Seattle climb to fourth after winning three straight since a mid‑season overhaul that saw Matthew Mott dismissed as coach and Heinrich Klaasen relinquish the captaincy.
Meanwhile, the competition continues at the same venue on Wednesday evening (6:00 p.m. ET) with Texas Super Kings facing Washington Freedom.
Stakes and storylines
Washington Freedom ride a six‑match winning streak that snapped the Unicorns’ perfect record last weekend. One more triumph would hoist them unaccompanied to the summit of the standings. Texas Super Kings, buoyed by consecutive victories yet still dogged by inconsistency, can draw level on points with the Freedom if they finally piece together a third straight win.
Key match‑ups
Freedom’s Relentless Core vs. Texas’ Mercurial Order: Washington have thrived on collective consistency; Texas alternate brilliance with collapses.
Powerplay Bowling: Early breakthroughs for either Josh Little (TSK) or Saurabh Netravalkar (WAF) could dictate tempo on a surface that quickens under lights.
Middle‑Overs Spin: Akeal Hosein’s left‑arm darts for the Super Kings against Washington’s in‑form top four could prove decisive if showers briefly freshen the track.
Form guide & outlook
The Super Kings have yet to string together three victories in a row this season; Washington, by contrast, “pile up the wins” and have displayed a ruthlessness that suggests their ceiling is still rising. Unless Texas find sustained intensity with both bat and ball, the smart money backs the Freedom to extend their run to the proverbial lucky number seven.
