Corey Anderson’s unbeaten 91 helped the San Francisco Unicorns defeat MI New York by 22 runs in their opening Major League Cricket (MLC) match on Saturday (July 15).
Anderson was able supported by Shadab Khan (51) as their rearguard action helped save the Unicorns the blushes following a top order collapse.
Opting to bat first, the Unicorns looked set to be bundled out cheaply after they were reduced to 50-4 in 7 overs.
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Kagiso Rabada and Trent Boult were the wreckers in chief for MI. Rabada got things going by dismissing Matthew Wade cheaply, and then Boult clean bowled Marcus Stoinis.
Rabada then removed the dangerous Finn Allen for just 10 before Sarabjit Ladda dismissed Aaron Finch.
But Anderson and Shadab pulled off a rescue job for the ages. Their 149-run stand revived the innings and by the time Shadab was dismissed, they were 179-5 in 16.3 overs.
Despite looking unlikely to make even 150 at one point, they were now on course for a target in or above the 200-run mark.
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Anderson and Tajinder Dhillon (18 off 10 balls) ensured they ended the first innings at 215-5, meaning MI would need to bat out of their skins in order to win the first game.
They got off to a poor start, as they lost both Steven Taylor (0) and Monank Patel (8) cheaply and by the 3rd over.
Dewald Brevis tried to lead a counterattack but he too was dismissed for 32 in the ninth over, with MI at 64.
The onus was now on Nicholas Pooran and and Kieron Pollard to not only score big but score quickly. They were able to do that but Pooran was dismissed in the 12th over.
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MI seemed down and out by that point but a blistering counterattacking knock from Tim David kept them in the hunt.
David scored 53 off 28 balls in a knock that includes 4 fours and as many sixes. However, the asking rate was very high and it became mission impossible once Pollard was dismissed in the 18th over.
When Pollard returned to the dugout, MI needed 62 off 15 balls – a task too tall even for someone as destructive as David.
He did slam a few runs towards the end to reduce the margin of defeat, but the win deservedly belonged to the Unicorns.
MI next face LA Knight Riders while the Unicorns face Seattle Orcas.
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