MORRISVILLE: Ryan Rickelton’s blistering knock went in vain as Unmukt Chand steered the Los Angeles Knight Riders to a four-wicket victory against Seattle Orcas in a Major League Cricket (MLC) 2024 clash at Church Street Park on Wednesday.
Seattle Orcas’ decision to bat first backfired as they lost Shehan Jayasuriya and Quinton de Kock early with a mere 26 runs on the board.
Rickelton kept the scoreboard moving from his end before Heinrich Klaasen joined him on the crease and together they added 64 runs in 48 balls.
However, Klaasen got run-out on the final ball of the 12th over, after scoring a run-a-ball 23, which halted the Orcas’ momentum.
None of the lower-order batters could pose a threat to the Knight Riders, while Rickelton continued his strokeplay until Spencer Johnson sent him back in the penultimate over.
Rickelton top-scored for the Orcas with an 89-run knock from 52 balls, which featured seven boundaries and six sixes.
Seattle Orcas managed to reach 142-6 in their allocated 20 overs, with only Rickelton and Klaasen reaching the double figures.
For the Los Angeles Knight Riders, Johnson, Andre Russell, Corné Dry, and Sunil Narine managed one wicket each.
In response, Jason Roy and Unmukt Chand gave the Knight Riders a solid start after Narine’s early wicket.
Roy (27) and Chand knitted a 58-run stand for the second wicket before Harmeet Singh dismissed the former.
Chand played a 47-ball innings of 62 runs with three boundaries and three fours to keep his side in the game amidst falling wickets. Singh picked up the prized scalp of Chand.
Saif Badar then played an unbeaten cameo, scoring 18 off 16 to lead the Knight Riders to victory in the final over.
Singh and Cameron Gannon picked two wickets each for the Orcas while Lungi Ngidi and Keemo Paul picked one each.
With this victory, Los Angeles Knight Riders have kept their MLC 2024 playoffs alive, however, they have to win their last remaining game against MI New York.
Meanwhile, Seattle Orcas are lying at the bottom and have to win both their remaining games as well as hoping for other results to go in their favour to secure a berth in final four.
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