Pretorius, Rauf help Unicorns beat MI New York to go top in MLC 2026
Unicorns climbed atop standings after Pretorius and Rauf dismantled MI New York
DALLAS: Lhuan-dre Pretorius struck a magnificent maiden century before Matthew Short and Haris Rauf starred with the ball as the San Francisco Unicorns thrashed MI New York by nine wickets in their Major League Cricket (MLC) 2026 clash at Grand Prairie Stadium on Wednesday.
Asked to bat first, MI New York were restricted to 143/9 in their allotted 20 overs after their top order failed to build substantial partnerships.
Opening batter Ryan Rickelton was the top scorer with 35 off 21 deliveries, smashing four fours and two sixes. Sunny Patel provided useful support with 32 from 23 balls, including three boundaries and a six.
Captain Nicholas Pooran managed 19 from 24 deliveries, striking one four and one six, while Kieron Pollard added 16 off 13 balls with the help of two fours and a six.
Corey Anderson was dismissed for 12 from 16 deliveries, with his innings featuring a solitary six, while Romario Shepherd remained unbeaten on 11 from nine balls, hitting one four and one six.
Elsewhere, Quinton de Kock scored six, Monank Patel was dismissed for one, and Trent Boult chipped in with four from two deliveries.
Matthew Short led the Unicorns' bowling attack with outstanding figures of 3/24 in four overs. Haris Rauf and Aaron Hardie claimed two wickets apiece, while Brody Couch and Anirudh Immanuel picked up one wicket each.
In response, the Unicorns comfortably chased down the target for the loss of just one wicket in 15.4 overs, thanks to a sensational unbeaten century from opener Lhuan-dre Pretorius.
The South African smashed 102 not out from just 52 deliveries, lacing his innings with 10 fours and five sixes to steer his side to victory.
Finn Allen contributed 20 from 17 balls, including three boundaries, while skipper Matthew Short added 19 from 25 deliveries with one four.
The victory lifted the San Francisco Unicorns to the top of the MLC 2026 points table with five wins and three defeats from eight matches. They now have 10 points and a net run rate of 0.590.
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